Philosophy and Ethics
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Subject Specific Entry Criteria
- Grade 5 in GCSE Philosophy and Ethics (if studied)
- Grade 5 in GCSE English Language
Exam Board
Units Studied
- Philosophy of Religion
- Ethics
- Development in Christian Thought
Course Information
The course is divided into three papers which cover the breadths of human experience and tackles ancient questions about our existence and world around us. The first paper is Philosophy of Religion which allows us to question the idea of truth and ask questions about our existence. Some of the topics on this paper are; the legacy of Plato and Aristotle, the problem of evil and arguments for and against the existence of God. The second paper is Ethics which studies the controversial topic of euthanasia, the modern day issues surrounding business ethics and ethical approaches of Immanuel Kant, Aquinas and Utilitarianism. The final paper is Development in Christian Thought, topics on this paper include a study of human nature, various beliefs about what happens when we die and the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a church minister who smuggled Jews out of Nazi Germany and was involved in a failed plotted to kill Hitler).
Possible Career Paths
The skills gained through Philosophy and Ethics prepare students for careers in law (you learn how to argue in this subject!), lecturing, research, politics (many politicians have studied some form of philosophy), civil service, police, journalism, social work and medicine (many medical courses like students to have studied the ethical issues surrounding medicine e.g. euthanasia). Universities are keen to show how students who study Philosophy can apply it to many different career paths and have a high level of employability after study, here are two examples: