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A2 AQA Philosophy & Ethics paper predictions 2015

Hi,

I would like to know if anyone knows any possible questions that could come up for both the Philosophy A2 RST4A paper and the Ethics A2 RST3A paper in 2015.

Focus topic for Philosophy: Religious Experience

Focus topics for Ethics: Libertarianism and Sexual Ethics

Thanks in advance.

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Reply 1
Hey,

I can't offer any advice on RST3A since I'm not sitting it, but I am doing religious experience in RST4A.

As far as that goes, I'm not sure on solid predictions, but it seems by looking at past papers that there is always one 45 marker that's based more around what religious experience is (eg. Describe how a religious experience could be seen as a mystical experience and a conversion, or, What is meant by Religious experience?) or how you can verify a religious experience. These questions are pretty self explanatory, as long as you have a knowledge of mystical experience, conversion, revelation and visions along with how to verify them you should be good to go (knowledge of the different types of religious experience but forward by Swinburne and Franks-Davies is also useful) . The other type of 45 marker is usually along the lines of how religious experience has been used for the basis of a religion, or good religious behaviour. So, that's what's likely to come up across the 45 markers.

The 30 markers are a little bit harder to spot patterns in, but they usually link in with the 45 marker so if you know your stuff for the 45 marker, the 30 should be OK.

How are you feeling about this exam? I'm pretty worried for it due to the lack of a solid textbook to work from. Not sure if what I have in my notes is sufficient.
Reply 2
Original post by myles161
Hey,

I can't offer any advice on RST3A since I'm not sitting it, but I am doing religious experience in RST4A.

As far as that goes, I'm not sure on solid predictions, but it seems by looking at past papers that there is always one 45 marker that's based more around what religious experience is (eg. Describe how a religious experience could be seen as a mystical experience and a conversion, or, What is meant by Religious experience?) or how you can verify a religious experience. These questions are pretty self explanatory, as long as you have a knowledge of mystical experience, conversion, revelation and visions along with how to verify them you should be good to go (knowledge of the different types of religious experience but forward by Swinburne and Franks-Davies is also useful) . The other type of 45 marker is usually along the lines of how religious experience has been used for the basis of a religion, or good religious behaviour. So, that's what's likely to come up across the 45 markers.

The 30 markers are a little bit harder to spot patterns in, but they usually link in with the 45 marker so if you know your stuff for the 45 marker, the 30 should be OK.

How are you feeling about this exam? I'm pretty worried for it due to the lack of a solid textbook to work from. Not sure if what I have in my notes is sufficient.


Hey,

Thanks but you just listed most of the questions from the past papers, so it's kind of stating the obvious.

& yeah it is worrying since we don't have a solid textbook to work from.
Reply 3
Original post by Dmata
Hey,

Thanks but you just listed most of the questions from the past papers, so it's kind of stating the obvious.

& yeah it is worrying since we don't have a solid textbook to work from.


Yeah, but the reality is that those are the questions that have been repeated over the years, albeit with different wordings, so that's most likely what's also going to come up this year as far as a 'prediction' goes.
Reply 4
Original post by myles161
Yeah, but the reality is that those are the questions that have been repeated over the years, albeit with different wordings, so that's most likely what's also going to come up this year as far as a 'prediction' goes.


yeah I know you can't predict just one question, but that's just literally the list of all the past paper questions, basically verification, and the meaning of religious experience as well as their foundations, that is basically the whole topic haha.

I guess you can't predict this paper which sucks.. ¬_¬
Reply 5
Original post by Dmata
I guess you can't predict this paper which sucks.. ¬_¬


Yeah that's it really, it's easy to spot the patterns by looking at the past papers but it's hard to get a solid prediction. I guess it sort of works in our favour that the questions come from a pretty narrow syllabus, but the fact that the syllabus is so vague is annoying.
For Ethics, I'm doing virtue ethics and Sexual Ethics.
My teacher thinks for sexual ethics a question on individual views on sexual behaviour is likely so (Aquinas, St Paul & Augustine). I think something about abuse of power might come up as it never has before, marriage and concepts of love have come up before, so i think it's logical that abuse of power will come up. Hopefully we will get a nice question on just religious views of sexual behaviour however.

For religious experience I think religious experience as a source of practise or moral behaviour is likely.
Reply 7
Hey,

What did you mean by abuse of power? Like what scholars are there, or quotes or even a possible question?
Original post by Dmata
Hey,

What did you mean by abuse of power? Like what scholars are there, or quotes or even a possible question?


Umm it basically is about sexual ethics and how it leads to exploitation.

Eg. Feminists argue that biblical stories on sexual behaviour shoe patriarchy eg. Ideas that they are subserviant

Libertarian harm principle can also be talked about - idea that any sexual activity that causes harm or conflict is wrong (give examples)

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Reply 9
guys where is the official predictions this year done by that guy?? I based all my revision of them last year and 4/4 questions came up like he said or with very little change. He has a website where he predicts them anyone got the link?
Reply 10
Original post by joez009
guys where is the official predictions this year done by that guy?? I based all my revision of them last year and 4/4 questions came up like he said or with very little change. He has a website where he predicts them anyone got the link?


I think you're talking about a site called 'Philosophical Investigations' maybe?
I am doing RST4A: Religious experience
i went to a private school and they literally haven't given us any textbook
does anyone have sufficient notes?
Original post by leannemarriott
I am doing RST4A: Religious experience
i went to a private school and they literally haven't given us any textbook
does anyone have sufficient notes?


Hi Im in the same situation, my school says there isn't a text book for this course so im seriously worried for the exam, especially as my teacher has only covered life death and beyond, apocalypse/eschatology, and life after death for the exam!!!
does anyone have any good notes for RST4A please, im seriously worried!
Original post by Alevels15
does anyone have any good notes for RST4A please, im seriously worried!


As a solution they've given us every past paper and they were like just write out detailed essay plans to every answer as they are usually repeated :s-smilie:
But theres loads of model essays on there as well
Anyone got any advice on the AO2's in Libertarianism, Free Will and Determinsim? I find the wording so confusing.


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Can anyone help me please v. urgent:
the question is 'Examine the role of religious experience as a source of religious practice and of good religious behaviour' (45 marks)
i am so stuck on what to write and how to structure it.
Original post by leannemarriott
Can anyone help me please v. urgent:
the question is 'Examine the role of religious experience as a source of religious practice and of good religious behaviour' (45 marks)
i am so stuck on what to write and how to structure it.


By practices it means what physical things come out of religious experience. In Buddhism for example, the enlightenment experience led to people meditating and with Pentecost in Christianity came Baptism. Behaviours would be like following the noble eight fold path, the Ten Commandments etc. hope that helps :smile:


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How much should I write for the 45 mark question on religious experience?

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