National Qualifications
In S4 pupils have the chance to take either of the two courses offered within the department, RMPS and Philosophy. These subjects can be completed up to Higher level. Pupils gain a wide variety of skills throughout each course which are highly sought after by employers, making qualifications in either subject extremely desirable. Have a look through the course outlines below to get an insight into what you could be studying!
NATIONAL 5 AND HIGHER PHILOSOPHY
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Sound good? Here is two of our Higher students, Nathan (head boy) and Chloe (house captain) talking about how much they enjoyed the course!
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The Philosophy course has four distinct elements:
Moral Philosophy In this unit pupil learn about some famous philosophers and the different ways that they think humans make moral decisions. They apply their ideas to different moral situations. In the S34 course they will debate capital punishment and medical ethics and then learn how philosophers suggest we go about deciding what the moral action is. In S56 the focus will be more about the theories themselves. |
Arguments in Action
This unit teach pupils some important skills that help them identify good and bad arguments. They learn about some techniques that lawyers and politicians use to present their arguments. They will also, most importantly, develop their own skills so that they present their own excellent arguments and be able to spot errors in other peoples' thinking. |
'Being an independent and critical thinker is a highly sought after skill amongst employers. Professionals who rise to the top in their career are those who can think outside the box - process information and come up with their own unique and effective spin on it, and this is what this graduate attribute is all about'. Glasgow University Prospectus
Knowledge and Doubt
This branch of Philosophy is possibly the basis of all Philosophy and, in fact, all subjects. In this unit pupil learn about the brilliant Scottish Philosopher David Hume and the French Philosopher Rene Descartes. This unit is particularly important if you’re interested in a career in science. Here are some of the questions that you’ll think about: What is the basis of all human knowledge claims? Is it possible to have certain knowledge about anything? Does the human mind contain ideas from birth? |
Assignment (National 5 only)
The N5 qualification also includes an assignment that allows pupils to research any area of philosophy that interests them. This is worth 25% of their final qualification.
national 5 and higher RMPS
The RME department also offers RMPS at National 5 and Higher. RMPS stands for Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies. This is a great N5/Higher option for S56 pupils. Here are some pupil reviews from those who have studied N5/H RMPS at PGS: |
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course detailsThe RMPS course has four distinct elements:
Morality and Justice
In this unit you will develop skills required to express detailed, reasoned and well-structured views about moral issues related to crime and punishment. Pupils develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of moral questions and religious and nonreligious responses to these. You will learn about the causes of crime, the purposes of punishment, sentencing in the UK and Capital Punishment. |
Religious and Philosophical Questions
This unit will teach you about the famous arguments that philosophers have proposed to try to show that God exists. Pupils will learn the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments and develop the skills required to present their own, justified views on the topic. The two main arguments you learn about are the cosmological argument and the design argument. |
World Religion: Buddhism
Religions have a huge impact on the world. Learning about one of them helps you reflect on all sorts of important questions that humans have thought about for thousands of years. By learning about one world religion, pupils will understand better how humans think about these questions and whether or not the answers proposed by the Buddha are helpful or not. While studying Buddhism pupils learn about the origins of the religion, and some of its key beliefs and practices.
Religions have a huge impact on the world. Learning about one of them helps you reflect on all sorts of important questions that humans have thought about for thousands of years. By learning about one world religion, pupils will understand better how humans think about these questions and whether or not the answers proposed by the Buddha are helpful or not. While studying Buddhism pupils learn about the origins of the religion, and some of its key beliefs and practices.