A level Philosophy

Welcome!

A level Philosophy is, by its nature, a qualification. It therefore carries the typical accoutrements of qualifications: a syllabus, exam papers, marking schemes, model answers, textbooks, exam reports…

AQA documents

AQA A-Level | Awarding Body | Oxbridge
AQA Philosophy 7172

The links in this section take to the relevant pages of the AQA site:

Syllabus

And here is the full specification

Public exam dates (2024)

Assessment is by two 3 hour exams:

Paper 1: Epistemology & Ethics

Note: 2022 and 2023 papers not yet available online

Paper 2: Metaphysics

Note: 2022 and 2023 papers not yet available online

Grade boundaries

Each paper is marked out of 100. So the maximum mark is 200.

Grade2019202020212022
A*154137137140
A131114113119
B107929295
C83707271
D59495247
E35283223

Textbooks

There are a few textbooks specifically written for the current A level Philosophy specification.

These links take you to the publisher/bookseller:

Lacewing

Source: Routledge
Source: Routledge

According to one (supposed) ‘critic’ cited by the published, Lacewing “really brings the A-Level philosophy [sic] syllabus to life”. Umm…

In my experience, students find these books tedious, dense, and turgid. But if you want to memorise content, these books are for you…

Feest

Source: philosophyalevel.com

The Feest book and website are good! Many students have used and liked them. Covers the entire A level specification.

In my view, the title How to get an A… is a bit ambitious; content is orientated toward grade C.

Cardinal, Jones, & Hayward

Source: Hodder
Source: Hodder
Source: Hodder

These authors have written four books: two lengthy textbooks and two slim revision guides. The textbooks are more accessible than Lacewing’s, but less conducive to memorisation. The revision guides are an excellent practical tool and not excessively priced.

Lancaster

Source: Amazon
Source: Amazon

Accessible and clear – one student, who went on to study Philosophy at Durham, used it fairly extensively. It outlines the key concepts well.

Texts recommended by AQA

AQA has produced lists of recommended primary texts.

These links to take you to electronic versions of the texts that are in the public domain:

Epistemology

Berkeley, George (1713), Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous

Descartes, René (1641), Meditations on First Philosophy

Gettier, Edmund (1963), ‘Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?’

Hume, David (1748), An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Sections 2 and 4 (part 1)

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm (1705), New Essays on Human Understanding, Preface and Book 1

Locke, John (1690), An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 1 (esp. Chapter 2), Book 2 (esp. Chapters 1, 2, 8 and 14), Book 4 (esp. Chapter 11)

Plato, Meno, from 81e

Russell, Bertrand (1912), The Problems of Philosophy, Chapters 1 and 2

Trotter Cockburn, Catharine (1732), (attrib) ‘A Letter from an anonymous writer to the author of the Minute Philosopher’ Appendix to G Berkeley Theory of Vision Vindicated and Explained

Zagzebski, Linda (1999), ‘What is Knowledge?’

Ethics

Annas, Julia (2006), Virtue Ethics

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Ayer, Alfred J (1973/1991), The Central Questions of Philosophy, pages 22–29

Ayer, AJ (1946), Language, Truth and Logic, (esp. Chapters 1 and 6)

Bentham, Jeremy (1789), Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Chapters 1 and 4

Diamond, Cora (1978), Eating Meat and Eating People

Foot, Philippa (1972), Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives

Hare, Richard M (1952) The Language of Morals, Chapters 1, 5, 7, 10.2

Hume, David (1739–40), Treatise of Human Nature, Book III, Part 1

Kant, Immanuel (1785), Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Chapters 1 and 2

Mackie, John L (1977), Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, Chapter 1, Sections 8 and 9

Mill, John Stuart (1863), Utilitarianism, Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5

Moore, George E (1903), Principia Ethica, Sections 6–14

Smart, Jack J C & Williams, Bernard (1973), Utilitarianism: For and Against, Chapters 2 and 3