We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College!
We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Philosophy, Religion & Ethics at Andover College is like. Scroll down to learn more about Philosophical constructs across the world and join the debate around ethics and consumption.
If you have any questions about the course please get in touch, email -AskHumanities@sparsholt.ac.uk
Be sure to look into the additional help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams.
Welcome to the Course!
As a Philosophy & Ethics student at Andover College you will develop and explore your understanding of the human condition, world of morality, religious beliefs and worldviews and seek to question everything! We encourage a healthy and lively debate within class and also encourage students to explore their preconceived and accepted notions. We put particular emphasis on the exploration of non-theistic faiths, such as Buddhism - take a look at a short video below introducing you to this fascinating topic!
New Activity!
Please watch the video below.
What is Philosophy and what is Religion?
In many ways Philosophy and Religion form two distinct aspects of the course, however they are also deeply connected and interrelated concepts: We will study the 'philosophy' of religion (i.e. does God exist?) but we also study religions which contain philosophical teachings (e.g. the Buddhist understanding of 'emptiness').
This makes things complicated and there is not always a straightforward distinction between what we think of as 'philosophy' and what we think of as 'religion' ...
Watch the clip and draw up your own 'venn diagram' showing the differences and overlaps between Philosophy and Religion. Can you come up with your own definitions for each?
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about the various topics you could study at Andover College? Please take a look at the additional resources below.
Recommended documentaries and videos:
- The Good Place – an insight into ethical thinking (available on Netflix and being shown on E4)
- Simon’s Amstell’s ‘Carnage’ – a mockumentary about the ethics of eating meat (available on BBC Iplayer) Here.
Recommended reading:
- Philosophy of the Mind - here.
- The Philosophy Dungeon (check out the articles on religious experience and the problem of evil) - here.
- The Good Place: How a Sitcom made Philosophy seem cool - here.
Activities you can get involved in:
Work book (What makes us human?) Read the information and answer the questions.
Read the summary of Buddhism and watch the introductory clips on Buddhism – Draw up a list of features which you think Buddhism shares with other religions you have come across, and a list of features which you think are unique to Buddhism.
Watch the crash course clip on ethics surrounding non-human animals.
Read the responses to the question of human rights in the Philosophy Now article and write your own paragraph explaining your own idea of what human rights are. Here.
Read the extract ‘Dawkins v God’ from RE online and draw up a list of arguments for and against Dawkin’s approach to religion. Here.
The Open University has a variety of free online courses available in an array of different subjects. Take a look at the catalogue to choose your course! Here.
We recommend Introducing the philosophy of religion (Free OU course) - here.
What NOT to say to a Philosophy Student!
Our previous cohort of Philosophy students, Ethan, Megan and Francesca, have created an imaginative and humorous video busting the myths on some of the most commonly held beliefs about Philosophy - what do you think?
Our Courses:
A Level in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (2 Years)
Careers Guidance
Our careers guidance aims to expand the horizons of all students enabling you to make informed career decisions in order to progress both during and after college.
Carol is our dedicated Careers Advisor for Andover College!
We also have our Sun Progression Mentor Anna!
Anna works alongside the Southern Universities Network (SUN) to help students recognise the routes of progression available to them, and to continue their journey in education!
We recently launched the new Careers Hub located in the College library so come and say hello to Carol and Anna!
Student wellbeing and support
At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible.
We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including;
- Counselling
- Carer support
- Childcare support
- Confidential one-to-one services
We also have at the college Romeo our therapy dog! Romeo is part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to wellbeing provision for students. Romeo is based on campus with his owner throughout term.
Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present.
Social Media
We love to post about all our students on our platforms including their achievements, trips and excellent work - take a look at some of the highlights below and make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!