Section A: Philosophy of religion — AQA A-Level Religious Studies

Section A: Philosophy of religion in AQA A-Level Religious Studies explores foundational questions about the nature of God, religious experience, and the relationship between faith and reason. You will critically examine classical arguments for God's existence—such as the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments—alongside challenges from the problem of evil and modern critiques. This topic also delves into religious language, examining whether statements about God can be meaningful, and considers the nature of miracles and religious experience. Mastering this section requires engaging with key philosophers like Anselm, Aquinas, Hume, and Kant, and understanding both historical and contemporary debates.

Philosophy of religion is central to Religious Studies because it addresses universal human questions about meaning, truth, and the divine. It connects to ethics (e.g., divine command theory) and to the study of specific religions by providing a rational framework for evaluating beliefs. For A-Level students, this topic develops critical thinking, analytical writing, and the ability to construct balanced arguments—skills essential for exams and further study. By the end, you should be able to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of each argument, apply philosophical concepts to real-world issues, and articulate your own reasoned position.

This section fits into the wider AQA A-Level course by forming one of three components (alongside ethics and a world religion). It builds on GCSE RS by introducing more abstract and technical philosophy. You will need to recall key scholars, their specific arguments, and counter-arguments, and be prepared to write essays that demonstrate depth of understanding and critical evaluation. The skills you develop here—especially logical reasoning and handling objections—are directly transferable to other humanities and social science subjects.

• →A posteriori vs a priori arguments: Cosmological and teleological arguments are a posteriori (based on experience), while the ontological argument is a priori (based on reason alone).
• →The problem of evil: The logical and evidential problems challenge the existence of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God; theodicies (e.g., Irenaean, Augustinian) attempt to reconcile evil with God's nature.
• →Religious language: Verification and falsification principles (Ayer, Flew) argue religious statements are meaningless; Wittgenstein's language games and Tillich's symbol theory offer alternative views.
• →Miracles: Hume's definition (violation of a law of nature) and his arguments against miracles; responses from Swinburne and Holland (contravention vs. coincidence).
• →Religious experience: Types (visions, conversions, numinous) and key scholars (James, Otto, Swinburne); challenges from Freud (projection) and Marx (opium of the people).

• Knowledge and understanding of specified content
• Influence of beliefs and teachings on individuals, communities and societies
• Cause and significance of similarities and differences in beliefs and teachings
• Approach of philosophy to the study of religion and belief
• Analysis and evaluation of issues arising from topics
• Analysis and evaluation of views and arguments of prescribed scholars
• Appropriate use of specialist language and terminology

• 💡Questions may span more than one topic.
• 💡Ensure you can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of arguments and scholars' views.
• 💡Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between reason and faith.
• 💡Use specialist terminology accurately.
• 💡Always define key terms precisely (e.g., 'omnipotent', 'a priori') and name specific scholars with their exact arguments. Vague references lose marks.
• 💡Structure essays with clear paragraphs: present a point, explain it, give an example or scholar, then evaluate (strengths and weaknesses). Use phrases like 'However, a counter-argument is...' to show critical thinking.
• 💡For 25-mark questions, aim for a balanced conclusion that weighs both sides but offers a reasoned judgement. Avoid fence-sitting; examiners reward a clear, justified stance.

• Misconception: The ontological argument proves God's existence. Correction: It is a logical argument that has been heavily criticised (e.g., Kant's objection that existence is not a predicate); most philosophers reject it as a proof, though it remains influential.
• Misconception: The problem of evil disproves God. Correction: It presents a serious challenge, but theodicies offer possible justifications; the debate is ongoing, and examiners expect you to evaluate both sides.
• Misconception: Religious language is meaningless because it cannot be verified. Correction: Verificationism itself has been criticised (e.g., by Hick's eschatological verification); alternative approaches like Wittgenstein's show religious language has meaning within its own context.