A Level Philosophy

What can we know? What is human consciousness? Philosophy deals with the big questions in life.

Literally meaning ‘love of wisdom’, Philosophy seeks to answer the questions not tackled by other academic fields, including:

Can we know anything for certain?

What makes good actions good?

Does everything have to have a cause?

Can AI ever be conscious?

About the Course

Philosophy A level will appeal to you if you enjoy thinking deeply, reading critically and expressing your ideas clearly in essays and discussions. Your opinions will be challenged in lively classroom discussions as you are led through the maze of philosophical puzzles.

A level Philosophy is an antidote to learning facts and figures: this subject requires you to think for yourself! The course is complementary to both arts and humanities, as well as Science A levels.

Opportunities unique to this course

You can deliberate and discuss questions you may never have considered before! Exploring answers to questions such as ‘How do we know we are not dreaming right now?’ or ‘Could everyone else be robots?’ will enable you to establish standards of evidence, provide rational methods of resolving conflicts, and create techniques for evaluating ideas and arguments.

In year one we will examine

• Epistemology: The study of knowledge
• Ethics: The study of ethical judgements

• The Metaphysics of God: The study of the existence and nature of God
• Metaphysics of Mind: The study of the nature of conscious experiences

Assessment consists of two three-hour written exams:

Paper 1 – Epistemology and moral philosophy (50%)

Paper 2 – The metaphysics of God and the mind (50%)

You need to be qualified by both the 1) relevant admissions score AND 2) for the subjects you are applying for:

1. Admissions scores

The indicative Minimum entry admissions score for ​Philosophy is 58*

Calculate your admissions score at hillsroad.ac.uk/calculator

Read more about our admissions scores by visiting hillsroad.ac.uk/apply

2. Subjects and grades required

GCSE grade 6 in English Language or grade 6 in English Literature

Before making your application, visit hillsroad.ac.uk/apply and give yourself the best chance of achieving our entry criteria.

*The admissions scores are an indicative guide to help applicants understand how places have previously been allocated, they should not be taken as a definitive prediction of equivalent scores for entry to the College in 2022, which will depend on application patterns for that year. Please submit your application to the College even if your score is a few points below the relevant admissions score.

Students go on to study a wide variety of subjects at university, with many choosing Philosophy itself or PPE. Philosophy’s transferable skills will also benefit you in a broad range of fields including teaching, law, civil service and journalism.

For more information and to read the FAQs for this subject visit hillsroad.ac.uk/philosophy