AS and A-level Philosophy: celebrating the work of women

Wednesday 8 Mar 2017

Our brand new AS and A-level Philosophy qualifications, which begin teaching in September 2017, now include a strong focus on studying the work of women.

We worked with the­­­ British Philosophical Association (BPA) to develop the specifications.

Our new philosophy courses

Students will study the texts of female philosophers in each of the four topic areas for A-level (two topic areas for AS):

• Epistemology
• Moral philosophy
• The metaphysics of God
• The metaphysics of mind.

They’ll be introduced to respected philosophers including Philippa Foot, who introduced a modern version of the ‘trolley problem’ in 1967, and Julia Annas, practising professor of philosophy at the University of Arizona.

Dr Angie Hobbs, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at Sheffield University helped develop the new specifications. She said:

“In the past, women philosophers haven’t always been given the credit they’ve deserved and their contributions haven’t been celebrated as widely as their male counterparts. AQA and the BPA worked together to create a rigorous specification with a renewed focus on the vast and important work of women philosophers throughout history.”

Our new AS and A-level Philosophy specifications have already been accredited by Ofqual.

Today is International Women’s Day, a day calling on people to help forge a more gender-inclusive world.