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OCR A2 Philosophy

Hi so i saw someone posted these predictions for the OCR A2 Philosophy exam:

-‘Embodied life post-mortem is self-contradictory.’ Discuss

-‘Religious Experiences are nothing more than psychological neurosis.’ Discuss

-Assess the claim that miracles are simply coincidences given religious significance.

-Critically examine the challenges caused by God’s omniscience.

Does anyone have any tips on how to plan an answer for the 'Critically examine the challenges caused by God’s omniscience' question?

Thanks guys! :smile:
Hi I would probably use each definition of a scholars view of omniscience and then evaluate it. Although there are more than these definitions I would use the following due to time and depth. I would start with the definition of eternity and say that if you see God as everlasting or as timeless it can affect your stance on his omniscient nature.

1. Middle knowledge- God's knowledge is everlasting. He is moving through time and space with creation but he only knows knowledge up to a certain point. Like a train timetable where we can only book a train on a certain amount of weeks in advance he only knows knowledge up to a point.

Ao2- how is this any different to our predictions I may predict that if I go to a certain university I will have better job prospects than if I went to another university. But It means that God can reward and punish as he has no a priori knowledge and we still have free will.

2. Boethius- God is timeless beyond time and space but God's present is our future so his knowledge does not interfere with our free will as the events in our life are already happening for God.

Ao2- Anthony Kenny says that is it really possible for an event to be happening at the same time as we are learning the lesson. Ie the holocaust and its lessons.

3. Aquintance- some say that's God's omniscience is not that he knows what actions we are going to take but that he knows us as individuals. In Jeremiah God says before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

Ao2- However in genesis God says that he couldn't find Adam and Eve when they had sinned in the garden of Eden.

I would obviously include more explanation and more ao2 but there is the basic jist and would need to include a conclusion. Hope I've helped :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by k.t legwaek
Hi I would probably use each definition of a scholars view of omniscience and then evaluate it. Although there are more than these definitions I would use the following due to time and depth. I would start with the definition of eternity and say that if you see God as everlasting or as timeless it can affect your stance on his omniscient nature.

1. Middle knowledge- God's knowledge is everlasting. He is moving through time and space with creation but he only knows knowledge up to a certain point. Like a train timetable where we can only book a train on a certain amount of weeks in advance he only knows knowledge up to a point.

Ao2- how is this any different to our predictions I may predict that if I go to a certain university I will have better job prospects than if I went to another university. But It means that God can reward and punish as he has no a priori knowledge and we still have free will.

2. Boethius- God is timeless beyond time and space but God's present is our future so his knowledge does not interfere with our free will as the events in our life are already happening for God.

Ao2- Anthony Kenny says that is it really possible for an event to be happening at the same time as we are learning the lesson. Ie the holocaust and its lessons.

3. Aquintance- some say that's God's omniscience is not that he knows what actions we are going to take but that he knows us as individuals. In Jeremiah God says before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

Ao2- However in genesis God says that he couldn't find Adam and Eve when they had sinned in the garden of Eden.

I would obviously include more explanation and more ao2 but there is the basic jist and would need to include a conclusion. Hope I've helped :smile:


Thank you so much! That was really helpful! :smile:

Any ideas on answering the ‘Religious Experiences are nothing more than psychological neurosis.’ question?

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