Download PHILOSOPHY

PHILOSOPHY
What is it?
Philosophy is an activity – the attempt to understand the general principles and ideas that lie
behind various aspects of life. It looks at every area of life and asks the ‘big’ questions e.g.
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Do we have free will or are all our actions already determined for us?
Is there a God?
How do we know that the world we live in is real and not an illusion?
Do ‘I’ exist and if so what am I?
What does it mean to be a human?
Are there really such things as good and evil?
What is the best way to organise our society?
Is the state more important than the individual?
Why study it?
It helps you to think clearly and accurately.
Philosophy aims at clarification - of thoughts, concepts and the meaning of language.
It offers you a chance to explore fundamental questions and to see exactly what great thinkers in
different periods of human history have had to say about these questions.* This frees you from
being limited to the unquestioned assumptions of those around you.
*e.g. Plato, one of the great Greek philosophers, who lived over 2300 years ago, hated
democracy, thought slavery was acceptable and believed that killing handicapped babies was
necessary for the good of society.
What will I gain from studying it?
As well as the points mentioned above, it will hopefully help you to think about the meaning and
purpose of life; as another famous Greek philosopher, Socrates, once said, “The unexamined life
is not worth living”.
However some would say that Socrates was talking rubbish and that you should only do
something if you benefit from it. The benefit in this case is getting a Higher. Regarding this
Higher, here is an extract from the SQA Higher Philosophy Arrangements document.
‘Candidates who gain a Course award will be in a good position to continue their studies in
Further Education colleges or Higher Education Institutions. Those who choose to progress to
study alternative subjects will also benefit: developing critical thinking skills and the ability to
reason effectively is an important part of the Higher Philosophy Course and these skills are of
relevance in all subject areas.’
What are the entry qualifications?
Students have to be able to express some complex ideas in writing; part of the exam involves
writing essays. Students would be expected to have Higher level English. However, in the past, a
few pupils, who did not have Higher English have done very well, so it is not essential. Probably
the most important qualities required though are a sharp, questioning mind and a willingness to
work.
What would I do in the Higher course?
There are four units each of which must be done.
1. Critical Thinking in Philosophy (20 hours)
This unit helps candidates to develop an understanding of good and bad arguments and
the skills necessary to reason in an effective manner.
2. Metaphysics (20 hours)
In this unit we will investigate and try to answer the question ‘Is there a rational basis for
belief in God?’
3. Epistemology (40 hours)
This unit focuses on the questions surrounding the nature, sources and possibilities of
knowledge. We will look in particular at the rationalism of the French philosopher
Descartes (of “I think, therefore I am” fame).
4. Moral Philosophy (40 hours)
This unit involves the study of issues and positions concerning moral judgements and
their nature. The ideas of the English philosophers Bentham and Mill and the German
philosopher Kant will be investigated.
What will I have to do to pass the Unit assessments?
Pass four closed-book tests, which will consist of written responses to structured or extended
response questions. The time limit for each test is as follows:
Critical Thinking in Philosophy
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Moral Philosophy
30 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
1 hour
What will I have to do to pass the Course assessment?
Pass a final exam which takes the form of a single question paper. The paper contains questions
which relate to all four Units in the Course and has a time allocation of 2 hours 40 minutes. The
number of marks available for the question paper is 120.
Candidates are required to attempt both structured and extended response questions which sample
across the Course content.
If you require further information contact the R.M.E. department.