Scheme of work, 2017–18
Philosophy A2 modular, AQA (2175)
Section |
Topic |
Essay |
Syllabus |
| 1 | Mind and body | Describe dualism. | The mind–body problem: What is the relationship between the mental and the physical? |
| 2 | Substance dualism | Assess the indivisibility argument. | Dualism: the mind is distinct from the physical |
| 3 | Eliminative materialism | Do mental states exist? | Eliminative materialism: some or all mental states do not exist (folk-psychology is false or at least radically misleading). |
| 4 | Identity theory | Can brain states have the same properties as thoughts? | Mind–brain type identity theory: all mental states are identical to brain states (‘ontological’ reduction) although ‘mental state’ and ‘brain state’ are not synonymous (so not an ‘analytic’ reduction). |
| 5 | Behaviourism | Can mental states be described adequately? | Logical/analytical behaviourism: all statements about mental states can be analytically reduced without loss of meaning to statements about behaviour (an ‘analytic’ reduction). |
| 6 | Functionalism | Can qualia be inverted in functional twins? | Functionalism: all mental states can be reduced to functional roles which can be multiply realised. |
| 7 | Property dualism | What are qualia? | Qualia as introspectively accessible subjective/phenomenal features of mental states (the properties of ‘what it is like’ to undergo the mental state in question) – for many qualia would be defined as the intrinsic/non-representational properties of mental states. |
| 8 | Knowledge arguments | How far do knowledge arguments support dualism? | The ‘knowledge’/Mary argument for property dualism based on qualia (Frank Jackson). |
| 9 | Causation and solipsism | Can body and mind interact? | The issues of causal interaction for versions of dualism: The problem of other minds for dualism |
| 10 | Dualisms | Does the notion of philosophical zombies lead to any conclusion? | The ‘philosophical zombies’ argument for property dualism: the logical possibility of a physical duplicate of this world but without consciousness/qualia (Chalmers). |
| 11 | Mind-body theories | What is the relation of the mind-body theories studied? | Materialism: the mind is not ontologically distinct from the physical. |
| 12 | Materialism | Can materialism ever be an adequate account? | Materialism: the mind is not ontologically distinct from the physical. |
| 13 | Dualisms | Evaluate the conceivability argument. | The conceivability argument for substance dualism: the logical possibility of mental substance existing without the physical (Descartes). |
| 14 | Utilitarianism | What is Ethics? | Utilitarianism: the maximisation of utility |
| 15 | Bentham and Mill | What is the advantage of Mill over Bentham? | the question of what is meant by ‘pleasure’, including Mill’s higher and lower pleasures
how this might be calculated, including Bentham’s utility calculus |
| 16 | Issues with utilitarianism | How practical is utlitarianism? | forms of utilitarianism: act and rule utilitarianism; preference utilitarianism. |
| 17 | Deontological ethics | Explain the place and role of categorical imperative in Kant’s ethics. | Kantian deontological ethics: what maxims can be universalised without contradiction |
| 18 | Kantianism | Does Kantianism work as a source of practical ethical guidance? | the categorical and hypothetical imperatives
the categorical imperative – first and second formulations. |
| 19 | Issues with duty-based ethics | Can there be clashing duties? | Issues for Kantian deontological ethics |
| 20 | Virtue ethics | Evaluate the virtue ethics approach. | Aristotle’s virtue ethics: the development of a good character |
| 21 | Aristotle’s ethics | Is Aristotle too specific to his world? | ‘the good’: pleasure; the function argument and eudaimonia
• the role of education/habituation in developing a moral character • voluntary and involuntary actions and moral responsibility • the doctrine of the mean and Aristotle’s account of vices and virtues. |
| 22 | Issues with virtue ethics | Assess the problem of guidance for virtue ethics. | Issues for virtue ethics |
| 23 | Practical ethical questions: crime and punishment; war; simulated killing | Which ethical system best deals with questions of life and death? | Students must be able to critically apply the theories above to the following issues:
crime and punishment; war; simulated killing |
| 24 | Practical ethical questions: treatment of animals; deception | Compare the approach to deception in different ethical theories. | Students must be able to critically apply the theories above to the following issues:
the treatment of animals; deception and the telling of lies |
| 25 | Ethical language | Is naturalism adequate in ethics? | Ethical language: What is the status of ethical language? |
| 26 | Cognitivism | Is ethical language meaningless? | Cognitivism: ethical language makes claims about reality which are true or false (fact-stating)
Non-cognitivism: ethical language does not make claims about reality which are true or false (fact-stating) |
| 27 | Revision | Prepared essays | |
| 28 | Revision | Prepared essays | |
| 29 | Revision | Prepared essays | |
| 30 | Revision | Prepared essays | |
| 31 | Revision | Prepared essays |
MDP