Philosophy involves attempting to answer the fundamental questions in life, such as why we are here, how we got here, how we should live, etc. A Level philosophers think critically, asking questions about the nature of truth and knowledge and see ways to establish such things as whether or not there is a God, whether there is life after death, or what makes one action right and another wrong. We follow the OCR specification for Religious Studies which offers three units: Philosophy of Religion; Religious Ethics; and Developments in Religious Thought.
“I am extremely pleased that I chose to study Philosophy as one of my A Levels. The lessons are so enjoyable and the content is extremely interesting. I decided to choose Philosophy as I enjoyed Religious Studies at GCSE, especially in terms of having debates and finding out about different perspectives – A Level Philosophy really allows you to do this. When approaching a subject we always have class discussions and learn lots about different views, both for and against the topic at hand. Having these debates throughout Year 12 was definitely the highlight of our lessons – it was so interesting to hear different class members’ views on a subject and add to them or challenge them. The content is also very interesting with some topics studied being especially relevant in the media which made them more engaging when learning about them in class.”
Lucy
Mr Oldfield
Head of Philosophy
Philosophers think critically, asking questions about the nature of truth and knowledge and see ways to establish such things as whether or not there is a God, whether there is life after death, or what makes one action right and another wrong. Philosophy is an excellent subject to study alongside science subjects such as Psychology, Biology and Physics as well as humanities subjects like Law and Sociology. While it helps you to develop skills of analysis, evaluation and literacy, it also encourages critical thinking. This makes it an excellent subject when applying to university and people with this A Level have gone on to study a wide range of subjects – examples include theology, religious studies, philosophy, law, medicine, politics, teaching, nursing, social work and business.
This course offers an excellent introduction to philosophy and its more practical branch, ethics, as well as exploring the relationship between belief and the implications of belief.
Edward Craig describes philosophy as “the sound of human beings being human”; come and join the human adventure at DSFC.
Philosophy of Religion
In Philosophy of Religion you will study ancient philosophical influences; the nature of the soul, mind and bod; arguments about the existence or non-existence of God; the nature and impact of religious experience; the challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil; ideas about the nature of God; and issues in religious language.
Developments of Religious Thought
In Developments of Religious Thought you will investigate the ideas of ‘original sin’ and ‘God’s grace’ in addition to religious ideas about death and the afterlife and the difference between natural and revealed ‘knowledge’ of God. You will also investigate the life, teaching and example of one religious leader and different sources of religious moral principles. Finally, you will learn about religious pluralism and its implications.
Religious Ethics
In Religious Ethics you will look first at absolutist and relativist ethical theories and religious ethics before addressing applied ethics, i.e. ethical theory as applied to euthanasia and business ethics. In addition, you will study ethical language and thought, debates surrounding the significant idea of ‘conscience’ as well as sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs.
Assessment
There are three exam papers of 2 hours each. Each paper will contain four essay questions, with the student choosing three out of the four to answer.
Paper 1 assesses Philosophy of religion and makes up 33.3% of the A Level.
Paper 2 assesses Religion and ethics and makes up 33.3% of the A Level.
Paper 3 assesses Developments in religious thought and makes up 33.3% of the A Level.
Entry Requirements
Minimum 65444 including 6 in RE (if taken) and Level 5 in English Language or Literature GCSE.
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