Slightly confused about Philosophy A level
I'm interested in taking Philosophy A level. From looking around on TSR though I've seen people talking about Philosophy, Philosophy and ethics and R.S. What is the difference between all of these? Which is most/least respected by competitive unis? The one my school offers is just called "Philosophy", the exam board is AQA and covers Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Language, Moral Philosophy and Philosophy of Mind.
I've heard a lot of people say that Philosophy develops good essay-writing and debating skills and is academically rigorous, and furthermore that universities recognise this. So why isn't it listed as a facilitating subject? Do universities like to see a Philosophy A level? I'm particularly interested in Law.
Any help would be much appreciated (I have to hand in my choices on Wednesday!)
Thank you in advance
I've heard a lot of people say that Philosophy develops good essay-writing and debating skills and is academically rigorous, and furthermore that universities recognise this. So why isn't it listed as a facilitating subject? Do universities like to see a Philosophy A level? I'm particularly interested in Law.
Any help would be much appreciated (I have to hand in my choices on Wednesday!)
Thank you in advance
Philosophy was the super subject of all subjects until the natural sciences, and then psychology and sociology, splintered off from it.
Now regarded mainly as an art that uses logic, it's often said by philosophy departments themselves that its best use is to think systematically and rigourously about aspects of thinking and social affairs.
i.e unless you want to become a Philosophy teacher, its practical use is up to the individual. How it feels merely to have a philosophy degree, how you use it in life to, presumably, want to be regarded as more adept in certain points it covers of your own choosing. If you were absolutely honest with some employers about some things you've covered you could scare them off wanting to employ you. As such, in the modern world it's probably best in conjunction with some further training, if only a teacher training degree.
It's not like Philosophy necessarily aims to teach you to be a 'better person' (also some covers that). But if every person was a great philosopher and was expected to teach their children to become one, there wouldn't be a need for philosophy teachers.
Arguably, there isn't any need for any teachers anyway, unless they give us self-minded 'moral support', when we have access to all the libraries and books we need.I
I would definitely do it at A-Level where you get a grounding in the most accessible philosopher but not at degree where you have to know how to write Logic which is more reminiscent of doing mathematics and where you have to study Kant and other people whose ideas and writings seem either so abstract or in love with logic itself. It might be that if they were honest they came up with some of their philosophies for application and enjoyment by nobody except clever minds living in some comfort like their own.
Now regarded mainly as an art that uses logic, it's often said by philosophy departments themselves that its best use is to think systematically and rigourously about aspects of thinking and social affairs.
i.e unless you want to become a Philosophy teacher, its practical use is up to the individual. How it feels merely to have a philosophy degree, how you use it in life to, presumably, want to be regarded as more adept in certain points it covers of your own choosing. If you were absolutely honest with some employers about some things you've covered you could scare them off wanting to employ you. As such, in the modern world it's probably best in conjunction with some further training, if only a teacher training degree.
It's not like Philosophy necessarily aims to teach you to be a 'better person' (also some covers that). But if every person was a great philosopher and was expected to teach their children to become one, there wouldn't be a need for philosophy teachers.
Arguably, there isn't any need for any teachers anyway, unless they give us self-minded 'moral support', when we have access to all the libraries and books we need.I
I would definitely do it at A-Level where you get a grounding in the most accessible philosopher but not at degree where you have to know how to write Logic which is more reminiscent of doing mathematics and where you have to study Kant and other people whose ideas and writings seem either so abstract or in love with logic itself. It might be that if they were honest they came up with some of their philosophies for application and enjoyment by nobody except clever minds living in some comfort like their own.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Nogoodsorgods
Philosophy was the super subject of all subjects until the natural sciences, and then psychology and sociology, splintered off from it.
Now regarded mainly as an art that uses logic, it's often said by philosophy departments themselves that its best use is to think systematically and rigourously about aspects of thinking and social affairs.
i.e unless you want to become a Philosophy teacher, its practical use is up to the individual. How it feels merely to have a philosophy degree, how you use it in life to, presumably, want to be regarded as more adept in certain points it covers of your own choosing. If you were absolutely honest with some employers about some things you've covered you could scare them off wanting to employ you. As such, in the modern world it's probably best in conjunction with some further training, if only a teacher training degree.
It's not like Philosophy necessarily aims to teach you to be a 'better person' (also some covers that). But if every person was a great philosopher and was expected to teach their children to become one, there wouldn't be a need for philosophy teachers.
Arguably, there isn't any need for any teachers anyway, unless they give us self-minded 'moral support', when we have access to all the libraries and books we need.I
I would definitely do it at A-Level where you get a grounding in the most accessible philosopher but not at degree where you have to know how to write Logic which is more reminiscent of doing mathematics and where you have to study Kant and other people whose ideas and writings seem either so abstract or in love with logic itself. It might be that if they were honest they came up with some of their philosophies for application and enjoyment by nobody except clever minds living in some comfort like their own.
Now regarded mainly as an art that uses logic, it's often said by philosophy departments themselves that its best use is to think systematically and rigourously about aspects of thinking and social affairs.
i.e unless you want to become a Philosophy teacher, its practical use is up to the individual. How it feels merely to have a philosophy degree, how you use it in life to, presumably, want to be regarded as more adept in certain points it covers of your own choosing. If you were absolutely honest with some employers about some things you've covered you could scare them off wanting to employ you. As such, in the modern world it's probably best in conjunction with some further training, if only a teacher training degree.
It's not like Philosophy necessarily aims to teach you to be a 'better person' (also some covers that). But if every person was a great philosopher and was expected to teach their children to become one, there wouldn't be a need for philosophy teachers.
Arguably, there isn't any need for any teachers anyway, unless they give us self-minded 'moral support', when we have access to all the libraries and books we need.I
I would definitely do it at A-Level where you get a grounding in the most accessible philosopher but not at degree where you have to know how to write Logic which is more reminiscent of doing mathematics and where you have to study Kant and other people whose ideas and writings seem either so abstract or in love with logic itself. It might be that if they were honest they came up with some of their philosophies for application and enjoyment by nobody except clever minds living in some comfort like their own.
Thank you for your detailed reply, it was very helpful. I'm pretty keen to do it at A level, but I doubt I would want to do it at degree level.
Philosophy is the love of wisdom. It originates with Socrates (although there are Pre-Socratic philosophers his brilliance is said to summarise the modern meaning of the word) who reacted against a school known as the sophists. The sophists were originally the wise men of Greece but the word came to have a derogatory meaning due to its association with trickery, the sophists charged money to teach people excellence, rhetoric in particular was taught as a means of attaining power. Because of their brilliant skills they received a receptive audience and became known as wise men; Socrates however thought that many of them simply pretended to be wise; they had no interest in the truth of the matter only in the use of logic and rhetoric to vainly pursue power and other objects. Socrates began instructing people for free, the Oracle of Delphi supposingly said that Socrates was the wisest of all men, which he was surprised by; he realised that the reason for this was because he knew that he knew nothing, whereas others pretended or were misguided in their belief. Through conversation he could demonstrate that our common sense understandings of the world were misguided. This earned him many enemies and he was sentenced to death on several charges (corrupting the youth, criticising the government). However it was simply a method of hypothesis elimination meant to attain the truth, Socrates thought that by showing how ignorant people were they could improve themselves, thus ignorance is evil and knowledge is good, and it is only by the admission of ignorance can we begin to receive knowledge.
Philosophy is not so much a subject in its own right, but a method to contemplate truth, and there are certain subjects which have become associated with it as others have branched out; these being logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology and several others as distinct from the previous natural philosophy which also included physics and other natural sciences.
Modern philosophy (at University) also makes considerable use of mathematical logic due to early 20th century attitudes to ordinary language.
That is just a summary and from here there is an enormous amount to be said, modern philosophy begins with the scepticism of Descartes and others, which is really a reaction to the dogmatism of Medieval Christianity after the Reformation.
Philosophy is not so much a subject in its own right, but a method to contemplate truth, and there are certain subjects which have become associated with it as others have branched out; these being logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology and several others as distinct from the previous natural philosophy which also included physics and other natural sciences.
Modern philosophy (at University) also makes considerable use of mathematical logic due to early 20th century attitudes to ordinary language.
That is just a summary and from here there is an enormous amount to be said, modern philosophy begins with the scepticism of Descartes and others, which is really a reaction to the dogmatism of Medieval Christianity after the Reformation.
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