What is Philosophy? .

"The unexamined life", said Socrates, "is not worth living."

Philosophy involves a critical examination of our most fundamental beliefs about truth and reality, right and wrong. It challenges many of our assumptions about what we know and how we should live. Philosophy teaches you not what to think, but how to think. It is the study of meaning, of the principles underlying conduct, thought and knowledge. The skills it focuses on are the ability to analyse, question orthodoxies and express views clearly.

Why Study Philosophy?

Studying Philosophy will develop the most essential skills for further study and for life:

• Independent thought: doing philosophy is an excellent training in thinking for yourself
• Subject matter: the questions that philosophy investigates are the most profound questions that we can ask
• The ability to spot flaws in arguments
• Understanding the relations between ideas: how one idea can imply another or contradict it
• Imagination: coming up with novel solutions and novel ideas
• Communication and conversation: philosophy is done through discussion and debate
• Self-understanding: through thinking independently, philosophy can help you to understand yourself

Philosophy fits in well with most subject combinations at AS and A level. Students studying Philosophy have opted for maths, science and humanities subjects as well and have found some similar themes being raised that provide valuable different perspectives.

Course Outline AS Level

Exam board: AQA Download Specification

The course is made up of three modules. For each module you will consider different philosophical arguments and theories related to the philosophical theme. You will then evaluate them and draw your own conclusions. Each module is tested by means of a 1 hour exam in the Summer.

Module 1: Epistemology or Theory of Knowledge . In this module you consider the following: What is Knowledge? Where does it come from? Can we really know anything? Is what we perceive reality? Is there a real world?

Module 2: Philosophy of Religion . In this module some questions you will consider are: Do the different conceptions of God contradict each other? Is there an answer to the problem of evil? Is religious talk meaningful? Can faith be rational?

Module 3: Plato’s Republic . This is a text based module, which considers subjects raised by Plato, including: The Nature of Knowledge, the difference between Knowledge and Opinion; the ideal society and a critique of democracy.

Course Outline A2 Level

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At A2 level more emphasis is placed in the examination on your ability to Interpret and Evaluate; recognising the interconnectedness of issues and independently researching a philosophical theme for an extended essay.

Module 4: Political Philosophy . Issues raised in this theme include: the concept of rights and freedom and whether they are compatible with law; theories of the relationship between State and Individual, such as: Socialism, Liberalism and Democracy and the role of the State.

Module 5: Text based, Aristotle’s Ethics or Mill’s On Liberty (to be decided). Refer to syllabus to see themes covered in both.

Module 6: Synoptic Essay . This is an extended essay researched over a term and written in exam conditions. (Refer to syllabus for details). You will choose from 12 titles, which either assess the relative contributions of two philosophers to a major debate, or assess the impact of one philosopher on ideas within a philosophical theme.