Philosophy

The Philosophy AS level course examines fundamental questions about knowledge and morality.

Issues about knowledge

• What can we know for certain?
• How do we know that we are not being deceived by an evil demon?
• Should we base knowledge on reason or experience?
• How can we define ‘knowledge’?
• Do we perceive the world as it really is?

Issues about morality

• Why should I be moral?
• Does it pay to be moral?
• Is it in my own interest to obey particular moral laws?
• Is morality a form of social contract?
• If acting morally is not in my self-interest, what reasons could I possibly have to be moral?

Issues about tolerance

• Is tolerance the foundation of civilised society?
• Should tolerance be nurtured?
• What are the characteristics of a tolerant individual?
• Does political legitimacy require popular approval?
• Should a liberal society tolerate a minority culture that does not respect its values?
• Should we tolerate unpopular lifestyles and social choices?

A2 Philosophy builds on the foundation laid at AS Level.  Students investigate additional philosophical questions relating to the following themes:

Political Philosophy

• How is human well-being helped or hindered by political and social structures?
• What does it mean to be free?
• Why is liberty valued and how can it be promoted and defended?
• The relationship between distributive justice, liberty and rights
• The application of these concepts to nation states and to relations between states

Moral Philosophy

• Are there moral truths and, if so, what is their nature?
• Can moral truths motivate / justify action?
• The denial of moral truth
• The possibility of moral progress and moral mistakes
• Normative ethical theories and their application to specific ethical debates

Students go on to study two classical philosophical texts: Plato's The Republic and Mill's On Liberty.

The students' knowledge of these themes and texts is examined in the two A2 modules: Key Themes in Philosophy and Philosophical Problems.