OCR A Level Religious Studies Lecture Notes

Practice flashcards covering ancient philosophical influences, arguments for the existence of God, religious language, ethics theories, and concepts of the soul and conscience.

When considering ancient philosophical influences, what is Plato's stance on how to understand reality?

Plato relies on reason as opposed to the senses.

What are Aristotle's four causes in his understanding of reality?

The material, formal, efficient, and final causes.

How does Aristotle describe the nature of the Prime Mover?

Through the use of teleology and connections to the final cause.

In the comparison of Plato and Aristotle, what styles of acquiring knowledge are contrasted?

Plato's reliance on reason (rationalism) and Aristotle's use of the senses (empiricism).

According to the transcript, how did Plato view the soul?

As the essential and immaterial part of a human, temporarily united with the body.

How did Aristotle's view of the soul differ from Plato's?

Aristotle saw the soul as the form of the body, which behaves and lives in a way that cannot be separated from the body.

What solution did Descartes propose for the mind/soul and body problem?

He proposed the existence of material and spiritual substances as distinct substances.

Which scholar is associated with the idea that the mind-body distinction is a 'category error'?

G. Ryle (1949).

What specific argument for the existence of God is found in Aquinas' Fifth Way?

The teleological argument.

Which of Aquinas' Ways are associated with the cosmological argument?

The first three ways.

Which philosopher provided the primary criticisms of arguments for the existence of God from natural religion?

Hume.

Who are the two thinkers cited in the ontological argument section for their criticisms?

Gaunilo and Kant.

What were the main conclusions of William James regarding the nature of religious experience?

He concluded they can be understood as union with a greater power, a psychological effect such as illusion, or the product of a physiological effect.

In the problem of evil, what are the two main presentations studied?

Logical (the inconsistency between divine attributes and evil) and evidential (the evidence of terrible evil in the world).

How does Augustine's theodicy explain the origin of evil?

Through the concepts of original perfection and the Fall.

What is the purpose of natural evil according to Hick's reworking of the Irenaean theodicy?

To enable human beings to reach divine likeness through a 'vale of soul-making'.

Which approach did Anselm take regarding divine eternity as an extension of Boethius?

A four-dimensionalist approach.

What are the three core attributes of God explored in relation to developments in theological thought?

Omnipotence, omniscience, and (omni)benevolence.

What are Aquinas's two types of analogy used in religious language?

Analogy of attribution and analogy of proper proportion.

How does Paul Tillich characterize theological language?

As almost entirely symbolic.

What was the impact of A. J. Ayer's approach on the use of religious language?

He used the verification principle to challenge its meaningfulness.

Who were the three contributors to the falsification symposium regarding theological language?

Flew, Hare, and Mitchell.

What are the four tiers of law in Aquinas' Natural Law?

1. Eternal Law, 2. Divine Law, 3. Natural Law, and 4. Human Law.

What is the secondary precept associated with Aquinas' 'key precept' of Natural Law?

The key precept is 'do good, avoid evil', followed by five primary precepts: preservation of life, ordering of society, worship of God, education of children, and reproduction.

In Fletcher's Situation Ethics, what are the four working principles?

Pragmatism, relativism, positivism, and personalism.

What is the definition of 'agape' in the context of Situation Ethics?

Love as the only thing intrinsically good, serving as the ruling norm that replaces all laws.

What are the three formulations of Kant's Categorical Imperative?

1. Formula of the law of nature (universal law); 2. Formula of the end in itself (treating humans as ends); 3. Formula of the kingdom of ends.

What are the three postulates accepted when obeying a moral command according to Kant?

Freedom, Immortality, and God.

What is the 'utility' principle in teleological approaches to ethics?

Seeking the greatest balance of good over evil, or pleasure over pain.

What is the difference between 'voluntary' and 'non-voluntary' euthanasia?

Voluntary is ending a life at the person's request or with their consent; non-voluntary is ending life without the patient's consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests (e.g., persistent vegetative state).

In business ethics, what does the term 'whistle-blowing' refer to?

An employee disclosing wrongdoing to the employer or the public.

Define the meta-ethical theory of 'Intuitionism'.

The belief that basic moral truths are indefinable but self-evident.

According to Aquinas' theological approach to conscience, what is 'synderesis'?

An inner principle directing a person towards good and away from evil.

What is the difference between 'vincible' and 'invincible' ignorance in Aquinas' thought?

Vincible ignorance is a lack of knowledge for which a person is responsible; invincible ignorance is a lack of knowledge for which a person is not responsible.

In Freud's psychological approach to conscience, what is the role of the 'super-ego'?

It contradicts the id and uses internalised ideals from parents and society to try and make the ego behave morally.