Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
Geography
Modern Studies
Welcome to Portlethen Academy RMPS Department
National 5/Higher Philosophy
What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is the study of ultimate questions which human beings face, through the use of reason and logic.
SQA National 5 and Higher Philosophy courses look at three key philosophical issues:
- What is a good argument?
- What can we know?
- How do we make moral decisions?
Why study Philosophy?
National 5 and Higher Philosophy courses provide opportunities for you to:
- Develop critical thinking skills which more and more employers are looking for and are vital skills for further study at college or university
- Develop your own ideas in a reasoned and structured way
- Gain insight into ideas and opinions which might conflict with your own
- Consider current issues that affect society
Course Outline:
Both the National 5 and the Higher Philosophy courses are divided into three units:
Arguments in Action: here we study the nature of arguments and types of reasoning;
Knowledge and Doubt: this unit explores how we can gain knowledge – we consider the work of two key philosophers, Rene Descartes and David Hume;
Moral Philosophy: We look at the moral theories of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant as we try to decide which theories are most successful for making moral decisions.
Mrs J Copner and Mr I Cunningham
RMPS Department, Portlethen Academy