Logic / Philosophy

Course summary

Philosophy is an exciting and challenging A Level course which appeals to a wide range of students and is highly regarded by top-ranking universities and employers. It offers you philosophical training that you will find extremely useful and allows you to explore fundamental questions, critically examine the answers others have given and develop and justify your conclusions. Philosophy allows you to consider complex and challenging questions which explore the very nature of what it means to be human and how we should approach those subjects where there may not be an initial apparent answer. Philosophy gives you the tools to analyse and examine concepts you use in everyday life and your other subjects. It will help you for example to become a sharper thinker, more articulate, and more confident in your ability to reason. In particular, it will help you to: • Be more persuasive - argue clearly for your university place, your job, your court case, your business proposal etc. • Analyse and spot the flaws in the reasoning of others and construct a better argument. • Cut through waffles and make points succinctly and with precision. • Develop imaginative and novel solutions to problems - think outside of the box. Philosophy is a natural choice for those of you who are inquisitive and wish to explore questions where you think outside of the box. It will also appeal to those of you who enjoy constructing arguments, playing devil’s advocate, and analysing the arguments of others. You may also have an interest in language and be aware of how the language we use shapes the debate on an issue. Year 12: • Moral Philosophy How do we make moral decisions? What makes something ‘good’? What is the nature of moral language? Does it point to something real in the world or is it just an expression of my values? • Epistemology What is perception? What can we know and how? Can I trust my senses? Are we born knowing anything? Year 13: • The Metaphysics of God Does the idea of ‘God’ make sense? Can the existence of God be proven? Is it possible to use human language to talk about God? • The Metaphysics of Mind Are mind and body separate? Is your ‘mind’ the same as your ‘brain’? What is it to be a\ ‘person’?