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This course would be suited to anyone who is interested in asking themselves big and difficult questions about life, the universe and everything. Have you ever wondered whether it is possible to know the truth about anything? Or whether eating animals is morally wrong? Or whether it is possible to create a human being artificially? If so, and if you enjoy a good debate and a challenge, then this course is for you!

Course Content and Assessment

Philosophy teaches you to be critical, clear and precise in your thinking and writing. You will have the opportunity to engage with complex ideas and texts, and to analyse and evaluate the arguments of others successfully.

You will also learn to construct and defend your own arguments effectively.

The course is divided into four topics studied over the two years. There are two exams at the end, and each exam is three hours long.

Topic 1: Epistemology

In this topic you will be asked ‘what is knowledge?’. You will consider whether your senses can give you knowledge, or whether true knowledge comes from reason. You will also debate whether truth and proof are necessary for knowledge.

Topic 2: Moral Philosophy

This topic considers whether an action is good if it has a good outcome for many people, or whether an action is good when someone intended it to be good, even if it had a negative outcome. We will also look at the definitions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.

 Topic 3: Metaphysics of God

This topic asks whether it is possible to prove or disprove the existence of God, and also whether or not it even makes sense to talk about God in the first place.

Topic 4: Metaphysics of Mind

In this topic, you will be asking ‘what does it mean to be human’? You will examine the most up-to-date philosophy on Artificial Intelligence, and you will also look at the most ancient ideas of whether or not your mind is separate from your body.

Entry Requirements:

In order to really enjoy this course and engage with the content, you will need to have 5 GCSEs or equivalent (grades 6 or above). One of these should be in English.

Where will this Course take me?

Whatever you choose to study later on, at some stage you will come across Philosophy. It complements and affects every subject and field of study, from medical ethics to drama, environmental studies to art.

Employers recognise the challenging nature of the subject and value its systematic and logical approach.

Philosophy students are highly employable and go on to find jobs in a wide range of fields, such as law, accounting, teaching, politics, journalism, film-making,oriental studies to art.

Employers recognise the challenging nature of the subject and value its systematic and logical approach.

Philosophy students are highly employable and go on to find jobs in a wide range of fields, such as law, accounting, teaching, politics, journalism and film-making.

Where Next