Philosophy and Religious Studies

Department Staff

Mr Bruce Kinsey
Mrs Judith Gardom
Mr Peter Piercy [part time]

The Department

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies has three teachers with different interests who have enjoyed building a strong and lively place for thinking, exploration and debate. Never prepared to take an easy, simplistic answer they are keen in the academic pursuit of truth.

Mr Bruce Kinsey

Philosophy and Religious Studies Before coming to The Perse, Mr Kinsey was Chaplain and Fellow at Downing College Cambridge for ten years. Having completed post graduate studies in Oxford and London, he worked in HM Prison Wormwood Scrubbs as well as with those living with HIV/AIDS. He has also worked in India and various parts of the Middle East. Mr Kinsey is a trained counsellor and a registered psychotherapist. He has many interests both philosophical and theological and continues to study in the Philosophy of Psychology, and the Philosophy of Religion. He is currently researching in the area of religious violence and has just written a chapter of a CUP book on healing… the title of that chapter was suggested by one of the current students. He has two dogs Algernon and Poppy and wonders what Plato meant when he said 'the dog has a soul of a Philosopher'.

Philosophy and Religious Studies Photo Mrs Judith Gardom

Judith has a First Class Degree in Philosophy and Theology from Balliol College, Oxford, and a PGCE from Homerton College, Cambridge. Before coming to The Perse she taught at the National Anglican Theological College of Zimbabwe, and also at a secondary school in Bulawayo, and maintains strong links with Zimbabwe. She helped to plan and research the Faith Zone in the Millenium Dome, and is particularly interested in death rituals and funerals, the role of music in religion, Philosophy of Mind and Continental Philosophy. She is currently a Farmington Fellow (2009-10), researching models of interaction between religion, education and the state with reference to Turkey. Mrs Gardom teaches A2 Philosophy, and the Political Philosophy and Metaphysics components of the AS course. She also teaches Religious Studies at GCSE and to Years 7 and 8.

Mr Peter Piercy

Peter has a First Class Degree in English Literature from Jesus College, Cambridge. He is interested in the phenomenology of literary and visual art (particularly the works of the Impressionists and the New York School) and their subjective ability to figure religious and social experience. Taking a cross-curricular approach to the study of religion, he aims to draw on a wide range of cultural sources in order to demonstrate both the far-reaching impact of the subject and the intellectual dexterity that it can hone in an individual. Mr Piercy teaches Religious Studies to Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. He also teaches English.

The Teaching

The subject is taught throughout the school. We start in Year 7 with an introduction to religious studies looking particularly at Christian Ethics and the beliefs and traditions surrounding the Easter story, and aspects of the Hindu tradition. During the year there is a trip to Ely Cathedral which links Religious Studies with History and Art.

In Year 8 students broaden their understanding of the world of faith and philosophy with a trip to Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire. They study the Buddhist approach the question ‘How should I live?’, and then return to the Western tradition in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics, with work on Aquinas, Feuerbach, Paley and Pascal, and Just War theory.

Year 9 turns to the monotheistic faith of Judaism and understanding the Holocaust and in Year 10 we look in depth at Islam.

In Year 11 further work is done on Moral Philosophy, considering the basic questions on how we make decisions and how we are influenced in them. Consideration is given to views of those with faith as well as to those who are atheists and humanists. By the use of video interviews we consider some of the issues of living in a multicultural society and the influence of the press.

The IGCSE Option

Philosophy and Religious Study Although there is some limited teaching of Religious Studies in years 10 and 11, there is also the option to study at depth following the Edexel option for Religious Studies which is an IGCSE.

This course comprises a study of the role and influence of religious beliefs, values and traditions as well as non-religious beliefs and values. It is a popular and interesting course, and nearly half of the year group usually choose this option. It is unlike traditional RS and tries to open up some key areas of thought by topic, and is a good introduction to philosophical questions and skills. Issues such as ‘what happens when you die’, ‘can war be justified’, animal rights, ideas of equality and medical ethics will be explored in the history of thought and considered how they help formulate new ideas and possibilities. It is a Religious Studies course but it is important to note that Atheist and agnostic views are also considered.

This course gives students the chance to identify, investigate and respond to the fundamental questions of life raised by religion and human experience, including questions about the meaning and purpose of life. It gives the opportunity to acquire knowledge, consider the influences, and develop understanding of the belief, values and traditions of a combination of religions focusing on Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. Students are encouraged to explore a wide range of religious, philosophical and ethical issues, and the course offers students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of these issues and to express their own ideas and opinions when evaluating the views of others.

The course is examined by exam and there is no coursework. There is a single examination of 2 hours and 30 minutes consisting of both structured and open ended questions.

The AS/A2 options

In the Sixth Form pupils may work for the AQA A Level in Philosophy or OCR Religious Studies [Philosophy and Ethics].

Why study Religious Studies?

The OCR course offers students the opportunity to develop their interest in and enthusiasm for a rigorous study of religion and relate it to the wider world. It encourages students to treat the subject as an academic discipline by developing knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the specialist study of religion. It also helps students adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion and finally it encourages students to reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes in the light of their learning. An Advanced Subsidiary or full A Level course in RS will equip students with a set of transferable skills which can be applied successfully not only in RS but also to other academic subjects and any written theories and arguments they encounter in their everyday lives. Many students who have especially enjoyed their GCSE in this subject will appreciate the chance to continue and develop their studies, although a GCSE is not a prerequisite for this course.

Course Content for AS

Philosophy of Religion

Ancient Greek and Judaeo-Christian influences on the philosophy of religion.
Traditional arguments for the existence of God.
Challenges to religious beliefs

Written paper 1 hour 30 minutes: 50% of AS Level, 25% of A Level. Candidates are required to answer two two-part essay questions from a choice of four.

Religious Ethics

Ethical Theories, Natural Law, Kantian, Utilitarianism, Religious Ethics
Applied Ethics in relation to: Abortion, Euthanasia, Genetic Engineering, War and Peace

Written paper 1 hour 30 minutes: 50% of AS Level, 25% of A Level. Candidates are required to answer two two-part essay questions from a choice of four.

Course Content for A2

Philosophy of Religion: 25% of A Level. Written paper, 1 hour 30 minutes. Candidates answer 2 open style essay questions from a choice of four. Themes in philosophy of religion relating to authority, language, experience, miracle and life and death.

Religious Ethics: 25% of A Level. Written paper, 1 hour 30 minutes. Candidates answer 2 open style essay questions from a choice of four. Ethical issues relating to authority and destiny, and further topics in practical religious ethics, meta-ethics, virtue ethics and conscience.

Phil Why study Philosophy?

Developing the ability to think independently is one of the most important aspects of education, and also of growing up. Doing Philosophy will enable you to examine and question your assumptions and develop your own ideas.

The subject matter of Philosophy includes the most general and fundamental questions human beings can ask, about truth, knowledge, beauty, freedom, right and wrong, and our own nature. Doing Philosophy means joining a conversation about these matters that has continued for thousands of years.

Philosophy will give you an armoury of skills that will equip you to think and work in whatever academic field you choose. Identifying and analysing arguments through texts, conducting imaginative thought experiments, presenting ideas verbally and in essays, intensive reading and skilled questioning are all tools that philosophers learn to use.

The study of Philosophy should enable you to examine, understand and perhaps transform yourself and the world. Philosophy students from the Perse have gone on to study a wide range of subjects at University, including Law, Human Sciences, Theology, English, History and Classics, as well as Philosophy, PPE, PPP, and other joint honours subjects.

Philosophy Course Content: AS

Unit 1: An Introduction to Philosophy 1: Written paper 1 hour 30 minutes.

Candidates must answer the compulsory question on Reason and Experience and one other question (currently Political Philosophy).

Unit 2: An Introduction to Philosophy 1:Written paper 1 hour 30 minutes.

Candidates must answer two questions (currently The Value of Art; Free Will and Determinism).

Philosophy Course Content: A2

Unit 3: Key Themes in Philosophy: 30% of A Level. Written paper, 2hrs.

Candidates choose two questions from two different sections (Philosophy of Mind; Epistemology and Metaphysics).

Unit 4: Philosophical problems: 20% of A Level. Written paper, 1 hour 30 minutes.

Candidates must choose one section and answer the compulsory question and one essay question (Descartes’ ‘Meditations’; Hume’s ‘An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’).

Philosophy and Religious Studies

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