Ethics & Philosophy

GCSE Ethics and Philosophy

(AQA 40552)

Aims and objectives

A runaway train is hurtling towards five unsuspecting workers. 

Do you pull a switch to divert the train onto another track, where only one man works alone? 

Or do you do nothing? 

Most people would pull the switch to divert the path of the runaway train, but why would we do that? Should we do that? Are we complicit in the murder of an innocent person? Is it better to not get involved? 

These are the types of questions we consider in Ethics and Philosophy. 

Ethics and philosophy helps us to understand the world around us. 

It allows us to make sense of what we see on the news, Twitter or Instagram. In this time of 24 hour and ‘fake’ news, it gives us the critical thinking skills to reach balanced and thought out conclusions. It allows us to clarify and challenge our own worldviews and understand the views of others. 

Students will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious and ethical issues.

Students will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills. All these skills will help prepare them for further study.

Course content

Students will follow the AQA GCSE Specification A and have already begun their first year of study in Year 9. 

In Year 11 they will complete two examinations which will accredit them with the full course GCSE qualification. 

Paper 1 is an in depth assessment of their knowledge of the beliefs and practices of  two religions. Pupils at the Roseland study Christianity and Islam, the two biggest religions in the world and the two that are most likely to impact their lives.

Paper one asks questions about fundamental religious beliefs such as creation, life after death and evil and suffering. Pupils will also study religious practices such as pilgrimage, charity, festivals and sacraments such as marriage and baptism.

Paper 2 allows students the opportunity to consider ethical issues from four ethics topics. We study five topics to give pupils the opportunity to choose which questions they respond to:

Relationships and families: Marriage, Divorce, Role of parents, Gender equality.

Religion and life: Science and religion, creation, the environment, use of natural resources, animal rights, abortion, euthanasia, the afterlife.

Religion, peace and conflict: Violent protest, War, weapons of mass destruction, pacifism.

Religion, crime and punishment: Crime, causes of crime, aims of punishment, forgiveness, capital punishment.

Religion, human rights and social justice: Human rights, prejudice and discrimination, racism, wealth, poverty, charity.

Progression

The course provides students with the skills to go on and study courses such as Law, philosophy and ethics, Sociology, Psychology and International relations as well as the other humanities subjects. The skills and knowledge gained through Ethics and Philosophy can be used in careers such as philosophy and law but also in medicine, marketing, journalism, public relations, education, politics, social work, criminal justice, counselling and the military.