We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College in September! 

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.    

We would love to see your ideas and results so please send them back to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Philosophy, Religion & Ethics' as the email heading!  

Be sure to look into the additional help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams. 

New Activity!

Watch the video below before following the link to the padlet and engaging with the discussion! 

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? You can add your thoughts and comments to the Padlet page and get a discussion going!

This is a topic we will return to at the beginning of the first term so have a think and come prepared with some ideas and arguments! 

Padlet link here.

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! 

In September you will meet your lecturer Sam in person, however, in the meantime she has created an interactive debate space enabling you to interact with other applicants, take a look at the link - here. 

Additional Resources 

Interested in learning more about the various topics you will study at college in September? Take a look at the additional resources below and let us know how you get on! 

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: 

• Buddhism - here. 
• 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. 

Before September you should: 

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 and add your thoughts and responses to the virtual padlet debate. 

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. 

There are a variety of web pages which are offering free online courses to keep your mind and skills sharp over the summer. 

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.

You could also investigate the courses offered at the EtonX web page; please note these are paid for programmes that your current school may have access to so please check with them and back here regularly for updates.

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?

Not already applied?

Got this link but not yet applied? – Click below so you can join us in September!