TCE Philosophy Level 3

TCE Philosophy Level 3

What will I learn?

The course provides an introduction to philosophy, focusing on five topics with contemporary philosophical significance. 

• Unit 1: Epistemology & Logic 
  • Students learn about different ways that claims to knowledge may be justified and scrutinised. 
  • They will consider strengths and shortcomings of sensory evidence, the scientific method, intuition and reason in justifying knowledge claims.
  • They will learn how to construct effective arguments and identify logical fallacies in arguments made by philosophers, politicians, conspiracy theorists and their own peers.
• Unit 2: The Mind/Body Problem 
  • Students question whether the human mind can be explained in purely physical terms or whether it is immaterial and, therefore, a distinct and special part of reality.
  • They consider whether artificial intelligence is possible.
  • They question whether science could ever offer a complete explanation of consciousness.
• Unit 3: The Free Will Debate 
  • Students question whether humans are subject to strict laws of cause and effect or whether we are free to choose how to behave.
  • They will consider whether some humans might be more free than others.
  • They will think about the implications of these questions for moral responsibility, reward and punishment - particularly imprisonment.
• Unit 4: Contemporary Conflicts in Moral Theory 
  • Students will learn about competing ethical theories that can be used to identify right and wrong conduct.
  • They will learn about environmental ethics and questions whether we have ethical obligations to non-human animals and even non-living entities such as rivers, mountains and eco-systems. 
  • They will learn about feminism and feminist approaches to thinking about ethical issues concerning gender and society. 
• Unit 5: Philosophers and the Good Life 
  • Students will learn about what four significant philosophers argued is central to a good human life.
  • They will think about the role of nature, civil-disobedience, simplicity, gender, freedom, overcoming hardship, modesty, tolerance and wisdom in a good life.

Why should I consider this course?

Philosophy enables students to think about important contemporary issues in a critical way. If you care about social justice, ecology, gender politics, animal rights, international obligations, science, technology, disability or imprisonment, then study philosophy will help you to think deeply about the complexities inherent in these issues.

What Skills does this course provide?

The major value of philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how to think. The skills developed through philosophy are the ability to question, analyse and evaluate one’s own beliefs and those of others. It encourages critical and creative problem solving through open-minded intellectual inquiry. It fosters empathy by helping students to see that others may disagree with them for good reasons. 

What Pathway Options does this course provide?

Although being a philosopher is a career that can be pursued in its own right, the skills developed through studying philosophy tend to make individuals more thoughtful, effective and successful participants in any field. 

For example, this linked article is an account of how studying philosophy helped a wind-turbine engineer reach the peak of her field.

Studying philosophy is of particular value to those considering careers in the sciences, law, advocacy, politics, journalism, medicine, education, the arts and any other area requiring skills of analysis and critical evaluation.

See this graphic displaying a range of celebrities and influential people with philosophy degrees.