Philosophy and Theology is a unique A Level subject that helps students to “know thyself”, recognise the philosophical assumptions of other subjects and provide different frameworks for integrating the humanities, sciences and arts in a unified whole.
The A Level is taught as an Oxbridge entry survey course covering the history of Western metaphysics, epistemology and ethics from the time before Socrates to our own (from the “Presocratics to the Postmoderns”). Political philosophy, moral philosophy, applied ethics (business ethics, sexual ethics, etc.), philosophy of science, anthropology, theology, psychology and the philosophy of mind are some of the main themes of the course.
In Year 12 we study foundational scholars from antiquity, mediaeval and early modern periods such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume and Kant.
In Year 13 we study more advanced topics with reference to 20th and 21st century philosophers, thinkers and movements including Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Marxism, Logical Positivism, Pragmatism, Psychoanalysis (Freud), Existentialism (Sartre and De Beauvoir) and Radical Orthodoxy.
An overview of our interpretation of the OCR specification is found overleaf. It is designed to bring students up to Oxbridge entrance standards and the augmentation of the course aids itself to Extended Projects and further research in the PPE Society (facilitated by the Department).
In order to assist the UCAS process, students use departmentally developed booklets (designed especially for Oxbridge applicants). For a number of years we have been invited by academics from the University of Oxford to attend undergraduate style seminars designed especially for Tiffin students. We also intend to visit notable centres of philosophical, theological and cultural interest.
Studying Religion & Philosophy gives our students the opportunity to consider the big questions in life and gain insight into theological, ethical, cultural, political and philosophical perspectives and how they shape and influence the world we live in. It complements the study of the arts, humanities and sciences.
We promote philosophy as a subject to be taken in conjunction with more vocational course. We bring our student’s attention that there are many university courses with a "philosophy of" module. These study the philosophical presuppositions of that particular subject, relate it to other subjects and attempt to link it to the totality of all knowledge. Examples include the philosophy of physics and philosophy of law (jurisprudence).
We also highlight that philosophical skills are highly sort after by employees especially in management consultancy, journalism, psychotherapy, international development, marketing and advertising and law. Last year’s A level Religion & Philosophy students went on to study PPE, Law, Archaeology, English, History of Art, Physics and Philosophy.