Philosophy (A level)

In philosophy, we aim to think about big questions carefully and attempt to develop good reasons for holding one particular view rather than another.  

To help you to get an idea for what philosophy is, here's a selection of things that philosophers are interested in, many (but not all) of which we consider during the course:

• Existence - What kinds of things exist, 'where' are they, and what are they like?  For example, which of the following exist: God, the mind, the external world, numbers, colours, time? (AKA 'ontology').

• Knowledge - What can we know, and how do we know it? For example, can I know there is a table in front of me?, that other people have minds like mine?; can I know about the past?; can I know anything at all? Is mathematical knowedge importantly different to knowledge of my environment? (AKA 'epistemology')

• Value / Worth - What, if anything, has value (i.e. what, if anything, is right/good/fair/beautiful)? Does anything have ultimate value? If so, what is it that makes this the case?

• Logic & argument - How should we think in order to think well?  What makes something a good/strong argument? What different kinds/levels of proof can we give?

Click on the pages above to view the taster lesson, some additional tasks and the summer course preparation work for A level Philosophy.