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Aqa Unit 3b philosophy, topic "body, soul and personal identity" !

Hello, so I really need some help creating a basic plan for this essay question "Explain different ideas about the existence of the soul and its relationship with the body." (30 marks)

Appreciative of any help I can get !!

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Hiya Ellzabellza,

Are you struggling with the structure of the essay or the content?

If it is the structure, I always found a quick mind map helped. Even a couple of bullet points of what you think you need to include in this topic. Once you have an idea of all the things you want to include, you can begin putting it in a logical order. Pretend in you head you are talking to someone who has just asked you the question.

Personally, I would begin with a breif paragraph to introduce what you will talk about in the essay (though try not to say 'in this essay I will talk about'). Then I would continue with the different ideas making sure I explain it, give and example and quote as much as possible within my own words. Finally, a conclusion paragraph summing up the main two ideas (materialism and dualism).

If it is the content you need help with, please let me know. (I love Philosophy and Ethics/ Religious Studies).

Good luck!!

:smile:
Reply 2
Hello Samantha! I'm really confused about the content, there's 2 more essay questions I also have. One of which is โ€˜I shall survive the death of my body.โ€™ and the other is "Examine views of personal identity expressed in the theories of resurrection and reincarnation."The thing is I have all the information that I've recieved from books and lessons but I just don't know what information answers which question!

I would be so grateful if you could help me out because my exams in a few months and I know nothing!
Yeah, it can be quite confusing.

Have you been given any past papers and the marking schemes to go with them? I think they would really help you to grasp what it is the examiners are looking for.

If you haven't I have just found the mark scheme for the question you mentioned earlier:
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-RST3B-W-MS-JUN12.PDF

Once you have figured out your planning style (be it mind maps, bullet points etc) and your writing style it will be a lot easier. I always thought the planning was the hardest part.


To help to organise yourself a bit more, I would not worry too much about these questions in particular as they will be different in the exam. I would instead look at the different topics eg 'body, soul and personal identity' or 'religious language' etc. If you can put your work into these categories you have your basic topics that you could cover. Making colour-coded revision cards helped me.

Once you have your work in the separate catergories it should be easier to see what you can use for any question. for example, the question "Explain different ideas about the existence of the soul and its relationship with the body." you can talk about Materialism both hard and soft, reference philosophers such as Ryle, Dawkins and Aristotle. Then Dualism with reference to Plato.

From the previous question, you can look at 'I shall survive the death of my body' by looking at the souls relationship with the body. Make sure to give information to support and information contray to the claim. You could include Hick's replica theory and perhaps the butterfly and caterpillar analogy.

Does this help at all?
Hope revision is going well for Wednesday's exam!

Was wondering if anybody had any predictions for body, mind, soul and personal identity?

Thanks!
Reply 5
Features of NDEs and describe how NDEs are evidence of survival after death.
Original post by Mattibeee
Features of NDEs and describe how NDEs are evidence of survival after death.


how would you answer that question.

features of NDE??
Original post by TopDog123
how would you answer that question.

features of NDE??


aahhh we quickly touched on NDE's.. Didn't go into so much depth but at least I know what to revise!

But I'm assuming it's the characteristics of near death experiences.. Like what they see, and stuff. Then we talk about how it's evidence for the existence of life after death or even the soul.
Original post by sporadic_
aahhh we quickly touched on NDE's.. Didn't go into so much depth but at least I know what to revise!

But I'm assuming it's the characteristics of near death experiences.. Like what they see, and stuff. Then we talk about how it's evidence for the existence of life after death or even the soul.


Are you sure we talk about it being evidence for LAD ? bcs I thought the first question was only focusing on A01?? and the 2nd focuses on ao2??
If the A02 b part question talks about NDES as belief life after death then only focus on the features in the a part but if the b part is on something totally different then you would have to talk about the features of ndes and also how it is evidence of life after death in the question

if that makes sense?


also does anyone have predictions on RST3B problem of evil?
Original post by NattieHarris
If the A02 b part question talks about NDES as belief life after death then only focus on the features in the a part but if the b part is on something totally different then you would have to talk about the features of ndes and also how it is evidence of life after death in the question

if that makes sense?


also does anyone have predictions on RST3B problem of evil?


Hi,

I've discussed this on a seperate thread here:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3388815&p=56738273
Original post by TopDog123
Are you sure we talk about it being evidence for LAD ? bcs I thought the first question was only focusing on A01?? and the 2nd focuses on ao2??


Yeah exactly, my bad I wasn't clear. Yeah it's evidence for LAD which is for an AO2.
does anyone mind explaining to me arguments for the nature and existence of the soul as i really struggle with that question and feel like its going to come up in A02

also predictions for the body soul part my teacher thinks:
- NDEs
- Replica theory (its not really been asked as a question or part of a question at all)
- Immortality/Rebirth possibly?
Original post by NattieHarris
does anyone mind explaining to me arguments for the nature and existence of the soul as i really struggle with that question and feel like its going to come up in A02

also predictions for the body soul part my teacher thinks:
- NDEs
- Replica theory (its not really been asked as a question or part of a question at all)
- Immortality/Rebirth possibly?


Oh gosh I really hope NDE's don't come up I have no knowledge on them, we barely touched them in class! I'm full on panicking now bc I'm so not ready for this exam :frown:

But nature and existence of the soul, just give different beliefs from philosophers on it's existence, like what Plato, Descartes etc, believe and then the counterargument so why it doesn't exist from the materialists perspective.
Original post by NattieHarris
does anyone mind explaining to me arguments for the nature and existence of the soul as i really struggle with that question and feel like its going to come up in A02

also predictions for the body soul part my teacher thinks:
- NDEs
- Replica theory (its not really been asked as a question or part of a question at all)
- Immortality/Rebirth possibly?



what immortality and rebirth ???

that was the year before last???

are you sure!!

i was hoping to miss that out. :/
Original post by NattieHarris
If the A02 b part question talks about NDES as belief life after death then only focus on the features in the a part but if the b part is on something totally different then you would have to talk about the features of ndes and also how it is evidence of life after death in the question

if that makes sense?


also does anyone have predictions on RST3B problem of evil?


hoping for FWD
Original post by TopDog123
hoping for FWD


how are you guys finding it to revise the strengths and weaknesses ?
Original post by TopDog123
how are you guys finding it to revise the strengths and weaknesses ?


Of FWD?
Original post by TopDog123
what immortality and rebirth ???

that was the year before last???

are you sure!!

i was hoping to miss that out. :/


yeah because rebirth hasn't been in the paper yet

june 2014 arguments for nature and existence of the soul
june 2013 was different ideas of resurrection and reincarnation
june 2012 was ideas about the existence of the soul and relationship with the body (they asked that pretty much in last years paper)
june 2011 i shall survive the death of my body (which is a more general question)
june 2010 was ndes

immortality last came up in the specimen paper, so my guess is either
ndes or immortality and something else like rebirth. I don't want immortality either but it'd be really risky not to go over it just because it hasn't come up in ages

and yeah same FWD, Hicks theodicy or the logical and evidential problem of evil i think are most likely
Original post by NattieHarris
yeah because rebirth hasn't been in the paper yet

june 2014 arguments for nature and existence of the soul
june 2013 was different ideas of resurrection and reincarnation
june 2012 was ideas about the existence of the soul and relationship with the body (they asked that pretty much in last years paper)
june 2011 i shall survive the death of my body (which is a more general question)
june 2010 was ndes

immortality last came up in the specimen paper, so my guess is either
ndes or immortality and something else like rebirth. I don't want immortality either but it'd be really risky not to go over it just because it hasn't come up in ages

and yeah same FWD, Hicks theodicy or the logical and evidential problem of evil i think are most likely


With immortality do we just talk about different beliefs on it? So we can talk about the soul as well?

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