Anybody doing Westphal/Donovan/Ayer Implications paper?

any prediction of what might come up?

Reply 5

Joanna Rose

My teacher thinks Westphal is most likely, especially the Kant/morality section. But she said there is no knowing, Donovan is likely too and they may even do Ayer two years in a row! Argh.

Reply 6

Can someone please explain the 'mediated immediacy' paragraph...its the 8th paragraph in the Donovan text

Reply 7

OP

Original post by Joanna Rose

I'm having the same issue! I absolutely need to get a B in this paper and I'm struggling with how you actually expand on the passage without, like you said, just reeling off stuff that Ayer/Donovan/Westphal simply said elsewhere in the article. AND THE EXAM IS SO SOON. Ah.

As far as i can tell you do bring in the rest of the extract but use quotes from the selected paragraph to show how they're relevant. So if Donovan says 'Kant and his followers' you quote this then say 'Donovan is referring too earlier in his text...' and that way its not off topic??

Original post by Sara_A

Can someone please explain the 'mediated immediacy' paragraph...its the 8th paragraph in the Donovan text

Can't find the exact one, my copy is weirdly laid out, is it where he talks of checking intuition with intuition?

I reckon Westphal will come up but its kinda 33/33/33 which is sucky

Reply 8

Can't find the exact one, my copy is weirdly laid out, is it where he talks of checking intuition with intuition?

I reckon Westphal will come up but its kinda 33/33/33 which is sucky

no its before that but this is the paragraph:

"In all these respects, our intuition of the reality of God, like our intuition of other selves, has a 'mediated immediacy'. It is not the product of reasoning or inference, but is none the less mediated by finite things and experiences: in the one case bodily movement, words, behaviour- in the other, general features of the natural world suggesting a divine creator and particularly religiously significant experiences."

Reply 9

Jake Jones

I'm doing this Unit also, with the same philosophers. I have created a 10 page revision sheet that I am happy to share. If you want to DM your email addresses i'll get it send to you asap!! :smile:

Jake

(edited 9 years ago)

Unit 4.docx82.9KB

Reply 10

Jake Jones

Please now find the sheet attached

Reply 11

OP

Original post by Jake Jones

I'm doing this Unit also, with the same philosophers. I have created a 10 page revision sheet that I am happy to share. If you want to DM your email addresses i'll get it send to you asap!! :smile:

Jake

Thanks for sharing, I'll have a look at that later!

Original post by Sara_A

no its before that but this is the paragraph:

"In all these respects, our intuition of the reality of God, like our intuition of other selves, has a 'mediated immediacy'. It is not the product of reasoning or inference, but is none the less mediated by finite things and experiences: in the one case bodily movement, words, behaviour- in the other, general features of the natural world suggesting a divine creator and particularly religiously significant experiences."

I think that's the bit where all he is saying is that God is mediated through the experience itself. So for people intuition is mediated through their body language and for religion we intuit God through the medium of design and for the RE we intuit God through the medium of significant experience

Reply 12

PEC

I recommend reading examiner reports - sometimes they publish whole essays that they consider to be good examples. This will give you a feel for what examiners are looking for. Also read level 4 of the generic mark scheme for this paper, because you will realise that they want you to show them the links you can make from your AS and A2 studies to the passage given.

This is the plan we use. It is based on the ZigZag Educational booklet written by Bunney for the philosophy documents (highly recommend can be bought from internet if you have never seen this)

Part i:
Para 1: Introduction - brief overview of whole document
Para 2: Clarify argument being made in passage, i.e. explain in own words what passage is saying
Para 3: Set passage in philosophical context
Then select 3-4 key phrases/ideas in passage you have been given and analyse one by one (a paragraph each). Explaining keywords as you go along and exploring scholars and principles you have studied which would agree with point raised in the passage and those who would disagree with the point raised (you can link ideas from the Ayer & Donovan document too)

Part ii:
Paragraph 1: ‘If Westphal is right then the implications for religion are …' From Edexcel work book they suggest you explore:
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL BELIEF:
IMPLICATIONS ON RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
HOW BELIEVERS WOULD RESPOND TO THE IDEA
IMPACT ON SACRED TEXTS
IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Paragraph 2: If Westphal is right then the implications for religion are …’ From Edexcel workbook they suggest you explore:
IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
IMPACT ON BELIEFS IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
IMPACT ON ETHICAL AND MORAL BELIEFS
IMPACT ON SOCIETY/WIDER COMMUNITY
IMPACT ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
WHAT PEOPLE FIND IMPORTANT IN LIFE
Paragraph 3: Your opinion on the view expressed in passage selected and come to a conclusion on that passage

As to what document will come up your guess is as good as mine (UNKNOWN), but Westphal has not appeared for 3 years.

I recommend the Wellington College website because it has great materials for this paper and some sample essays that might help you to get an idea of how to write an extremely high level essay:

http://intranet.wellingtoncollege.org.uk/philosophy-and-religion/a2-religious-studies/a2-implications-paper

Reply 13

OP

Original post by PEC

I recommend reading examiner reports - sometimes they publish whole essays that they consider to be good examples. This will give you a feel for what examiners are looking for. Also read level 4 of the generic mark scheme for this paper, because you will realise that they want you to show them the links you can make from your AS and A2 studies to the passage given.

This is the plan we use. It is based on the ZigZag Educational booklet written by Bunney for the philosophy documents (highly recommend can be bought from internet if you have never seen this)

Part i:
Para 1: Introduction - brief overview of whole document
Para 2: Clarify argument being made in passage, i.e. explain in own words what passage is saying
Para 3: Set passage in philosophical context
Then select 3-4 key phrases/ideas in passage you have been given and analyse one by one (a paragraph each). Explaining keywords as you go along and exploring scholars and principles you have studied which would agree with point raised in the passage and those who would disagree with the point raised (you can link ideas from the Ayer & Donovan document too)

Part ii:
Paragraph 1: ‘If Westphal is right then the implications for religion are …' From Edexcel work book they suggest you explore:
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL BELIEF:
IMPLICATIONS ON RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
HOW BELIEVERS WOULD RESPOND TO THE IDEA
IMPACT ON SACRED TEXTS
IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Paragraph 2: If Westphal is right then the implications for religion are …’ From Edexcel workbook they suggest you explore:
IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
IMPACT ON BELIEFS IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
IMPACT ON ETHICAL AND MORAL BELIEFS
IMPACT ON SOCIETY/WIDER COMMUNITY
IMPACT ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
WHAT PEOPLE FIND IMPORTANT IN LIFE
Paragraph 3: Your opinion on the view expressed in passage selected and come to a conclusion on that passage

As to what document will come up your guess is as good as mine (UNKNOWN), but Westphal has not appeared for 3 years.

I recommend the Wellington College website because it has great materials for this paper and some sample essays that might help you to get an idea of how to write an extremely high level essay:

http://intranet.wellingtoncollege.org.uk/philosophy-and-religion/a2-religious-studies/a2-implications-paper

I agree about the examiners reports and I have been over the mark scheme so feeling a but clearer! I love Wellington College and use all their resources but I suspect my teachers have used them too; instead of making their own for this paper so I still feel a bit unsupported!

Thanks so much for that plan I'll definitely work from that :smile:

Really useful!!

Reply 14

samuelsparks

Original post by Sara_A

any prediction of what might come up?

My teacher said it is most likely to be Westphal because it hasn't came up in years but he said it may be Donovan too because it came up in 2012 and the time before that 2010 so it may do a two year gap again...but probably not. I hope it's Westphal because I think Donovan is so boring.

Reply 15

hawalovesyou

1

im praying westphal comes up, im not too sure on the donovan text. does anyone think ayer will come up twice in a row?

Reply 16

OP

On a side note can anybody tell me what you need to get an A grade overall??

Reply 17