Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

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religious studies ocr synoptic(routs a ax ay or whateva)

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I don't think there's much need to go through every theory and link to psychologists/sociologists point of view really .. only do that if you're desperate for something to write about..

Freud's theories pretty much contain what you need about ethics anyway. Superego is the source of morality, i.e. the conscience. Then go on to explain how this is formed - from authority, etc. Then the criticisms of Freud. I think the main one in terms of Connections/morality is that he seems to avoid how certain acts are intrinsically wrong (eg. murder)

Then do the same for Jung, and Skinner (and Durkheim if you have time)

Reply 81

Laurajb90

Yes thats good, also if you're really really struggling for connections, always consider a christian approach and how thinking in such a way would be detriment/benefit them. The questions are generally worded to encourage a comparison, i think you just need to look at the questions and maybe do quick plans if brainstorms confuse you. just so that the links become natural.

Reply 82

delicious_biscuit1990

well i'll go and give everything i can a bash lol

thanks for all your help.

GOOD LUCK x

Reply 83

Mikay

Good luck to you all too. :smile:

I don't think this will be too tricky, tbh.
Yes it's difficult to structure, but as you say Laura, the questions are designed to bring out the comparisons between the two topics. :smile:

Reply 84

white rabbits

Live82005

Yes, spot on.

Sex, war, medical ethics mainly - hope sex comes up as it's pretty easy to write about. The issue of agape love and whether NT is absolutist or relativist would be good ones as well.

I am actually going to fail this paper though - it's worth 40% of A2. :frown:

I know! this paper is a killer....
hopefully did well enough in the ethics paper to get a decent grade overall. i got an A in the new testament coursework we did for Jan.
OK, they're pretty much the topics i've looked at - as well as the goals of NT ethics which im hoping comes up because its quite an easy one!
good luck :smile:

Reply 85

TomGeorge

sazza101

hahahaha probably mate :smile:

naah am sure there will be loads of southeners, luckily i dont have this problem I'm really not venturing very far to uni lol. Up North is the place to be after all!

Ill just find a group of southern friends, who i can go shop at waitrose with, watch rugby union and pretend that i am actually just living in the south and its suddenly got very cold.

Reply 86

srwences

I'm surprised that people don't like the psychology/sociology topic - probably the easiest?

i typed this out on another thread, if it's any help to you (this thread appears to be bigger):

Yeah, I empathise with both Danni and a.c.m. I think the easiest of the six topics is "The implications for ethics of the theories of psychology and sociology" because with this the question is always going to be based on to what extent psychology and/or sociology challenge ethics. The best way of doing this, I believe, is to look at the main ethical theories, like the Divine Command Theory, Kantian ethics, Libertarianism (in terms of it being one of Kant's three postulates), Natural law etc. and go through each one assessing the challenges from psychology/sociology and reaching a judgement as to its impact. Surely this is the only way you can incorporate the ethics into it prominently?

The topic of "Conscience or moral responsibility as possible evidence for the existence of God" is also a good one, since the question can surely only concern whether it is or isn't. So you simply have to look at scholars like Aquinas, Newman and Butler who say it is and psychologists like Freud, Kohlberg and Fromm who say it isn't.

Looking at the other topics, there is "The concept of free will and determinism in relation to the nature of an omniscient God; issues to the extent to which God can be held to know the future, and the implications of this for human responsibility." This seems to be a much more vast topic. I assume the core aspects of this topic are the nature of God and his supposed omniscience in terms of whether he is inside or outside time, in relation to the concepts of free will and determinism and how these concepts affect God's aforementioned nature, as well as then concluding whilst touching on the issue of the implications for all of this on human responsibility. This one is certainly easier in which to get things muddled.

I have completely ignored "The relation between free will and the problem of evil" because I loathe Irenaues and Augustine's absurd theodocies. I just hope it doesn't come up, so I'm left with a choice.

"The relationship between religious language and ethical language" always seems to touch upon whether they are about facts or which is more meaningful. My understanding is that the best way to approach this is to lay out the different ideas of religious language and meta-ethics, particularly touching upon logical positivism and the ideas of Verification and Falsification - Ayer and Flew. If there is a question about which is more meaningful, it appears that the conclusion should still draw upon which has a more factual basis.

Then we come to "The relation between moral behaviour and life after death". This must be the broadest topic with so much to incorporate. My notes from Mike Murphy tell me that the best way in which to approach this question is, more or less, to divide it into two parts: firstly moral behaviour, then how it impacts on life after death. I suppose, in this topic, it depends largely upon the question. So there are theories about why we should behave morally, like Kantian doing your duty, Aquinas' Natural Law and obedience to God, for the greatest hapiness, like Utilitarianism, or as part of social cohesion ala Durkheim. You could also turn it on its head with something like egoism wherein it could be argued that we don't behave morally. Then you can link all this to whether this means you will be rewarded after death, so the likes of Hick and Plato would say you are, whereas Bertrand Russell would disagree.

I've been brainstorming a little here, which has helped my revision a lot. Anyone want to offer other suggestions?

Reply 87

Mikay

Hah, there's about 4 different threads I'm following on this exam. They should probably merge them.. heh

Reply 88

billiejean81

Does anyone have a model essay for Freewill/Determinsim and God's omniscience? I feel as though I'm just wrting a freewill and determinsim ethics answer...? Please?!

Reply 89

cferneyhough

so whats peoples predictions for the three topics??

Last year there were 3 NICE questions that came up.

-Conscience/morality for existence of God

-Morality for life after death

-Free will and problem of evil

what do you think?????

Reply 90

angel_night

im thinking one on psychology or sociology as well as one on religious and ethical language? i've avoided this topic, so whatever the other question is i'll have to do.

i hate all this so much! i wish i'd had last years paper :frown:

Ruth xx

Reply 91

cferneyhough

yer me too, they'll probably **** on our faces and give us some really horrible questions with horrid slants on them....we are the last year doing this syllabus after all. hope there nice though :smile:

Reply 92

angel_night

if i can't answer the questions on the paper tomorrow, i think i will actually break down and cry! i wish we'd had a proper teacher for the philosophy side, so i'm praying mainly ethics based questions come up, but i think it's unlikely :frown:

Ruth xx

Reply 93

jim_is_alive702

I have some notes I typed up...if anyone would like a breakdown of the topics just say and I can put them up (I have all except Psychology and Sociology...cos I hate that topic xD)

Reply 94

Mikay

jim_is_alive702

I have some notes I typed up...if anyone would like a breakdown of the topics just say and I can put them up (I have all except Psychology and Sociology...cos I hate that topic xD)

I'd like to see them Jim. :smile:

I'm trying to not write anything, and instead exposing myself to as many different resources as I can hoping I'll remember something.

Gutted you haven't done Psych/Socio though :frown:

Reply 95

cferneyhough

hmmm... the good thing is though, that whatever the question, there are so many different guys that you could involve in the answer. the mark schemes are really broad and if you think of something there and then in the exam that's relevant, put it down! :biggrin:

. It's 60 marks for each essay that are only 45 mins....picking up marks shouldn't be too difficult

Reply 96

jim_is_alive702

Right hope this attachment malarkey works xD

The relationship between moral behaviour and life after death.docx20.7KB

The relationship between ethical language and religious language.docx21.4KB

Conscience as possible evidence for existence of God.docx13.6KB

Free will and Omniscient God.docx15.9KB

Free will.docx16.8KB

Reply 97

Mikay

jim_is_alive702

Right hope this attachment malarkey works xD

Thank you!
I really hope Ethical Language comes up.. :eek3:

Reply 98

jim_is_alive702

Mikay

Thank you!
I really hope Ethical Language comes up.. :eek3:

No worries :smile:

We're all in this (rocky) boat together :p:

I think I want conscience to come up...although I like language I think it might be tricky making the appropriate connections =/

Reply 99

sazza101

TomGeorge

Ill just find a group of southern friends, who i can go shop at waitrose with, watch rugby union and pretend that i am actually just living in the south and its suddenly got very cold.