A Level Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

Year 11 into 12 progression booklet.

Philosophy TaskWatch this debate between William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tYm41hb48o

The video is called

Does God Exist? William Lane Craig vs. Christopher Hitchens - Full Debate [HD]

If you watch from 11 minutes 30 seconds you will see William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens being introduced. William Lane Craig is a Christian and Christopher Hitchens was a New Atheist.

Structure of the talk

The lecture is quite long and so you may wish to watch this in stages. They talk for 20 minutes each and then have a right of reply each.

William Lane Craig starts at 13 minutes Christopher Hitchens starts at 33minutes and 30 seconds Williams Lane Craig replies to Christopher Hitchens from 54 minutes and 15 seconds Christopher Hitchens replies to William Lane Craig from 1hr and 7 minutes

From one hour 20 minutes there is a cross examination that you may wish to watch.

Having watched the videos you are going to complete a Cornell Notes activity. There are instructions on how to take Cornell Notes on the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErSjc1PEGKE

The video is called:

How to tale Cornell Notes properly

At the back of the booklet is an example of some completed Cornell Notes for you to see on a different topic.

William Lane Craig’s arguments for God’s existencePhilosophy – Does God exist?

Christopher Hitchens’ case for God not existingPhilosophy – Does God exist?

Religion TasksYou will be studying, in-depth, one religion. At Cabot Post 16 we study Eduqas A level with Islam but you will find different centres pick different religions. If you can’t find what you want here. Contact your course directly and ask for some preparation activities

.

This task will get you started, if you have never studied Islam, that is fine, you may want to dip into BBC bitesize for a refresher or a starter:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zpdtsbk/articles/zjc2bdm

If you have GCSE level knowledge of Islam, then go straight to this…

Topic One RamadanRead all about the topic here:

http://resource.download.wjec.co.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/vtc/2015-16/15-16_16/PDF%27s/UNIT%201.7%20-%20Background%20notes%20to%20Ramadan.pdf

Now have a go at the task on this link

http://resource.download.wjec.co.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/vtc/2015-16/15-16_16/eng/ramadan.html

Finally have a read of this article.

https://backtojannah.com/importance-of-ramadan/

Now write a PEEL paragraph on why Ramadan is important to Muslims.

As A-level students you should also be considering current impact and influence: to broaden your knowledge and understanding

https://theconversation.com/ramadan-under-lockdown-is-encouraging-muslims-to-talk-about-the-way-they-worship-137323

What would you add to your PEEL paragraph now?

Topic 2 - PrayerThese are the 5 Pillars of Islam, seen as the foundations of the religion. If you do not know what this is about please go the this BBC website -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zt224qt/revision/3

Task 1 You must be able to complete this quiz http://resource.download.wjec.co.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/vtc/2015-16/15-16_14/pillars1.html

Now you are aware of what this means, I want you to think about why these are called the foundations of the religion?

Task 2. Create an introduction PEEL paragraph for the 5 Pillars. 100 words roughly.

Pillar 2 is Salah (sometimes written salat). Not Mohammed Salah, although his name is a very spiritual one as his name literally means” prayer “. (Extra task could be for you to find out why he is such an amazing ambassador for Islam). A lot of time and effort goes into prayers in Islam.

Task 3. Complete the task below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z94dtfr/revision/3 This is GCSE but at the same time is useful revision. Please do this reading and the test that follows.

Submission to Allah is a central feature in Islam and is a reflection of the word Muslim that means one that submits. For Muslims communication with Allah through prayer is at the same time as an outward expression of submission prayer is the 2nd pillar of Islam.

“Prayer is the pillar of religion; to neglect it is to prepare the downfall of religion.” HadithTask 4 Read the pdf attached and make clear notes focusing on the different types of prayer.

http://resource.download.wjec.co.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/vtc/2015-16/15-16_16/PDF%27s/UNIT%201.8%20-%20Background%20notes%20Salah.pdf

Topic 3 - The Life of Muhammad (pbuh).

The Prophet Mohammed is the founder of the religion of Islam. We study the life of the Prophet and what it was like to be alive when he was alive. The time of Muhammad is generally called pre-Islamic Arabia. For Muslims it is also called jahiliya, which literally means ignorance. Jahiliya refers to any society where there is religious social and moral chaos, such a society characterized by human rule and not one characterized by submission to God.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/muhammad_1.shtml

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztxpr82/revision/3

This is a very basic summary you will need to look further into this to get a better picture. Think how can you assure the sites you look at are quality and can be relied upon. Try putting EDUQAS in your search engine and look for well known sites such as the BBC or True Tube

Your tasks are to:

1. create an introduction on what life was like in pre-Islamic Arabia.2. comment on why many Muslims feel this was the perfect time for Allah to send a

prophet.

Feel free to do this in anyway you like… be creative.. we are always looking for display work.

Topic 4 – The Mosque (Masjid)

A masjid is a mosque, which many of you already know is a place of worship for a Muslim.

Visit this website for a virtual tour around some the world’s greatest mosques: http://www.3dmekanlar.com/en/blue-mosque.html

It is handy to have a True Tube account for studying A-level. Make one now and watch this video. https://www.truetube.co.uk/film/holy-cribs-mosque?tab=film to remind yourself why a mosque is so important to Muslims and what many purposes does it have. Use the first Mosque in Medina as an example… find out as much as you can:

When and where was the first mosque built? What was it built out of? What were the roles that it performed? How did it promote a Muslim way of life?

Write at least 100 words on this and show you have referenced a variety of sources. You should be able to find this information online.

If you are joining Cabot Post 16 then you can email any work you do to your new teacher – leilah.boyce@clf.uk Or you can keep it and hand it in in September.

Suggested Reading List

Brief Introductory Reading:Blackburn, S. Think, OUP 2001

Craig, E. Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, OUP 2002

Law, S. The Philosophy Files, Orion 2002; The Outer Limits, Orion 2003; The Philosophy Gym, Hodder Headline 2003

Nagel, T. What Does It All Mean?, OUP 1987 (reprinted 2004)

Warburton, N. Philosophy: The Basics (5th ed.), Routledge 2012

Philosophy: Gaarder, J. ( 1995) Sophie’s World , London : Phoenix House

Davies, B. (1993) An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Annas, J. (1998) An Introduction to Plato’s Republic, Oxford: Oxford University Press, (particularly Chapters 9-10)

Ethics: Vardy, P.(1999) The Puzzle of Ethics, SCM Press

Norman, R. (1998) The Moral Philosophers, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Reading List Tasks:

For each of the texts you read, summarise the key points in one of the following ways:

Write a review of the book, outlining which were the most useful sections and whether you enjoyed the book/ why/ why not.

List any key terms from the text in a vocabulary list, researching their meanings (if not clear from the text) and recording these.

Create a picture mind-map of the key ideas. Use doodles and images to illustrate these. For a guide to mind-mapping, see this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLWV0XN7K1g

Video Resources and Tasks:

Watch the videos below, choosing one to focus on for your task. Write a list of discussion points/ questions it raises. Choose (at least) one of your questions and draft at least three possible answers that might be given.

https://www.ted.com/talks/kwame_anthony_appiah_is_religion_good_or_bad_this_is_a_trick_question/transcript#t-22290 Ted Talk by Kwame Anthony Appiah - Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question)

https://www.ted.com/talks/damon_horowitz/transcript Ted Talk by Damon Horowitz – We Need a Moral Operating System

https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_honey_on_god_and_the_tsunami/transcript Ted Talk by Tom Honey – Why Would God Create A Tsunami?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8MzPmkNsgU Debate: Atheist vs Christian (Christopher Hitchens vs William Lane Craig)

Films/ TV:

Watch The Matrix (film). Note down your thoughts on the themes of truth, perception and reality.

Watch Lost (TV series). What moral and ethical points does this raise? Watch Sliding Doors (film). Do you think your life is pre-destined (set out for you) or

can you control your own fate?

Additional Philosophy Videos:

You will find some short and long video clips to complement and expand upon your knowledge for the A Level. Make notes as you watch and explain how it links to the topic. Challenges to religious belief - The problem of evil and suffering

Tsunami (where was God?) – A channel 4 programme that examines how the 2004 boxing day Tsunami both challenged and strengthened people’s faith in God

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM_tCFF8gwM Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3hDlDvjLNM

Alvin Platinga on the free will defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VOMrozCISA Christians explain why they believe God allows evil and suffering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjcpW_kPYq0 Phillip Zimbardo on the psychology of evil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5phRpcDyouA TED talk - In the days following the tragic South Asian tsunami of 2004, the Rev. Tom Honey pondered the question, How could a loving God have done this? Here is his answer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wdkxdiOFJA Stephen Hawkins on the universe – good general links to how our universe began: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjBIsp8mS-c

Arguments for the existence of God Alvin Platinga on the existence of God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeX6Lhb0_6A Leonard Susskind: Is the universe fine tuned for life? Good link to the teleological argument https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cT4zZIHR3s The genius of Charles Darwin – Richard Dawkins explores evolution. Good link to the teleological argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf6s7tMGrFE Kalam cosmological argument debate: William Lane Craig and Sean Carroll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5iiHV4yo7M Sean Carroll – did the universe have a beginning? Good link to the cosmological argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgpvCxDL7q4 TED talk – Hidden miracles of the natural world. Good link to the teleological argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiZqn6fV-4Y

Religious belief as a product of the human mind The big think – The brain creates religion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5y5NfIiMqY Is the brain hardwired for God? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxREBlWvxfk BBC radio debate on Freud and Jung: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019qj15

Atheism (new atheism) Richard Dawkins: Biologist Richard Dawkins launches into a full-on appeal for atheists to make public their beliefs and to aggressively fight the incursion of religion into politics and education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxGMqKCcN6A Richard Dawkins: Interview and podcast on the ‘God delusion’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKjiSu4zD5Y TED talk - What aspects of religion should atheists (respectfully) adopt? Alain de Botton suggests a "religion for atheists" - call it Atheism 2.0 -- that incorporates religious forms and traditions to satisfy our human need for connection, ritual and transcendence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Oe6HUgrRlQ Stephen Fry on the importance of ‘unbelief’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqibqD4fJZs

Religious experience The story of God – Morgan Freeman explores miracles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tt1LhyhiTM BBC radio – Discussion of William James on ‘The Varieties of Religious experience’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tuK8n71CLo

Audio Resources:

Listen to The Moral Maze on BBC Radio 4. (Available programmes vary over time) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qk11

Note down the key points of argument. Create a flow chart of the main points of discussion.

Listen to this episode of In Our Time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mwx64

Based on these arguments, is it possible to argue that God necessarily exists?

Listen to this episode of Thinking Allowed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b099ypqf How should we help people who are dying?

Listen to this podcast from Philosophy Now. https://philosophynow.org/podcasts/Free_Will_and_the_Brain To what extent can we exercise free will? List 10 examples of choices you have made in the last seven days. For each one, consider what factors influenced your choice (habit, parents, media, friends, consideration of consequences, etc).

Thought Experiments:

http://www.philosophyexperiments.com/fatman/

http://moralmachine.mit.edu/

https://io9.gizmodo.com/9-philosophical-thought-experiments-that-will-keep-you-1340952809

Carry out some of the above activities.

Write a written reflection of the moral questions that each one raises, and how you might respond to these.

Try to list your own “moral code” or “rules for life”. Include 5-10 elements.

Can you imagine any exceptions to your own “rules”?

Written/ Reflection Tasks:

1. Consider your definitions of the following terms: Truth Reality Good Evil Moral God Time

For each concept, try to argue against your own definition. Can you see any flaws in your ideas? How might they be criticised? What conclusions can you reach about how we define these concepts?

2. List five facts that you know to be true. For each one, explain how you know it to be true. Are any of your “facts” uncertain? What would have to happen to prove them irrefutably (without question)?

3. Create a picture collage, poem, song, mind map or vision board which illustrates the idea of “God”. Explain your choices of words, images and concepts. If you can, explain where these have originated.

4. Create a fact file of the philosophers Plato, Aristotle and Aquinas. Include pictures, key facts and a brief outline of their philosophical ideas.

5. Choose a story from the news that includes one of the following themes: Abortion Euthanasia Capital punishment Humans’ treatment of animals

Write a response to the story, considering several different points of view. To help with this, you could consider the points of view of:

An atheist (someone who fervently believes there is no God)

An agnostic (someone unsure about religion and faith in God) A committed Christian A dying man A child

Essay Questions

A. Write your own response to the following question:

“How should we decide the right thing to do?”

In your answer you should:

Include a range of different opinions Conduct your own research to find possible answers from different fields of thinking

(philosophy, psychology, sociology, religion, etc) Justify your answer with a range of reasons Include examples to illustrate your point Reach a justified conclusion Include a bibliography to demonstrate your own research

B. Write a response to the following question:

“Should people believe in God?”

In your answer you should:

Demonstrate understanding of several different viewpoints Show evidence of having discussed the question with at least three other people,

and included an analysis of their comments, including similarities and differences Give clear reasons for each perspective Give examples to justify your answer Reach a clear and justified conclusion Include a bibliography, if required

Good luck.