Philosophy and Ethics: RS
Back to Key InformationThe subject is highly valued by universities and employers because it develops our intellect and it produces ‘thinkers’. This subject opens doors. Oxford, Cambridge and all good Universities welcome the subject as a solid academic choice. Many Philosophy students go and work in business, in law, medicine, in politics, in education, in accountancy, publishing, PR, the City. Some go on to teach the subject. All of them are equipped with the tools to question what life is all about in a deep and meaningful way.
Doing Philosophy draws on a huge range of resources. We study some of the greatest thinkers who ever lived; Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Descartes, Bentham and Aquinas, alongside cutting edge theories on what it means to know something, what it means to be beautiful, how should we live, what it means to be just. We discuss and tackle many contemporary issues; from an analysis of the rich and the famous to the violence and tragedy of war.
We encourage our students to think outside the box and to consider diverse philosophical and ethical viewpoints. They are often amazed by the scope of the subject and how much of the world both past, present and future is revealed to us through the study of RS: Philosophy and Ethics.
Entry requirements
A grade 5 or above in GCSE English is essential. It is also preferred, although not essential, to have studied Religious Studies at GCSE.
Course structure
This qualification is linear, that is, students will sit all their exams at the end of the course. There are two assessed components. Students must take assessments in both Component 1 and Component 2 in the same exam series.
Course content
Section A: Philosophy of religion
- Arguments for the existence of God
- Evil and suffering
- Religious experience
- Religious language
- Miracles
- Self and life after death
Section B: Ethics and religion
- Ethical theories
- Issues of human life and death
- Issues of animal life and death
- Introduction to meta ethics
- Free will and moral responsibilityConscience
- Bentham and Kant
How is the cause taught?
Our lessons are varied in content and style but will involve reading, note taking, essay writing, role plays, seminars and debates. If you enjoy thinking about ultimate questions and the big issues in life, then this course will appeal to you. You do not need to be religious or to have completed an RS course. In the current class, there are atheists, agnostics and believers. What they have in common is an interest in getting to the bottom of the biggest questions and puzzles in the world. This could well be your best chance to become the sort of person to whom the world makes sense, rather than the average intellectual ostrich with their head buried in the sand.
