How do I revise Philosophy of religion for OCR A-Level?

Ensure clear distinction between a posteriori and a priori styles of argument

What exam tips are there for Philosophy of religion? (2)

Use scholarly views to support arguments, such as Dawkins or Plantinga

What exam tips are there for Philosophy of religion? (3)

Focus on the logical fallacies within the arguments

What mistakes should I avoid in Philosophy of religion?

Confusing a posteriori and a priori arguments

What are common errors in Philosophy of religion exams? (2)

Failing to distinguish between the logical and evidential aspects of arguments

Philosophy of religion

OCR

A-Level

This topic covers the philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God, focusing on a posteriori arguments (teleological and cosmological) and a priori arguments (ontological), alongside challenges to these arguments.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

Subtopics in this area

Philosophy of religion

Topic Overview

Philosophy of religion is a core component of OCR A-Level Religious Studies, exploring fundamental questions about the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, and the relationship between faith and reason. This topic critically examines arguments for and against theism, including the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments, as well as challenges from atheism and the problem of evil. Students engage with key philosophers such as Anselm, Aquinas, Paley, Hume, and Kant, developing analytical skills to evaluate the coherence and validity of these arguments.

Understanding philosophy of religion is essential because it underpins many ethical and theological debates in the modern world. It encourages critical thinking about ultimate questions, such as whether religious belief is rational and how we can reconcile the existence of suffering with a benevolent God. This topic also connects to broader themes in religious studies, such as the nature of religious language and the relationship between science and religion, providing a foundation for further study in theology, philosophy, or ethics.

In the OCR A-Level exam, philosophy of religion is assessed through essay-based questions that require students to present balanced arguments, use scholarly perspectives, and reach reasoned conclusions. Mastery of this topic involves not only memorising key arguments but also evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, applying them to contemporary issues, and demonstrating awareness of different philosophical traditions. This topic is typically studied alongside ethics and developments in Christian thought, forming a coherent and challenging curriculum.

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Details of the teleological argument including Aquinas’ Fifth Way and Paley
Details of the cosmological argument including Aquinas’ first three ways
Details of Hume’s criticisms of arguments from natural religion
The challenge of evolution to teleological arguments
Details of the ontological argument including Anselm
Gaunilo’s criticisms of the ontological argument
Kant’s criticisms of the ontological argument
Understanding of divine power and self-imposed limitation

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Details of the teleological argument including Aquinas’ Fifth Way and Paley
Details of the cosmological argument including Aquinas’ first three ways
Details of Hume’s criticisms of arguments from natural religion
The challenge of evolution to teleological arguments
Details of the ontological argument including Anselm
Gaunilo’s criticisms of the ontological argument
Kant’s criticisms of the ontological argument
Understanding of divine power and self-imposed limitation
Analysis of divine knowledge in relation to temporal existence and free will
Evaluation of Boethius’s argument on divine foreknowledge, eternity, and free will
Explanation of Anselm’s four-dimensionalist approach as an extension of Boethius
Assessment of the compatibility of human free will with divine attributes
Plato's understanding of reality, the Forms, and the analogy of the cave.
Aristotle's understanding of reality, the four causes, and the Prime Mover.
Plato's view of the soul as essential and immaterial, temporarily united with the body.
Aristotle's view of the soul as the form of the body, inseparable from it.
Metaphysics of consciousness and materialist critiques of dualism.
Comparison of Plato's rationalism and Aristotle's empiricism.
Comparison of Plato's Form of the Good and Aristotle's Prime Mover.
Demonstrate knowledge of mystical and conversion experiences
Explain the views of William James on religious experience
Analyze different understandings of religious experience (union with a greater power, psychological, physiological)
Explain the logical and evidential aspects of the problem of evil
Explain theodicies that propose justifications for divine action or inaction in the face of evil
Reference to Augustine and Hick regarding the problem of evil
Understanding of the apophatic way (via negativa) as an approach to theological language.
Understanding of the cataphatic way (via positiva) as an approach to theological language.
Explanation of Aquinas’s analogy of attribution and analogy of proper proportion.
Explanation of Tillich’s view of theological language as symbolic.
Ability to compare and contrast the usefulness of negative, analogical, and symbolic approaches.
Evaluation of whether religious language is comprehensible if understood symbolically or analogically.
Impact of the verification principle (Ayer) on religious language
Wittgenstein’s concept of language games and forms of life
The falsification symposium (Flew, Hare, Mitchell) and the factual quality of religious language
Comparison of cognitive vs non-cognitive approaches
Comparison of Aquinas (analogy) and Wittgenstein (language games)

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Ensure clear distinction between a posteriori and a priori styles of argument
💡Use scholarly views to support arguments, such as Dawkins or Plantinga
💡Focus on the logical fallacies within the arguments
💡Evaluate whether existence can be treated as a predicate
💡Ensure you can compare the different understandings of the relationship between divinity and time
💡Use specific terminology when discussing divine attributes (e.g., omniscience, omnipotence, eternity)
💡Focus on the coherence of theism when evaluating whether these attributes can reasonably coexist
💡Refer to the specific works of Boethius, Anselm, and Swinburne to support your arguments
💡Ensure clear distinction between Plato's and Aristotle's approaches to reality.
💡Use scholarly views to support arguments regarding dualism and materialism.
💡Be prepared to discuss whether the concept of the soul is metaphorical or a reality.
💡Focus on the 'why' behind the philosophical arguments, not just the 'what'.
💡Ensure you can clearly distinguish between mystical and conversion experiences
💡Be prepared to evaluate whether personal testimony is sufficient to support the validity of religious experiences
💡Practice comparing the logical and evidential problems of evil
💡Use specific scholarly views (e.g., William James, Augustine, Hick) to support your analysis
💡Focus on the debate regarding whether corporate religious experiences are more reliable than individual ones
💡Ensure you can define and use the technical terms 'via negativa' and 'via positiva' accurately.
💡When discussing Aquinas, focus on how analogy bridges the gap between human language and the divine.
💡When discussing Tillich, emphasize the distinction between a sign and a symbol.
💡Practice comparing these approaches to determine which is more effective for expressing religious truth.
💡Ensure clear definitions of cognitive and non-cognitive language
💡Use the specific parables (Flew's gardener, Hare's lunatic, Mitchell's partisan) to illustrate the falsification debate
💡Focus on the shift from 'what does it mean' to 'how does it function' in language
💡Evaluate the effectiveness of the verification principle in rendering religious language meaningless

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing a posteriori and a priori arguments
Failing to distinguish between the logical and evidential aspects of arguments
Misunderstanding the role of predicates in Kant's critique of the ontological argument
Over-simplifying Hume's criticisms of natural religion
Failing to distinguish between the different philosophical approaches to divine eternity
Confusing the logical possibility of divine attributes with divine self-limitation
Inability to clearly articulate the conflict between divine foreknowledge and human free will
Superficial evaluation of the key thinkers (Boethius, Anselm, Swinburne)
Confusing the four causes of Aristotle.
Misunderstanding the relationship between the soul and body in Plato versus Aristotle.
Failing to distinguish between rationalism and empiricism in the context of these philosophers.
Treating the analogy of the cave as a literal description rather than a philosophical tool.
Confusing the logical and evidential aspects of the problem of evil
Failing to link theodicies directly to the specific challenges of evil and suffering
Over-generalizing religious experiences without reference to specific types (mystical/conversion)
Neglecting to use scholarly views to support arguments
Confusing the via negativa with a simple denial of God's existence.
Failing to clearly distinguish between Aquinas's analogy of attribution and analogy of proper proportion.
Misinterpreting Tillich's view of symbols as merely 'signs' or 'metaphors' without understanding his specific definition of participation.
Struggling to evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches in the context of modern philosophical challenges.
Confusing verification with falsification
Failing to distinguish between cognitive and non-cognitive approaches
Misunderstanding the purpose of the parables used in the falsification symposium
Treating language games as merely a way to avoid answering questions about truth

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Discuss

Evaluate

Compare

Analyze

Assess

Examine

Analyse

Explain

To what extent

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

Philosophy of religion

Subtopics in this area

Topic Overview

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in OCR A-Level Religious Studies

Religion and ethics

Developments in Buddhist thought

Developments in Christian thought

Developments in Hindu thought

Philosophy of religion

Subtopics in this area

Topic Overview

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the logical and evidential problem of evil?

How does Kant criticise the ontological argument?

What is the fine-tuning argument?

Why is Hume's criticism of the cosmological argument important?

What is the difference between theodicies and defences?

How does religious language relate to philosophy of religion?

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in OCR A-Level Religious Studies

Religion and ethics

Developments in Buddhist thought

Developments in Christian thought

Developments in Hindu thought