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?
• Is it in my own interest to obey certain 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?
• Do we posess free will or are our actions determined by environmental and hereditary factors?
• Are we morally responsible for our actions if we do not choose them freely?

Issues about politics

• Is tolerance the foundation of civilsed society?
• What are the benefits of a political organisation?
• Is there such a thing as a 'state of nature'?
• Does political legitimacy require polular approval?
• Should government be based on consent or coercion?
• When might we be justified in disobeying the government?

Students are examined on these questions in two exams taken in June. They take modules called ‘An Introduction to Philosophy 1’ and ‘An Introduction to Philosophy 2’.

In A2 Philosophy, students investigate a number of additional philosophical themes taken from the following options. 

Philosophy of Mind

What is the mind? What is its place in nature? What is the relationship between mind and the body?

Political Philosophy

How is human well-being helped or hindered by political and social structures?

Epistemology and Metaphysics

What can we know? Can we be sure of anything? What truly exists?

Moral Philosophy

Students go on to study a classical philosophical text by one of the following authors: Hume, Plato, Mill, Descartes, Nietzsche.

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