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OCR Philosophy of Religion AS exam - insubstantial part A questions.

To anybody doing OCR Philosophy of Religion at AS, and sitting the exam this summer, what on earth do you plan on doing if confronted with questions like "Explain Mill's challenge to the Teleological argument"?

This kind of question is not all over the past papers, but it has certainly appeared a couple of times. It seems to me that such topics as Mill's challenges to the T. argument, irreducible complexity and (possibly the worst) what Aristotle meant by the final cause, are nothing like substantial enough topics to gain 25 marks by. I am not expressing a lack of knowledge of these things, merely that I cannot fathom how one would extend them into a proper 25 mark question. Contrast these kind of questions with explaining Freud's moral argument, the Analogy of the Cave, and the science and religion relationships and you see that there is an unthinkably large discrepancy between the substance of the topics that come up in the exam.

Am I simply not approaching these questions broadly enough? I would love to know if this is the case; perhaps it is that you are meant to subtly go off-topic a little and, if we take the first example, explain the Teleological argument as well as Mill's challenge to it. But I have always been told to stay focused on the question in a 25-marker, and so seeing questions like these pop up on past papers is very, very frustrating.
I agree the textbooks make out you just need to know the basis of the argument with the strengths and weaknesses of it but then the questions like the one you have just said worry me. Any ideas what will come up in 2 weeks?
Reply 2
Original post by Luis suarez LFC
I agree the textbooks make out you just need to know the basis of the argument with the strengths and weaknesses of it but then the questions like the one you have just said worry me. Any ideas what will come up in 2 weeks?


I'm afraid I don't, sorry. It would be easy to rule some questions out if we had access to the JAN 2013 paper, but, of course, they don't make those widely available for a while yet.
Anyone have access or know the jan2013 questions
Reply 4
I know one of the questions was explain Plato's analogy of the cave (so lucky) explain Freud's challenges to the moral argument and one on the cosmological...
For ethics natural law and absolutism/relativism came up, can't remember what else
- Ethics

a)Explain the purpose and principles of Just War theory

b)’Just War theory cannot be applied to modern warfare.’ Discuss.


(a)Explain how a follower of Natural Law might respond to human embryo research

b)To what extent can human embryo research be justified?

a)Explain the concept of absolute morality

b)’Considering consequences is more important than following rules.’ Discuss.

a)Explain how Mill’s Utilitarianism might be used to decide the right course of action

b)Assess the extent to which U. is a reliable method of making decisions about abortion.

- Philosophy
(a)Explain Plato’s Analogy of the Cave.
(b)’Plato is wrong to say that most people live in a shadow world.’ Discuss.

(a)Explain Mill’s criticisms of the Design Argument.
(b)’The Teleological argument has successfully survived all criticisms.’ Discuss.


(a)Explain Freud’s views on the source of moral awareness.
(b)’Only God can be the source of moral awareness.’ Discuss.

(a)Explain the theory of evolution.
(b)’God is the only explanation for the existence of life.’ Discuss.
(edited 10 years ago)
God that's an easy paper so lucky only 3 questions for ethics?
Reply 7
I have the same problem with some of the 25 mark questions, there is no way you can write 3-4 pages on questions like explain Aristotle's final cause, but if a question like this comes up just try your best and everything will be fine :wink:
You don't need to write 3-4 pass for A question 2 will do
Original post by Luis suarez LFC
God that's an easy paper so lucky only 3 questions for ethics?


whooops sorry, I missed the 4th question.


a)Explain the purpose and principles of Just War theory
b)’Just War theory cannot be applied to modern warfare.’ Discuss.
Olivia what do you think will come up in may
Original post by Luis suarez LFC
Olivia what do you think will come up in may


No idea, I was looking at some past questions and they've repeated some topics in three/four consecutive papers(in particular religion and science) :frown:
- personally I wouldn't mind ontological arg, aristotle, goodness of God/God the creator, problem of evil though, hbu?
Yeah! I want all them and they haven't came up in a year or more especially god as creator.

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