Religious Studies

Course summary

Philosophy and Ethics at A-Level looks very different to many other courses. At William Brookes, we study: • Philosophy • Ethics • Christianity Philosophy gives you the opportunity to explore big questions about the meaning and purpose of life: Why are we here? Where did we come from? Is this life real? Does God exist? People have been trying to answer these questions for millennia, and they are still relevant today. Philosophy is one of the oldest disciples, having been explicitly discussed and studied for nearly 3000 years. In fact, it was recently discovered that Neanderthals buried bodies in specific, special places to protect the dead; this shows that philosophical thinking has been a feature of our history for 50,000 years. By engaging with these questions, lessons are centred around debating, discussing and evaluating theories and views about our very existence. You have opportunities to share your own opinion, bring your experiences to the table and challenge others on their views. Philosophy engages your mind and pushes you to be critical of the world around you. This skill is hugely important, now more than ever. With an increasing amount of fake news, misleading headlines and poorly quoted statistics, the world needs critical thinkers who are willing to look beyond the obvious. Philosophy is also a fantastic foundation for university study, and is particularly beneficial for careers in education, politics, medicine, law and social work. Many people think inside the box. Some people can think outside the box. Philosophers question whether the box every really existed.