15 Mark Essay Structure for AQA A Level Philosophy and Ethics

I have been set a 15 mark essay answering the question "The ontological argument successfully proves the existence of God" discuss. I feel as though I have no idea how to write the essay, the only guidance my teacher gave my class was to include three paragraphs containing an argument, counter argument and another argument in favour of the initial point made. I understand the content that I need to include in the essay i.e. I know which arguments and counter arguments I am going to use but I don't really know how to go about writing the essay. Is it written in third person like a history essay, for example, or do I discuss my own opinion during the essay like at GCSE?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated and if anyone has any exemplar material (their own essays or any they've found online) I'd really appreciate it, whether or not it's about something relating to the ontological argument as I just need to be able to understand the essay structure for 15 mark questions. Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

gjd800

20

I'm not sure about your markscheme at that level, but I teach philosophy at degree level and all essays - university or 'professional' in journals - are written in the first person, because philosophy is a subject about what you think and how you think it.

Reply 2

FloydMayweather

5

This is how I would of wrote it;

Intro:

1st Para: Anselm 1st argument, Gaunilo critic, Anselm response/new argument

2nd para: Descart Argument(for), Kant critic of predicate etc, leibniz argument (for)

All I can remember but could add further arguments of Malcom, plantinga etc. David Hume also is another critic.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 3

Potter Nerd

1

Write in the first person in your first paragraph have: introduction- what the essay is about (1-2 lines)write the first argument that you actually do agree with. Include evidence, contextual links (include the question in your answer).second paragraph:alternative perspectives to your point, counteract it, include evidence and linksthird paragraph: refer back to your initial point and compare 1and 2. conclude with therefore i have concluded that blah blah blah.this is mainly structural though, it can be used for any essays.

Reply 4

anon0987654

2

Original post by Karl100Marx

I have been set a 15 mark essay answering the question "The ontological argument successfully proves the existence of God" discuss. I feel as though I have no idea how to write the essay, the only guidance my teacher gave my class was to include three paragraphs containing an argument, counter argument and another argument in favour of the initial point made. I understand the content that I need to include in the essay i.e. I know which arguments and counter arguments I am going to use but I don't really know how to go about writing the essay. Is it written in third person like a history essay, for example, or do I discuss my own opinion during the essay like at GCSE?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated and if anyone has any exemplar material (their own essays or any they've found online) I'd really appreciate it, whether or not it's about something relating to the ontological argument as I just need to be able to understand the essay structure for 15 mark questions. Thanks :smile:

I never did Phil&Ethics at GCSE so I am brand new to the subject and have no previous exam technique to fall back on, however, my teacher seems to be very good at explaining how to structure and argue within an essay (she is also an exam marker). For AQA ALEVEL Philosophy and ethics, you must never refer to yourself in an essay. You should show your personal opinion through the specific theorists/philosophers mentioned in this topic. So, for The Ontological Argument, you can refer to both sides of the argument while retaining an unbiased outlook. You could weight one of the Philosophers more strongly, Kant for example, and go into a deeper understanding of his outlook, thoroughly explaining and adding extra adjectives to prove the point even further. This will not only include your personal opinion through an impartial understanding, but also strengthen the essay as a whole.

Reply 5

tinygirl96

21

Hello

Include relevant quotes, evidence etc. Avoid referencing yourself at all costs but do state your opinion. Show your understanding of deeper outlooks as well. Pay attention to the number of marks. Focus on what makes a good answer. Read beyond the lines of the question. Add opinions etc as needed.

15 Mark Essay Structure for AQA A Level Philosophy and Ethics

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