RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS (RPE) (EDEXCEL IGCSE)
WHAT WILL I LEARN? There are two parts to the IGCSE. Part I focuses on Beliefs and Values and Part II on The Buddhist Community. By studying a wide range of topics, pupils will come to understand and appreciate the vital role and function that religion, philosophy and ethics plays in today’s world.
PART I: Beliefs and Values (60% of the IGCSE) Sub-topics include: Belief and Unbelief; Destiny, Purpose and the Meaning of Life; Free-will and Determinism; Life after Death; The Universe and the place of humans within it; Human Nature and the Human Condition; Evil and Suffering; Equality and Human Rights; Racial and Inter-faith Harmony; RichPoor Relations; Marriage, Divorce and Family Life; War & Conflict; Crime & Punishment.
PART II: The Buddhist Community (40% of the IGCSE) Sub-topics include: The Origins of Buddhism and the Impact on the Community; Religious Texts and Sources of Authority; Buddhist Celebration and Pilgrimage; Buddhist Worship and Practice.
38 / The GCSE Years 2021-2023
MR M S THATCHER
RPE is an optional subject for pupils. The newly reformed IGCSE course is designed to encourage an open-minded and critically objective investigation into the studies of religion, philosophy and ethics.
HOW IS THE WHOLE COURSE STRUCTURED AND ASSESSED? STRUCTURE Year 10 – Beliefs and Values / The Buddhist Community Beliefs and Values: The Universe, Creation and the Place of Human Beings; Matters of Life and Death. The Buddhist Community: Origins, Founders and Leaders; Celebration and Pilgrimage.
