Course at a glance
Introduction
This Level 3 Diploma in Philosophy, is aimed at providing those of an enquiring mind a study of the widely acclaimed and foundational thinking that has shaped the conceptualisation of thinking, ethics, reasoning and much more over centuries. This course has been designed to enable learner to gain a thorough grounding in key philosophical concepts, themes, texts and techniques. In this course you will develop a range of transferable skills which can be applied far beyond the study of Philosophy.
The course is suitable for all learners who want to understand the fundamental basis for: reality; thinking; ethics; knowledge; mind; theosophy; values and reasons. We consider the impact of philosophers’ like: Descartes, Locke, Kant, and Russell among others.
The following unit descriptors are brief content guides to the course components and should provide a holistic overview of structure and format.
Benefits of the Course:
Students will expect to derive the following benefits from the diploma course:
- To develop an understanding of reasoning and thinking
- To develop understanding of why we have ethics; values and morals.
- To treat the subject as a discipline that informs academic knowledge, understanding and skills for life.
- To teach students an enquiring, reflective and critical approach to the study of philosophical thought.
- To encourage students to reflect on their own thinking, the norms, perceptions, values and opinions in the light of their study.
Assessment Objectives (AO)
AO: 1
Students must select and demonstrate clearly relevant knowledge and understanding through the use of evidence, examples and correct language and terminology appropriate to the course of study. This assessment, involves two written assignments: one halfway through the course and following the final unit. Both are assessed and graded by the assigned tutor, according to college procedures. The grading procedure if Pass or Fail. If you Fail an assessment you have the opportunity to amend where your tutor has highlighted and resubmit.
AO: 2
Students must critically evaluate and justify a point of view through the use of evidence and reasoned argument. Students can include evidence in different formats to support their written work such as documentation or images to support their course remembering Confidentiality and Data Protection.
Quality of Written Communication (QWC)
In addition, COLC require students’ to produce written material in English, candidates must: ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPG) are accurate so that meaning is clear; select and use a form and style of writing appropriate to studying a complex subject matter; organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary when appropriate and Harvard referencing of citation and sources. In this Specification, SPG will be assessed in all tutor marked assignments (TMAs)
To ensure that we maintain quality standards; all our students written assignments are subject to our plagiarism policy and procedure.
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Entry Requirement
Entry to this Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma requires that potential students have gained GCSE/IGCSE or equivalent qualifications and have, good English oral, reading and writing skills.
Advice on enrolment and guidance of prior learning (APL) can be obtained through out contact centre. The course is a rolling programme and can be started at any point in the year. Successful students can go on to Higher Education, including remaining as students at COLC to complete courses in our portfolio of higher awards.
All students must be aged 16 or over.
Assessment
The coursework is assessed through continuous assessment with no formal exit examinations.
Study Hours
Approximately: 200 hours of personal study time for the entire course is recommended. All of which is supported by the COLC Course Tutor, who we greatly encourage students to access support from throughout their course.
Quality Assurance
This course has been developed by the College’s professional team of tutors to meet the needs of sector based employers and employees.
Further details of our accreditations are provided on our website.
Course Length
1 Year.
Awarding Body
Course Content
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 1: Moral Philosophy
Why should we be moral? Is it always wrong to lie? Why should we be good?
This first unit examines the central traditional and contemporary disputes in moral philosophy. Often people consider themselves to be moral relativists, but is this view always defensible? Instead of looking at the consequences of our actions should we instead consider the motives as well?
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 2: Applied Ethics
Ethical issues are always in the news and in this unit we develop the philosophical skills needed to assess them. Here then we move away from the theoretical and apply what we have learned in unit 1 to some real-world issues.
In the second unit of the diploma we apply what we have learned from the first unit to animal ethics, environmental ethics, and the controversies surrounding the abortion debate.
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 3: Political Philosophy
In the third unit of the diploma we explore the idea of a ‘social contract’ and the extent to which we are obliged to obey the authorities in our society. Should we accept any amount of inequality so long as people have well-protected property rights? In this unit we also examine classical philosophical texts by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, as well as valuable contemporary works by John Rawls and Robert Nozick. We also explore the idea of social justice and inequality.
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 4: Epistemology
What can we know? What is the basis of our belief in an external world? Can we be certain about anything? Is it possible that we are really nothing more than our own minds?
In the fourth unit of the diploma, we explore epistemology, or theories of knowledge. We consider the reliability of our perceptions and examine views of this important area of philosophy as presented by Descartes, Locke, Russell, Berkeley, and Kant. In this unit, we ask whether a mind-independent world really exists. We also examine the major contemporary contribution to epistemology made by John McDowell in his book Mind and World.
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 5: Philosophy of Mind
Are we composed of two, dual substances; mind and body? Or are we merely physical things?
In this unit, we explore several theories of Mind including mind-body dualism, the problem of other minds, and personal identity. In the fifth unit of the diploma in Philosophy, we explore issues relating to the Philosophy of Mind. By drawing on works of philosophers such as Descartes, Davidson, and Wittgenstein we consider whether it is possible to establish whether we can be sure that other people have minds. Are you the same person today that you were last year?
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 6: Metaphysics
In this sixth unit of the diploma, we explore two central themes in the philosophical area of metaphysics.
First, we look at the problem of universals. Can someone or something be said to possess universals such as bravery or goodness? Can individual inanimate objects possess universal attributes such as color or texture?
Secondly, we consider the idea of freedom of will. Do we appear to freely decide what to do at any given time? Are our plans and aspirations essentially futile? Is free will merely an illusion?
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 7: An Introduction to Logic
A large part of the philosopher’s task is to examine arguments. It can be important to have a grasp of an argument’s underlying logic in order to assess its merits. This unit will introduce you to some of the techniques logicians use to uncover the logic behind what people say.
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 8: Philosophy of Religion
In the eighth unit of this diploma, we explore questions such as ‘Does God exist?’, ‘Doesn’t the existence of natural disasters show that God is a myth?’ and ‘Is there life after death?’ As we consider these questions we will explore the arguments and views of philosophers such as Descartes, Kant, and Aquinas, to name a few.
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 9: Aesthetics
In the ninth unit of the diploma, we explore aesthetics. The debate on what constitutes art is an ongoing one. For some, art is a painting such as the Mona Lisa, for others it is an unmade bed. In this unit, we consider questions such as ‘What is the value of art?’ Is it simply a matter of personal taste or are there objective reasons for liking a painting, sculpture, or novel? Why are we as human beings predisposed to seek out inanimate objects that we find appealing? Should art be assessed according to its moral value or is art independent of morality?
Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma Unit 10: Philosophy of History
Is history merely a series of events or does it have larger meaning? What causes historical change? Is it individuals or larger changes in social structure? In the final unit of the diploma, we draw on what we have learned in the earlier units in epistemology, metaphysics, and religion in order to explore what history is. In this unit, we will draw upon various arguments by Hegel, Marx, and others to explore this question.
Progression
This Accredited Level 3 Philosophy Diploma can be used to gain entry to a Level 4+5 Diploma or higher.
You can view a lit of our Level 4+5 Diplomas here: Accredited level 4+5 Diplomas
