Here at Badminton, we tackle life’s big questions head-on with a course of study moving between these three essential disciplines. With philosophy, we introduce students to the art of questioning and enquiry, as well as argument and debate. With religion, we seek to understand major world faiths in both their central tenets and influence, and with ethics we explore the complexities of the numerous moral dilemmas facing the modern world; from A.I., to genetic modification, to law and order.
We follow the OCR Religious Studies curriculum for GCSE, focusing primarily on Christianity, Buddhism, Philosophy of Religion, and Ethics. Pupils examine topics including arguments concerning the nature of God, Ultimate Reality, Peace and Conflict, as well as modern dialogue between religious and non-religious beliefs and attitudes. Full course specification available here.
Philosophy, Religion & Ethics (PRE) at A level is the essential pursuit for students looking to cultivate, articulate, and argue complex ideas. From law to journalism to policy, PRE is recognised by top universities as one of the most intellectually challenging disciplines.
The three core areas of current study are:
In philosophy we start with Socrates and run right through to contemporary thinkers like Judith Butler. The course centres around ultimate questions of the Western canon: what is consciousness? What is real? What might it mean to have free will?
Ethics is the study of moral judgement and human conduct. Modules include classic systems such as Utilitarianism, Kantian and Situation Ethics, applied to ever new contemporary dilemmas: euthanasia, artificial intelligence, capitalism, and sexuality. Furthermore, we tackle modern meta-ethical philosophy by examining the nature of language and the very meaning of words like good.
In Christian Thought we explore topics such as the Problem of Evil, Gender Theory and Marxist Liberation Theology, focusing on the analysis of ideas and beliefs that underpin Judeo-Christian cultures.
N.B., you do not need to have completed GCSE Religious Studies to pursue Philosophy at A level. Full course specification available here.
Badminton School, Westbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3BA
T : +44 (0)117 905 5200
