Can war ever be just? What is reality? Does god exist? Should people have the right to die? Is there such a thing as free will? What is happiness? Should some jobs be paid more than others? Do we live in a nanny state? What separates philosophers from mere mortals is that they go beyond just answering abstract and often very difficult questions born of everyday experiences; they explore and challenge the fundamental ideas and assumptions that lie behind these questions to develop moral guidelines or codes of conduct that can be applied (through unspoken and/or statutory laws) in real life: how we engage and interact with others, how we expect or would like to be treated, how we make judgements and decisions and how we govern and are governed. Understanding how to begin to answer such questions takes training. Rather than using scientific experiments to explore and test theories, philosophers use reasoning through discussion. Students learn to analyse, construct, deconstruct and justify their views on a variety of complex issues. This not only broadens their outlook and interpretation of the world around them but also develops critical skills for any academic learning. Philosophy lessons at Ashbourne are always alive with discussion steered by our expert teacher who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, not least from training in Physics, Philosophy and Theology. A level Philosophy is an excellent choice for further study at degree level in politics, history, law, theology, psychology, philosophy, physics and many more subjects. Both AS and A level Philosophy students will explore Epistemology (theory of knowledge) and Moral Philosophy (what’s right and what’s wrong); A-level students will also cover Metaphysics of God (is God real?) and Metaphysics of mind (what is the ‘mind’?). You probably think you know quite a bit about the world around you and how things work. But have you considered how you know these things to be so? For example, if someone is running how do you know they are moving? Is it because you can ‘see’ or sense they are moving or you think you understand motion or you just know? Epistemology explores the nature, origin and limits of human knowledge. In this component, students will examine ‘what is knowledge’ and how perception and reason are used as sources of knowledge. Students will explore ‘justified true belief’ (the tripartite view) as well as other theoretical arguments of Plato, Gottfried Leibniz, René Descartes, Linda Zagzebski, John Locke, Catharine Trotter Cockburn, Bertrand Russell and George Berkeley. Is lying always wrong? Does effort deserve reward? Is it right to give to charity? Should you have the right to die? Morals, for most people, are a set of rules used to determine what is right and wrong, guiding us to make decisions and lead our lives. This system of rules is derived from religious, philosophical and cultural beliefs. Having a moral map, however, does not necessarily mean people always follow it. And that map is not always the same as others. Can we share ‘universal values’ like freedom from violence or are these simply constructs of dominant or privileged groups? In this component, students will examine Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism (experience-based morality), Kantian deontological (duty-based) ethics and Aristotelian virtue (aspiring to be good) ethics, applied ethics (how specific moral issues might play out in real life situations) and meta-ethics (working out the moral underpinnings, e.g. how can we discern right from wrong; what is right?) If God is all-powerful could ‘he’ create a stone so heavy that even he could not lift it? Could he make a triangle whose angles do not add up to 180 degrees? Could God design a prison so secure that he could not escape? This type of paradox is used to challenge the assumption that God is omnipotent. In defence, St Thomas Aquinas’ would have argued that it is not possible to bring about an impossible state of affairs (like defying the laws of Mathematics). In this component, students will explore the concept and nature of God and arguments relating to the existence of God. They will examine the ontological (nature of being) arguments of St Anselm, Descartes and Norman Malcom and objections of Gaunilo, empiricists, Kant, Hume, William Paley and Richard Swinburne; as well as the cosmological (natural order of the universe) arguments of the Kalām, St Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz and Russell. Students will also consider endeavours to reconcile God’s existence with ‘the problem of evil’. What is the mind? Is it simply a collection of thoughts and feelings or an entity that comprises a physical or other (mental) substance? Is the ‘mind’ discrete from the body or contingent? Metaphysics of mind explores what is meant by mind and the nature of consciousness, thought and emotion. In this component, students will investigate dualist theories of mind including substance (mind and body are discrete – Descartes), property (distinct physical and mental properties of one substance – David Chalmers, Frank Jackson and Gilbert Ryle) and epiphenomenalist (mental events dependent on physicals events). They will also explore physicalism (everything is physical), mind-brain type identity theory, eliminative materialism (commonsense ‘folk’ psychology should be replaced by neuroscience explanation) and functionalism (mental states can be characterised by functional roles).
Students who continue to Year 12 at Ashbourne are expected to be able to gain a minimum of 6 grades 6s (or equivalent) for their GCSE results and must have a determination to work towards their academic potential.
About Education Provider
| Region | London |
| Local Authority | Kensington and Chelsea |
| Ofsted Rating | Outstanding |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| ISI Report | View Report |
| Boarding Fee | Unknown |
| Sixth Form Fee | £32,250 - £34,500 |
| Address | 17 Old Court Place, Kensington, London, W8 4PL |
Can war ever be just? What is reality? Does god exist? Should people have the right to die? Is there such a thing as free will? What is happiness? Should some jobs be paid more than others? Do we live in a nanny state? What separates philosophers from mere mortals is that they go beyond just answering abstract and often very difficult questions born of everyday experiences; they explore and challenge the fundamental ideas and assumptions that lie behind these questions to develop moral guidelines or codes of conduct that can be applied (through unspoken and/or statutory laws) in real life: how we engage and interact with others, how we expect or would like to be treated, how we make judgements and decisions and how we govern and are governed. Understanding how to begin to answer such questions takes training. Rather than using scientific experiments to explore and test theories, philosophers use reasoning through discussion. Students learn to analyse, construct, deconstruct and justify their views on a variety of complex issues. This not only broadens their outlook and interpretation of the world around them but also develops critical skills for any academic learning. Philosophy lessons at Ashbourne are always alive with discussion steered by our expert teacher who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, not least from training in Physics, Philosophy and Theology. A level Philosophy is an excellent choice for further study at degree level in politics, history, law, theology, psychology, philosophy, physics and many more subjects. Both AS and A level Philosophy students will explore Epistemology (theory of knowledge) and Moral Philosophy (what’s right and what’s wrong); A-level students will also cover Metaphysics of God (is God real?) and Metaphysics of mind (what is the ‘mind’?). You probably think you know quite a bit about the world around you and how things work. But have you considered how you know these things to be so? For example, if someone is running how do you know they are moving? Is it because you can ‘see’ or sense they are moving or you think you understand motion or you just know? Epistemology explores the nature, origin and limits of human knowledge. In this component, students will examine ‘what is knowledge’ and how perception and reason are used as sources of knowledge. Students will explore ‘justified true belief’ (the tripartite view) as well as other theoretical arguments of Plato, Gottfried Leibniz, René Descartes, Linda Zagzebski, John Locke, Catharine Trotter Cockburn, Bertrand Russell and George Berkeley. Is lying always wrong? Does effort deserve reward? Is it right to give to charity? Should you have the right to die? Morals, for most people, are a set of rules used to determine what is right and wrong, guiding us to make decisions and lead our lives. This system of rules is derived from religious, philosophical and cultural beliefs. Having a moral map, however, does not necessarily mean people always follow it. And that map is not always the same as others. Can we share ‘universal values’ like freedom from violence or are these simply constructs of dominant or privileged groups? In this component, students will examine Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism (experience-based morality), Kantian deontological (duty-based) ethics and Aristotelian virtue (aspiring to be good) ethics, applied ethics (how specific moral issues might play out in real life situations) and meta-ethics (working out the moral underpinnings, e.g. how can we discern right from wrong; what is right?) If God is all-powerful could ‘he’ create a stone so heavy that even he could not lift it? Could he make a triangle whose angles do not add up to 180 degrees? Could God design a prison so secure that he could not escape? This type of paradox is used to challenge the assumption that God is omnipotent. In defence, St Thomas Aquinas’ would have argued that it is not possible to bring about an impossible state of affairs (like defying the laws of Mathematics). In this component, students will explore the concept and nature of God and arguments relating to the existence of God. They will examine the ontological (nature of being) arguments of St Anselm, Descartes and Norman Malcom and objections of Gaunilo, empiricists, Kant, Hume, William Paley and Richard Swinburne; as well as the cosmological (natural order of the universe) arguments of the Kalām, St Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz and Russell. Students will also consider endeavours to reconcile God’s existence with ‘the problem of evil’. What is the mind? Is it simply a collection of thoughts and feelings or an entity that comprises a physical or other (mental) substance? Is the ‘mind’ discrete from the body or contingent? Metaphysics of mind explores what is meant by mind and the nature of consciousness, thought and emotion. In this component, students will investigate dualist theories of mind including substance (mind and body are discrete – Descartes), property (distinct physical and mental properties of one substance – David Chalmers, Frank Jackson and Gilbert Ryle) and epiphenomenalist (mental events dependent on physicals events). They will also explore physicalism (everything is physical), mind-brain type identity theory, eliminative materialism (commonsense ‘folk’ psychology should be replaced by neuroscience explanation) and functionalism (mental states can be characterised by functional roles).
Students who continue to Year 12 at Ashbourne are expected to be able to gain a minimum of 6 grades 6s (or equivalent) for their GCSE results and must have a determination to work towards their academic potential.