Philosophy - A Level (AQA)

Socrates claimed that the “unexamined life is not worth living”. It is in this spirit that philosophers have explored fundamental questions about the human condition, including how we ought to live and whether our lives have any profound meaning.

We discuss if our ideas about right and wrong are simply emotional responses to the world or if there are any moral facts we can discover. We consider if we are simply biological machines or if there is something mysterious about consciousness that we will never be able to explain.

We explore the nature of the mind; is it an entirely different 'thing' from the body? What kind of 'thing' is it? Is it physical or non-physical? What kind of problems stem from believing it to be one or the other? 

We also question the nature of knowledge; what does it exactly mean to know? We then apply these questions to the nature of God and whether or not we can know if God exists.

This course is available for international students, if you are applying as an international student please click here.

Topics covered can include:

• What is 'knowledge'?
• The tripartite view
• Perception as a source of knowledge
• Reason as a source of knowledge
• The limits of knowledge

• Normative ethical theories
• Utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, Aristotelian ethics 
• Applied Ethics
• Meta-ethics
• Moral realism 
• Moral anti-realism

• The concept and nature of 'God' 
• Arguments relating to the existence of God
• Ontological arguments, teleological arguments, cosmological arguments 
• The Problem of Evil
• Religious Language

• What do we mean by 'mind'?
• Dualist theories (substance dualism, property dualism)
• Physicalist theories
• Physicalism, Mind-brain type identity theory, eliminative materialism 
• Functionalism

Sixth Form College

You will need:

• Grade 5 or above in GCSE Maths
• Grade 5, and at least one grade 6, or above in GCSE English Language plus one other written subject, such as History, Geography, Humanities, English Literature, Business, Media Studies, Religious Studies, Drama and Film Studies
• Two further GCSEs at grade 4 or above

If you wish to study 4 A Levels, you will need 7 GCSEs at grade 7 or above, including two at grade 8.

All applicants must have an interview to confirm that A Levels are suitable for them.

When applying for an A Level programme at our Sixth Form College, please refer to the general entry requirements on our A Level courses page as well as the subject-specific details listed above.

Assessment is through two written exams at the end of the second year of the course.

Aged 16-18

If you will be aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31st August prior to the start date of your course and you have the legal right to remain in the UK for the duration of your programme then your study with us will be free. Please see here for the documents you will need to show us.

Some courses will have other associated costs, such as for specialist materials and trips. Many of our students are eligible for financial support, see here for details.

A Levels are widely regarded as the standard entry qualification for top universities in the UK, and the rest of the world. Many of our students go onto study for a degree at the university of their choice, with some choosing to progress into apprenticeships or other employment.