Philosophy, religion and ethics (Religious Studies) A Level: Islam

QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED TO START THE COURSE

• 6+ in RS, if taken

• 6+ in English Language or English Literature

Plus the standard LaSWAP entry requirements for our A level pathway

No commitment to any religious persuasion is pre-supposed. The course is open to candidates of any or no religious persuasion. Students will be assessed on the merit of the arguments they use about the issues raised, not on their personal beliefs.

YEAR 12 COURSE SPECIFICATION

There are three main areas of study across both years of the course:

Developments in Religious Thought: Islam

Unit 1: Foundations (the beginnings of Islam)

Unit 2: Insight (the key beliefs of Islam)

Unit 3: Living (how Muslims live)

Philosophy of Religion

Unit 1: Philosophical language and thought (key ideas and thinkers in the philosophy of religion)

Unit 2: The existence of God (arguments for and against the existence of God)

Unit 3: God and the world (evidence for God in the world)

Religion and Ethics

Unit 1: Normative Ethical Theories: Religious Approaches (two religious ethical theories)

Unit 2: Normative Ethical Theories (two non-religious ethical theories)

Unit 3: Applied Ethics (ethical theories applied to ethical issues)

YEAR 13 COURSE SPECIFICATION

Developments in Religious Thought: Islam

Unit 4: Development (changes in Islam over time)

Unit 5: Society (Islam’s relation to wider society)

Unit 6: Challenges (issues faced by Islam in today’s world)

Philosophy of Religion

Unit 4: Theological and Philosophical Developments (religious influences on the philosophy of religion)

Unit 5: Religious language: Negative, Analogical or Symbolic (types of language used to describe God)

Unit 6: Religious language: Twentieth Century Perspectives (changes in religious language over time)

Religion and Ethics

Unit 4: Ethical language: Meta-ethics (key meta-ethical theories)

Unit 5: Significant ideas (key ideas of Aquinas and Freud relating to ethics)

Unit 6: Developments in Ethical Thought (influences on ethical theories by religion and society)

LEARNING AND SKILLS

• Extended essay writing at an advanced level.
• Analysing, interpreting and evaluating religious and philosophical texts.
• Research through different forms of media.
• Group discussion and debates, enhancing their critical thinking.
• Seminars and conferences will be attended to further develop understanding of complex arguments.
• Developing hypotheses and justifying of personal positions on religious, ethical, philosophical problems, relevant to the modern world.

EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT

EXAM BOARD: OCR

All exams are essay based.

Students have two write three essays in each exam.

Students are assessed on the following objectives:

Assessment Objective 1 (AO1)

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including:

• Religious, philosophical and/or ethical thought and teaching
• Influence of beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, communities and societies
• Cause and significance of similarities and differences in belief, teaching and practice
• Approaches to the study of religion and belief

Assessment Objective 2 (AO2)

Analyse and evaluate aspects of, and approaches to, religion and belief, including their significance, influence and study 

FUTURE PROSPECTS

• This course prepares for entry to any arts or literary degree course at university level, particularly Philosophy, Islamic Studies and Law but also English, History, Sociology, Psychology and Creative Writing.
• Due to the course’s focus on ethics and developments in religious thought, it is also a useful and popular course for those interested in degree courses involving medicine, politics or social sciences.
• It is a well-regarded degree for entry into any profession.