A Level Philosophy

Philosophy, meaning 'love of wisdom', is the study of big questions about life, knowledge, reality, and morality. It challenges you to think deeply about the world and your place in it. This course is really about expanding the mind beyond the normal way of thinking about things.

The AQA Philosophy course explores topics like how we gain knowledge, the nature of the mind, moral decision-making, and discussions about the existence of God. You’ll study influential philosophers and their ideas, learning to analyze and critique complex arguments, while developing your own ideas.

This course not only helps you gain practical wisdom for life, but also develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, making it great preparation for university and careers in lecturing, law, politics, journalism, and more. It’s ideal for curious minds who enjoy questioning and debating.

Epistemology, which is the study of knowledge. In this topic, we ask questions around the nature of knowledge, and how we can define knowledge. We also assess the limits of knowledge, understanding the limits of perception, whether we have innate knowledge, and our dependency on science and religion.

Moral Philosophy, which is the study of ethics. In this topic, we ask questions around the nature of morals, and whether morals are just made-up concepts. We look at different theories, from Utilitarianism (maximizing the most happiness for the most amount of people, whatever the consequences), to Virtue Ethics (focusing on building character virtues and excellence).

Metaphysics of God, which is the study of the nature of God. In this topic we ask questions around God's existence and what the difference is between God and reality, and the problem of why we have evil in the world.

Metaphysics of Mind, which is the study of consciousness. In this topic we ask questions about whether there is more to our world than just physical stuff, and whether having consciousness is something quite different from just having a brain.

This course is assessed by exams.

GCSE English at Grade 5 or above with an average points score of 4.6 or above

• Teaching
• Charity Work
• Research
• University Teaching
• PhD
• Activism
• Law, particularly Human Rights
• UN work
• Journalism
• Civil Service
• Council
• Regional Government