AS/A Level Philosophy
Subject Staff: Gary Widdowfield
- Level: AS/A Level
- Duration: 2 years
Why should I choose this course?
- I am interested in the big questions:
• What is the nature of reality?
• What is truth?
• What is right? What is wrong?
• When, if ever, is authority legitimate?
- I am interested in philosophical debates and in finding out about how philosophers have tackled the big questions that humans must ask themselves.
What does the course consist of?
- Two units are studied in the first year, to achieve AS-level
• Unit 1 introduces some of the key questions of philosophy such as ‘Why should I be moral? Why should I be governed? How do I gain knowledge of the world?’
• Unit 2 develops two themes from unit 1 – Tolerance and how to live with difference; What is the value of art?
- A further two units are studied to complete the full A-level
• Unit 3 - You will study the following:
• Political Philosophy
• Moral Philosophy
• Unit 4 - In this unit you will approach philosophy through a series of debates raised by philosophers in a classic text. You will study one of the following classic philosophical texts:
• Beyond Good and Evil – Friedrich Nietzsche
• On Liberty – John Stuart Mill.
What are the entry requirements?
- At least 5 A* to C passes at GCSE, including English Language
How is this course assessed?
- All units are assessed by examination
What might this course lead on to?
- Any career where analytical skills are important as Philosophy develops the ability to think, to assess arguments and to appreciate the points of view of others
- Higher Education – Philosophy, Religious Education, Theology