Who is the course for?

Due to our desire to offer a broader range of philosophical content to students, Wyke is now replacing the old philosophy A level, with a new A level in Religious Studies, but one which has mainly philosophical and ethical content. We think this will be more enjoyable, interesting and engaging to students. We have provided below some more information as to the content of this new course.

Content outline

Two units at AS, each containing two topics.

Unit 1 (AS)

Topic 1.

Moral Theory of Utilitarianism (Bentham and Mill), and its application to the moral debate on Animal Rights.

Topic 2.

Moral issues involving Abortion and Euthanasia

Unit 2 (AS)

Topic 1.

Philosophical arguments surrounding the alleged occurrence of MIRACLES

Topic 2.

The Argument from Design. (Is it an adequate argument for God’s existence? Evidence for and against.)

2 Units at A2 (unit 3 contains 2 topics and unit 4 contains only 1)

Unit 3 (A2)

Topic 1.

Body, Soul, and Personal Identity. Issues include: Do we have a soul? What does the word ‘soul’ mean, if anything? What makes me the same person from one day to the next? Can I be the same person after death as I am before, assuming I can even survive death?

Topic 2.

The Problem of Evil. Issues include, how can God, who is supposedly perfectly good, create a world like ours with such an amount of horrific suffering? Doesn’t this prove God doesn’t exist, or can God be defended against the accusation that He is an all-powerful psychopath?

Unit 4 (A2)

Life, Death, and Beyond. This involves an examination of the differences between religious and non religious beliefs about, and attitudes towards, the nature and value of (human) life in the here and now, and to the eventual death of the individual, and what that might mean.