Philosophy

Course aims

The course allows learners to critically-reason, develop arguments and gain a thorough knowledge of key philosophical concepts. You will also learn the key academic skills of critical thought and the ability to develop and sustain your own arguments.

Entry requirements

You will require a grade 6 in English and a grade 6 in another humanities based subject.

Course content

Year One

Unit 1 – Epistemology

What is knowledge? How can you be sure what you know? Learners will examine the ways in which humans gain understanding of the world and whether their senses are trustworthy.

Unit 2 – Ethics

How should we behave? You will examine several ethical systems that tell us how to be good people. You will also analyse whether the whole idea of ‘being good’ really exists.

Year Two

Unit 3 – Metaphysics of God

You will analyse why the concept of God is so important to human understating of the world and how we exist. Even atheists can’t ignore God and have to create arguments to
prove he doesn’t exist!

Unit 4 – Metaphysics of the mind

You will tackle the most fundamental question: who are you? Are you the body you inhabit? Are you a mind? How do we define each of these things?

Course assessment

There are two 3-hour exams at the end of the second year.

Materials

Textbooks will be advised by the course leader.

Progress

Philosophy has a range of attractive transferable skills that are attractive to many Higher Education courses and to employers in such careers as law, business, finance.