Religious Studies

Course summary

Philosophy, along with Maths, is a subject that teaches students a method of thought rather than just the application of it. The purpose of Philosophy is to teach students how to find truth through the application of critical thinking skills. A student may occasionally leave a Philosophy lesson without any new knowledge, but they will be more adept at argument and at understanding complex concepts. Philosophy provides a useful background to a variety of further education courses and career choices including Law, Journalism, Politics, and Medicine. More importantly, however, it gives students essential skills that are applicable in all areas of life. Students are taught to think clearly and argue cogently; they become adept at spotting fallacies and constructing effective counterarguments; and they have a better understanding of questions that humans have thought about for thousands of years. What will I learn? Year 1: Epistemology What is knowledge? Perception as a source of knowledge Reason as a source of knowledge The limits of knowledge Moral Philosophy Normative ethical theories Applied ethics Meta-ethics Year 2: Metaphysics of Mind What do we mean by ‘mind’? Dualist theories Physicalist theories Functionalism Metaphysics of God Concept and nature of ‘God’ Arguments on the existence of God Religious Language