Philosophy and Ethics - Religious Studies
Parmiter's School - Hertfordshire
01923671424
High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, WD25 0UU
Course summary

It will be helpful but it is not a requirement that you have studied GCSE in Religious Studies ; you do have to able to argue using structured reasoning, read widely and to be prepared to work hard and develop your essay writing skills. This is called A Level Religious Studies but the modules selected are focused more on Philosophical and Ethical Enquiry. It is a challenging and engaging course which develops students’ analytical skills and critical thinking. It will enable students to reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes and appreciate religious thought and its contribution to societies. There is no coursework required but it is an essay based A level.

Entry requirements

Grade 6 in GCSE English (Language or Literature)

How you'll be assessed

At A Level students study three components on Philosophy, Ethics and the Development of Religious Thought. Assessment is by three two hour written examinations. Each examination is worth 33.3% of the total A level. Component 1: Philosophy of Religion includes: ● Ancient Philosophical influences, Plato and Aristotle ● Religious language- Symbol, the Verification Principle ● Religious Experience – Miracle, a study of how God might interact with humanity ● Attributes of God ● The challenges for religious belief of the problem of evil ● Life and Death – the concept of the soul (Hick and Dawkins) Component 2: Religious Ethics includes: ● Normative Ethical theories-Virtue Ethics, Deontological and Teleological Ethics ● Ethical theory – applied to Sexual Ethics and Euthanasia ● Ethical language –Meta Ethics ( naturalism, intuitionism, emotivism) the teaching of Hobbes ( egoism) ● Debates surrounding the ideas of the conscience and free will Component 3: Development in Religious Thought incudes: ● Religious beliefs, values and teachings and how they vary historically in the contemporary world- Presentations of the nature of Christ ● Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought, Liberation theology, the Roman Catholic Church’s response to secularism ● Sources of wisdom and authority, Knowledge and revelation of God ● Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society

School Info

About Education Provider

RegionEast of England
Local AuthorityHertfordshire
Ofsted RatingOutstanding
Gender TypeCo-Educational
AddressHigh Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, WD25 0UU