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OCR Philosophy and Ethics Study Group (AS & A2)

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Reply 40

Molly.Smith42

Original post by Iggy Azalea

Hi everyone :hello:

This is an open thread for anybody taking A Level Philosophy. Feel free to exchange notes/essays, ask for exam advice, clear up any confusion and chat about the subject in general.

Here are the provisional exam dates:

AS:
Philosophy of Religion - Thursday 14th May
Religious Ethics - Tuesday 19th May

A2:
Philosophy of Religion - Wednesday 10th June
Religious Ethics - Wednesday 17th June

(NOW CONFIRMED DATES)

Specifications
The full specification can be found here.
Philosophy specification can be found here.
Ethics equivalent and revision source is here.

Recommended Study sites:

YouTube (especially 1, 2 and 3)
RS Revision
Philosophical Investigations (new site for Philosophy and Ethics)
Project Gutenberg (for finding quotes)
Stanford Philosophy
IEP

Books:

OCR Student Book (AS & A2)
P&E Through Diagrams (1)
AS OCR Workbook (Philosophy, Ethics)
A2 OCR Workbook (Philosophy, Ethics)
AS/A2 Religious Ethics textbook (1)
AS/A2 Philosophy of Religion textbook (1)
Understanding Philosophy of Religion for AS & A2 (1)
Understanding Religious Ethics for AS & A2 (1)

*Remember you don't need to buy these at all, just head to the library.
** Or you can buy used copies from either Amazon or eBay at fair prices.

Other Study Resources:

Text to Mind Map
Quizlet
Memorangapp

ENJOY!

Hello,

I am trying to write my investigations essay and was wondering if you knew any counter arguments for why Teresa of Avila's experience could be ordinary with a religious interpretation instead of actually religious.

Thank you,

Molly :smile:

Reply 41

The Empire Odyssey

Original post by Laurenjjjs

Hey how did you get a B? I feel like I'm really struggling im literally just trying to memorise the topics now, my essay writing skills are terrible as I struggle to structure essays. Times running out and I'm feeling really negative to the point where all I want to do is pass and get a C :frown:

do I still have time to turn this around?

Well I got A (98/100) for Philosophy AS, then 70-something AS Ethics (B), then got a B for my A2 Ethics and a D for A2 Philosophy. I really just went by my AS grades tbf.

Yeah, I did English Lang & English Lit alongside RS so that helped me with essay structure.

Yeah, I started revising I think around about this time next week or something. I think that's a lie... No yes, I revised like in May aha! I literally just spend hours on end just coping things from my book onto piece of paper, then transferring those notes on paper to flash cards and it worked for me. That's how I remembered it. I did test myself throughout. Life after I finished a topic, I'd test myself. I had a massive white board tht I used too.

Funny thing is, I never once practised a paper because I knew that RS is a subject where if you remember loads of stuff then it's fine.

The structure of essay ssimply is as follows:

Point
Counter-point
Point
Counter-point
Conclusion.

Literally if you follow this, then that's fine. Always link it back to the question, usually after even mini-point. So in point 1 you'd have something like Freud says this about conscience... thus believing (link bk to question). Start your counter-point, etc etc. How Philo teacher said "argue like you have bi-polar" aha and that's the trick. It's literally support/argue/support/argue/conclusion.

It's also easier if you remember LOTS of different key people, rather than sticking with about 4 people and learning everything they said. For A2, you get more marks by actually using a lot of philosophers. For my Philo paper I remember about 8 people. Whereas my Ethics I remember about 12-14 people. It really comes in handy cause if you forget about what one person says, you can replace it with another, and another... and another.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 42

12AS1

Any predictions for A2 ethics paper? Not to keen on Conscience and free will and determinism. Any help will be appreciated!!!

Reply 43

The Empire Odyssey

Conscience and free will came up last yr so i doubt it will come up. Possible environmental and business ethics will come up perhaps!

Reply 44

12AS1

Don't OCR repeat questions? ah phew will be so happy if they don't come up!
Thanks

Reply 45

The Empire Odyssey

Not each year. And since this will be either the last or 2nd to last a level qualificcation, they will defo out the odd one on there just to spite the lot whos sitting the paper(s) thats what OCR love doing vest

Reply 46

22.22

Anyone got any thoughts on possible questions for A2 exams? Also, would you say its more beneficial to focus on 3 or 4 topics for each exam or to try and learn every topic? Thank you

Reply 47

kayladennison1

I'm hoping for Religious Experience maybe, and Virtue Ethics. Anyone else got any predictions?

Reply 48

Naomi12

I'm doing 4 topics for philosophy, excluding religious experience, because I know I would never choose the question and if it comes up I'll still have a choice of 3 questions :smile:

I'm certain attributes of God will come up for philosophy and metaethics will for ethics, which is good as I really like them both!

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Reply 49

tara12345

Original post by The Empire Odyssey

If you need any advice, feel free to reply. I've just completing this. After being predicted a C for my A-level, I got a B (it was my hated subject).

Have some fabulous resourcing and revision aids you could use too :smile:

Do you mind posting the resources and revision aids please

Reply 50

Smithy-Smiths

Have you got any predictions for the AS Philosophy exam?

Reply 51

username1182445

Original post by Smithy-Smiths

Have you got any predictions for the AS Philosophy exam?

I would expect something on the Teleological Argument to come up. That hasn't been asked since Jan 2013 and has only been asked 3 times in total. Could be explain Aquinas, or explain Hume's criticisms.

Kant or Freud is a possibility too.

Reply 52

Naomi12

Original post by Mills98

People who did the AS exam last year,

Can you remember the 4 questions? I can try and infer them from the OCR Examiner Reports, but that's not always easy.

There was a problem of evil question, a judeo Christian god compared to prime mover, a cosmological argument and a religion and science question. Can't remember the exact phrasing though!

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Reply 53

edgarcats

I'm doing A2, really hate Ethics. Anyone got any advice for questions where you have to apply ethical theories to topics eg Business Ethics?

Reply 54

The Empire Odyssey

Original post by tara12345

Do you mind posting the resources and revision aids please

For the millionth time... I don't have them anymore! It's a year old!

Reply 55

Laurenjjjs

Has anybody got any question predictions for the AS exam? :redface:

Reply 56

emilyhaighjacobs

I'm doing the OCR AS course and I find it brilliant! The only problem I have is remembering it all :frown:

My teacher said it does not matter if I don't know it fully; as long as I am aware of the key concepts, opposing philosophers, quotes e.t.c...
But I'm just wondering if anyone does have any revision tips? I have been revising for the last 4-5 weeks on all 4 of my AS subjects, but with RS I can remember one topic brilliantly, then forget it the next day- which drives me insane and in a mad/panic/depressed/stressed mood and then I rant that I'm going to fail e.t.c. so I end up worrying more than working :s-smilie:

So... yeah! If anyone has ANY revision tips I would greatly appreciate it! I'm capable of an A but if I stress I can drop so many grades, its bad.

Reply 57

Naomi12

Should we maybe create separate as and a2 ones? The two are quite different so could be easier than having one combined thread :smile:

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This is helpful.

Original post by 12AS1

Any predictions for A2 ethics paper? Not to keen on Conscience and free will and determinism. Any help will be appreciated!!!

Original post by 12AS1

Don't OCR repeat questions? ah phew will be so happy if they don't come up!
Thanks

Original post by 22.22

Anyone got any thoughts on possible questions for A2 exams? Also, would you say its more beneficial to focus on 3 or 4 topics for each exam or to try and learn every topic? Thank you

Original post by kayladennison1

I'm hoping for Religious Experience maybe, and Virtue Ethics. Anyone else got any predictions?

Original post by Laurenjjjs

Has anybody got any question predictions for the AS exam? :redface:

For anyone wanting to know predicted questions, I suggest you look through the specification and look at the previous exam questions, and then deduce what specific topic areas haven't been touched yet. Predictions by teachers and students are often 'what hasn't come up recently' but that is not the system OCR uses.

OCR do not repeat the same question, but they will repeat the same topic. So for example, the philosophical problems with Omniscience won't appear, but there could be a question related to whether God is Eternal or Timeless. Or for Ethics, Utilitarian attitudes to homosexuality won't appear again, but it's usefulness or another theories' attitude could come up.

When it comes to learning, you should try to learn everything rather than select topics, especially at A2. The reasoning behind this is that you won't be caught out and you will get marks for blending, comparing/contrasting theories. This is useful because it also acts as your extra scholars criterion. So if you are talking about Virtue Ethics, you can reference other theories and compare them.

But remember, don't learn every single scholar's opinion, learn 2-4 people's views in depth particularly if they are contrasting views.

Original post by Mills98

People who did the AS exam last year,

Can you remember the 4 questions? I can try and infer them from the OCR Examiner Reports, but that's not always easy.

I can remember the two I did:

a) Compare the Prime Mover with the Judeo-Christian God
b) 'God is more believable than the Prime Mover' Discuss.

a) Explain Aquinas' and Coppleston's Cosmological Argument (not sure if it was Aquinas who was mentioned here)
b) Evaluate Hume's criticisms to the Cosmological Argument (something along those lines)

The Ethics questions are here.

Original post by edgarcats

I'm doing A2, really hate Ethics. Anyone got any advice for questions where you have to apply ethical theories to topics eg Business Ethics?

Refer to the issues of the topic and then apply it, so perhaps work it like this:

- Issue of topic (e.g worker's living conditions)
- Example
- Say what ethical theory would say
- Evaluate this

Then repeat with a different issue

Original post by emilyhaighjacobs

I'm doing the OCR AS course and I find it brilliant! The only problem I have is remembering it all :frown:

So... yeah! If anyone has ANY revision tips I would greatly appreciate it! I'm capable of an A but if I stress I can drop so many grades, its bad.

Try reviewing your notes instead of revising. It's been proven that testing yourself is the most effective way to learning something, so if you make a quiz or flashcards and test yourself on them. Try do in a routine, so start off testing yourself about 2-3 times a day, then go down to once a day, then once every few days and it work wonders for you. You will find that if you space out revision into tiny chunks and review it regularly you'll save time and feel more confident.

Also, try writing essays. It can seem a bore but it is the ultimate revision success trick. Or perhaps write essay plans out then write an essay out later with your plan. My A2 class have adopted this technique and it's really working.

Original post by Naomi12