OCR | H573
Ever since humankind started to think, asking questions has been a fundamental part of our development. In the 21st century, religion, philosophy and ethics address the eternal human questions about the nature of the universe, human existence and what is right or wrong. The aim of A Level study is to develop and adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion and relate knowledge to the wider world.
THE COURSE
This course enables pupils to develop their own values, opinions and attitudes and a lateral approach to thinking. It seeks to ask the fundamental questions of life which impact upon humanity and helps pupils to develop their own beliefs and values. Furthermore, it prepares girls to become full and active members of our modern, multicultural society by promoting a respectful tolerance. In addition, this subject exposes pupils to the ideas of the greatest thinkers our world has ever known and encourages them to develop a critical view of them.
The philosophy of religion course commences with the Ancient Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. We evaluate their understandings of reality before crucially addressing arguments for the existence of God. Subsequently, we then consider philosophical matters such as the problem of evil, life after death and the nature of language. Ethical debates surround the question of what it means to be good. We consider whether ethical decisions should be made based on consequences or by following rules. These considerations are then related to contemporary ethical debates, such as business ethics. The developments topics look at how attitudes have changed. For example, we consider how attitudes towards women and gender have developed throughout the past centuries. Lessons are lively, supportive and they often involve critical discussions and debates.
ASSESSMENTS
- Paper 1 - Philosophy of Religion
33.3% (2 hrs)
- Paper 2 - Religion and Ethics
33.3% (2 hrs)
- Paper 3 - Development in Religious Thoughts
33.3% (2 hrs)
BEYOND THE COURSE
It is often said that Religion, Philosophy and Ethics has underwritten the whole of western civilisation. This makes it a broad based subject which is compatible with a wide variety of other courses. It also makes the subject popular with further educational establishments and future employers, who recognise the value, breadth and depth of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics.