The Philosophy Department

Philosophy Key Stage 5

Exam board: AQA,

Why study Philosophy?

Isn’t it possible to imagine some things without using our senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell? Should I have to tolerate the plurality of cultures and religions even if they are not popular or respected? To what extent should I be able to exercise my individual freedoms and rights? If these sorts of questions intrigue you, then A-Level Philosophy could be for you! A-Level Philosophy examines prominent thinkers and schools of thought throughout history. These ideas are considered not just in their context, but also in relation to modern situations and problems, and it is done through a series of thematic debates.

What will you study?

Key areas considered at AS level:

Unit 1 – An Introduction to Philosophy 1: The compulsory section is on‘Reason and Experience’as we try to determine as to whether what we sense delineates what we think. We will also look at the section ‘Why should I be governed?’ as we analyse howan individual or collection of individuals, originally free, come to be obligated or bound to obey the laws and commands of the state.

Unit 2 – An Introduction to Philosophy 2: This includes a section on ‘Tolerance’ in which we explore how tolerance affects society, the individual, religion and culture, and a section on ‘The Value of Art’ in which we discuss whether we value art because of its expressive or artistic quality or because of how it informs us.

Key areas considered at A2 level:

Unit 3 – Key Themes in Philosophy: This includes a section on ‘Political Philosophy’inwhichwe debate how human well being can be advanced or hindered by the organisation of society and political structures. The second section is on‘Moral Philosophy’ as we analyse how far moral truths exist before deciding on how we make moral decisions.

Unit 4 – Philosophical Problems: We will concentrate on the classic text, Mill’s ‘On Liberty’, and become familiar with the philosophical problems that surround it, at the same as applying what has been learnt from previous units.

Method of assessment
At AS Level, each unit is equallyweighted and is awritten exam lasting one and a half hours. At A2 Level, unit 3 is a two hour written exam and accounts for 30% of the total A-Level, whilst unit 4 is 20% and is a one and a half hour written exam.

Future prospects
Not only will it provide an appropriate foundation for the further study of Philosophy or related subjects in higher education, it will also provide you with valuable skills that you can use in the workplace, including: how to organise and structure clear, coherent arguments; how to constructively evaluate proposals and other viewpoints; how to critically examine issues and evidence.