Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics
WHY SHOULD I STUDY A-LEVEL RELIGIOUS STUDIES, PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS?
Since all subjects began with a philosophical question, Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics is cross-curricular and will complement any other courses you might choose.
In times when the rich did little to no work, many spent their time discussing everything from ‘why do volcanoes explode?’ to ‘why do some people get fevers?’ and ‘what makes an action good or bad?’. Over time many of these were answered and became their own subjects like Geography or Medicine. The questions that are left are philosophical: Philosophy strives to answer the unanswerable. To translate the world, it means ‘a love of wisdom’.
WHAT WILL I LEARN ABOUT?
The Philosophy section of the A-Level covers issues such as: the examination of ideas to prove and disprove God’s existence, issues concerning life after death and how reliable religious experiences can be.
In the Ethics section of the A-Level you will examine several major theories on how to reach a decision in a moral dilemma. Ethics also covers topical issues, for example: 'are we determined?', genetic engineering and wider political issues like justice and law.
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
There are two, three-hour exams at the end of Year 13. Each paper is worth 50% of the A Level.
- PAPER 1: Philosophy of Religion and Ethical studies.
- PAPER 2: The dialogue between Philosophy of Religion and Ethical Studies and Buddhism.
WHAT SKILLS WILL I DEVELOP?
Philosophy and Ethics will help develop vital skills that are essential for university or the world of work.
These include:
- Written communication skills.
- Oral communication skills through in-class debate.
- Problem solving and reasoning skills.
WHERE COULD THIS SUBJECT TAKE ME IN THE FUTURE?
People from Martin Luther King to Ricky Gervais, David Cameron to Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) studied Philosophy and Ethics at university. Due to its emphasis on creative and independent thinking, it is valuable for many different careers. Common career avenues for Philosophy graduates include: law, journalism, politics, marketing, advertising and creative media.
Exam Board: AQA | Course Code: 7062
