Philosophy deals with many questions which are central to our understanding of ourselves, and of our world. How do I know that I am not merely a brain in a vat, or living in “The Matrix”? What is the “good life”? Who, or what, am I? Does free will exist? Do animals, or indeed humans, have rights? Indeed, Philosophy is a subject concerned with the clarification of concepts and the justification of beliefs. To paraphrase the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, you will be allowed to ask, ‘What can I know, how ought I to act, and what can I hope? Philosophy complements other academic disciplines by helping to develop analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically –allowing you to apply these skills to many contemporary and historical thinkers and schools of thought A Level focuses in particular on the following 4 key questions: • What can we know? • How do we make moral decisions? • Is the concept of God coherent? • What is the mind, and are mind and body separate? A level Philosophy is a course offered by the Religion and Theology Department. The course aims to enable pupils to gain a thorough grounding in some key philosophical concepts and arguments, themes, texts and techniques. Pupils will develop their abilities to analyse and assess philosophical writings and to reason, form their judgements, present their arguments clearly and logically, and contribute to the process of debate. It is a subject which complements many other subjects well, in terms of both subject matter and\ skills, and it can be studied on its own at university or in conjunction with a range of subjects (such as Mathematics, Politics, Psychology, Modern Languages etc.). It would suit those with a logical mind and the ability to write with precision and concision. All of the topics at the A level are compulsory. Topic 1: Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge) This focuses on comparing different theories of perception and what they have to say on the nature of the world and the acquisition of our knowledge of it, as well as definitions of knowledge and the origins of concepts and ideas; is all knowledge gained from experience, or is any knowledge innate? Topic 2: Moral Philosophy This topic considers different approaches to answering the question of what is the right thing to do (including Utilitarianism, Deontology and Virtue Theory). These theories are also applied to practical concerns such as simulated killing in computer games, theft and the eating of animals. The topic also covers the issue of the status of ethical language; are ethical statements claims about reality which can have a truth value? Topic 3: The Metaphysics of God This topic considers concepts of and attributes of God, and arguments questioning their coherence, as well as various arguments relating to the existence of God, and the use of religious language. Topic 4: The Metaphysics of Mind This topic considers the relationship between the mental and the physical. Is the mind distinct from the body? Are thoughts, ideas, beliefs and emotions anything other than physical events in the brain?
For those applicants currently studying GCSEs, we also require 14 points as a minimum entry requirement, where Grades 8 and 9 = 3 points, Grade 7 = 2 points and Grade 6 = 1 point. We would expect applicants to achieve significantly higher than our minimum grade requirement. GCSEs should include English Language, Mathematics, and a grade 8 in the three subjects to be studied at A level, where those subjects are being studied for GCSE. For 16+ applicants to enter the Remove from elsewhere in the UK, the minimum requirement for entry will be 14 points at GCSE (see above) or the equivalent. We look for a grade 8 or above in English Language, Mathematics, and all subjects chosen for study at A level. A-level grades are not commonly achieved without at least a grade 8 at GCSE in the same or related subjects. The most competitive universities will expect a mixture of A and A* grades at the A level.
The A Level examination consists of two 3-hour papers (each examining two of the above topics), which are evenly weighted.
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| Region | London |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| Ofsted Rating | |
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Philosophy deals with many questions which are central to our understanding of ourselves, and of our world. How do I know that I am not merely a brain in a vat, or living in “The Matrix”? What is the “good life”? Who, or what, am I? Does free will exist? Do animals, or indeed humans, have rights? Indeed, Philosophy is a subject concerned with the clarification of concepts and the justification of beliefs. To paraphrase the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, you will be allowed to ask, ‘What can I know, how ought I to act, and what can I hope? Philosophy complements other academic disciplines by helping to develop analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically –allowing you to apply these skills to many contemporary and historical thinkers and schools of thought A Level focuses in particular on the following 4 key questions: • What can we know? • How do we make moral decisions? • Is the concept of God coherent? • What is the mind, and are mind and body separate? A level Philosophy is a course offered by the Religion and Theology Department. The course aims to enable pupils to gain a thorough grounding in some key philosophical concepts and arguments, themes, texts and techniques. Pupils will develop their abilities to analyse and assess philosophical writings and to reason, form their judgements, present their arguments clearly and logically, and contribute to the process of debate. It is a subject which complements many other subjects well, in terms of both subject matter and\ skills, and it can be studied on its own at university or in conjunction with a range of subjects (such as Mathematics, Politics, Psychology, Modern Languages etc.). It would suit those with a logical mind and the ability to write with precision and concision. All of the topics at the A level are compulsory. Topic 1: Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge) This focuses on comparing different theories of perception and what they have to say on the nature of the world and the acquisition of our knowledge of it, as well as definitions of knowledge and the origins of concepts and ideas; is all knowledge gained from experience, or is any knowledge innate? Topic 2: Moral Philosophy This topic considers different approaches to answering the question of what is the right thing to do (including Utilitarianism, Deontology and Virtue Theory). These theories are also applied to practical concerns such as simulated killing in computer games, theft and the eating of animals. The topic also covers the issue of the status of ethical language; are ethical statements claims about reality which can have a truth value? Topic 3: The Metaphysics of God This topic considers concepts of and attributes of God, and arguments questioning their coherence, as well as various arguments relating to the existence of God, and the use of religious language. Topic 4: The Metaphysics of Mind This topic considers the relationship between the mental and the physical. Is the mind distinct from the body? Are thoughts, ideas, beliefs and emotions anything other than physical events in the brain?
For those applicants currently studying GCSEs, we also require 14 points as a minimum entry requirement, where Grades 8 and 9 = 3 points, Grade 7 = 2 points and Grade 6 = 1 point. We would expect applicants to achieve significantly higher than our minimum grade requirement. GCSEs should include English Language, Mathematics, and a grade 8 in the three subjects to be studied at A level, where those subjects are being studied for GCSE. For 16+ applicants to enter the Remove from elsewhere in the UK, the minimum requirement for entry will be 14 points at GCSE (see above) or the equivalent. We look for a grade 8 or above in English Language, Mathematics, and all subjects chosen for study at A level. A-level grades are not commonly achieved without at least a grade 8 at GCSE in the same or related subjects. The most competitive universities will expect a mixture of A and A* grades at the A level.
The A Level examination consists of two 3-hour papers (each examining two of the above topics), which are evenly weighted.