Hereford Sixth Form College

A Level Philosophy & Ethics 

Philosophy & Ethics involves learning about the Philosophy of Religion and Moral Philosophy (Ethics).

Please note that the world religion that underpins this course is Christianity.

You will study:

• The classical arguments for and against God’s existence.
• The problem of evil for religious believers.
• Psychological and scientific responses to religious belief.
• The rise of new aetheism.
• Religious experience and religious language.
• The views of ancient and modern scholars.

Philosophy & Ethics

You will consider some of the classic theories of morality and apply them to modern ethical issues such as:

• Medical ethics.
• Sexual ethics.
• Immigration.
• Capital punishment.
• Animal experimentation.
• Nuclear weaponry.

You will question whether we have free will or whether our lives are predetermined and the implications this has for moral responsibility.

Philosophy & Ethics

You will also study:

• Religious figures, sacred texts and practices of Christianity, examining the nature of the Christian God.
• Christian diversity in festivals such as Christmas and Easter.
• Religious concepts such as the Trinity and Atonement.
• Christian religious life and social developments such as Liberation and Feminist Theology.

Philosophy & Ethics will train you to read critically, analyse and assess arguments, discern hidden assumptions and construct sound and valid arguments, expressing yourself clearly and precisely in both speech and writing.

Philosophy magazine in the Library

Assessment

Internal assessment is primarily by written essay.

External assessment is by three, two hour written examinations in the summer term of your second year. You will be assessed on knowledge and understanding (40%) and analysis and evaluation (60%).

• Paper 1: A Study of Christianity.
• Paper 2: Philosophy and Religion.
• Paper 3: Religion and Ethics.

Trips

There will be opportunities to attend conferences and lectures delivered by subject specialists.

What can you do after the course?

Philosophy & Ethics can lead to a very wide range of higher education courses including philosophy, theology and PPE.

The skills gained can help you excel in fields as varied as law, business, medicine, journalism, politics, human resources, teaching, social work and community work.

I enjoy the debates in class; it often gets quite passionate and there's lots of different views but everyone's good at respecting each other.

Imee talks about the A Level Philosophy & Ethics at Hereford Sixth Form College.