.The IGCSE Philosophy & Religion course provides an exploration of a wide variety of philosophical and ethical issues, addressed from a range of religious and non-religious perspectives. The course aims to develop students’ understanding of the multicultural world that we live in, and provide a platform for debate and discussion. As a consequence, taking this course is not only a way to broaden your understanding of a range of cultural, moral, philosophical and social issues, but also to help develop excellent critical thinking skills through well-justified arguments.
Paper 1: In Year 10 Students study “Beliefs and Values” from a range of non-religious and religious perspectives.
This paper assesses knowledge and understanding of four key topic areas:
Section 1: The Universe, Creation and the Place of Human Beings – students will study a range of religious and non-religious attitudes to concepts such as the origins of the universe, the nature of reality, freewill vs. predestination and arguments for and against belief in God.
Section 2: Life and Death – students will study a range of religious and non-religious responses to issues relating to life and death such as abortion, euthanasia and evidence of the afterlife.
Section 3: Peace and Conflict – students will study a range of religious and non-religious attitudes to issues such as war, pacifism, bullying and capital punishment.
Section 4: Rights, Equality and Social Justice – students will study a range of religious and non-religious attitudes to issues such as human rights, racism and wealth distribution.
Paper 2: In Year 11, students study “The Religious Community” from a Buddhist perspective.
This paper assesses knowledge and understanding of three key topic areas:
Section 1: Origins and their Impact on the Community – students will study the origins of Buddhism, its beliefs and how these impact on the Buddhist community today.
Section 2: Celebration and Pilgrimage - this comprises a study of Buddhist festivals and celebration, and places of pilgrimage.
Section 3: Worship and Practice - students will study Buddhist places of worship and their features, and also a variety of forms of religious expression and devotional activities.
All topics are studied with the awareness that there may be more than one perspective across the different Christian and Buddhist traditions.
How will I be assessed? Paper 1 is assessed through a 1-hour 45 minute examination. This paper is worth 60% of the total IGCSE mark. Paper 2 is assessed through a 1-hour 30 minute examination. This paper is worth 40% of the total IGCSE mark.
Is this the course for me? The Philosophy & Religion course is a mixture of philosophy, ethics and religion. So if you are interested in discussing and debating philosophical, ethical and religious issues, this is course for you. Each lesson provides an opportunity to discuss personal opinions on a variety of controversial issues (see above) and the chance to debate those views with your classmates.
Post 16 Pathways The Philosophy & Religion course covers a number of different core themes related to both the IB Philosophy and TOK IBDP courses.
The Philosophy & Religion course can be useful in careers where it is important to have knowledge of what really matters to people; for example, in social work, health care and counselling. Or in careers which require good critical thinking such as law or journalism
It’s important to note that this course is for students from all backgrounds and no prior religious or philosophical knowledge is required.
For Further Information: Please see Ms Jemma Nash, Head of Philosophy & Religious Studies