Specimen paper June 2009
EITHER
1 (a) (i) What
are the main ideas of the design and cosmological arguments for the existence
of God? (21)
(ii) Choose one of these arguments and comment on
its weaknesses. (9)
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OR
(b) (i) Examine the main strengths and weaknesses of the
design argument for the existence of God. (21)
(ii) Consider the view that the weaknesses are more convincing
than the strengths. ( 9)
.........................................................................................................................................................
EITHER
2 (a) (i) In
what ways may suffering create philosophical problems for religious believers?
Outline two solutions to these problems. (21)
(ii) To what extent are these solutions successful? (9)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
(b) (i) Examine one philosopher’s understanding of
the term ‘miracle’. Examine the arguments used to discredit miracles. (21)
(ii) To what extent are these arguments successful? (9)
...................................................................................................................................................
Exam paper
Foundations June 2009
EITHER
1 (a) (i)
Examine the key ideas and strengths of the design argument for the existence of
God. (21)
(ii) Comment on the view that the strengths and weaknesses
are equally balanced. (9)
(Total for Question 1(a) = 30 marks)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
(b) (i) What are the distinctive ideas of the cosmological
argument for the existence of God? (21)
(ii) To what extent is this a strong argument for the
existence of God? (9)
(Total for Question 1(b) = 30 marks)
.........................................................................................................................................................
EITHER
2 (a) (i) What
are the key features of the problem of suffering? Examine the essential ideas
of two solutions. (21)
(ii) ‘The problem of suffering is a mystery and cannot be
solved.’ Comment on this claim. (9)
(Total for Question 2(a) = 30 marks)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
(b) (i) Outline the key concepts of miracles and examine
the main reasons to believe in miracles. (21)
(ii) Comment on the philosophical problems associated with
miracles with reference to Hume. (9)
............................................................................................................................................................
Jan 2010
EITHER
1(a) (i) Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the design argument for
the existence of God. (21)
(ii) Comment on the view
that this argument is inconclusive as a proof of the existence of God. (9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
(b) (i) Give an account of the
key features of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. (21)
(ii) To what extent is
this a weak argument? (9)
.............................................................................................................................................................
EITHER
2(a) (i) What may the problem of suffering signify to a religious
believer. Examine one solution to this
problem. (21)
(ii) Comment on the view
that an alternative a solution to that examined in part (i) offers a better
response. (9)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
(b) (i) Examine key concepts
of miracles and philosophical reasons to believe in them. (21)
(ii) To what extent do
criticisms undermine belief in miracles? (9)
..............................................................................................................................................................
June 2010
EITHER
1(a) (i) Give an account of the fundamental ideas of the design
argument for the existence of God. (21)
(ii) Comment on the view
that the strengths of these ideas make this a convincing argument. (9)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
(b) (i) What are the significant
features of the cosmological argument for the existence of God? (21)
(ii) How far if at all do
the strengths outweigh the weaknesses?
(9)
............................................................................................................................................................
EITHER
2(a) (i) Identify key ideas associated with the problem of suffering.
Examine two solutions to the problem.
(21)
(ii) Comment on the view
that these are only partially successful solutions. (9)
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OR
(b) (i) Outline two definitions
of the term miracle. Examine key reasons for believing in miracles. (21)
(ii) Comment on the view
that these reasons for believing are more persuasive than potential criticisms.
(9)
Jan 2011
EITHER
1(a) (i) Examine the weaknesses of the design argument. [21]
(ii) Why do some
philosophers persist in believing in the strengths of the design argument? [9]
.........................................................................................................................................................
OR
(b) (i) Examine three of the
following in relation to the cosmological argument for the existence of God.
·
Unmoved mover
·
Uncaused cause
·
Necessary being
·
Kalaam argument
[21]
(ii) Comment on the view
that the cosmological argument is open to debate and there are no firm
conclusions about its success or failure.[9]
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EITHER
2 (a) (i) ‘Either God cannot abolish evil, or he will not; if he
cannot then he is not all powerful; if he will not then he is not all good.’
Examine this claim. Give an account of one solution to the problem of
evil. [21]
(ii) Comment on the
strengths and weaknesses of a different solution to that presented in part (i). [9]
..............................................................................................................................................................
OR
(b) (i) Examine the key
concepts of miracles and reasons to believe in miracles. [21]
(ii) Comment on the view
that, because of weaknesses associated with miracles, there is no justification
for believing in them.
[9]
May 2011
EITHER
1(a) (i) Examine the ways in which the design argument provides
evidence for the existence of God. [21]
(ii) Comment on the view
that the weaknesses of the design argument show that the universe can be
explained without reference to God.
[9]
.................................................................................................................................................................
OR
(b) (i) Examine the view that
the cosmological argument provides an explanation for the world and is a
trustworthy basis for the
belief in the existence of God. [21]
(ii) Comment on the view
that the cosmological argument fails as a proof for the existence of God. [9]
------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EITHER
2 (a) (i) Examine and show the strengths of two solutions to the
problem of suffering. [21]
(ii) Comment on the view
that these proposed solutions are failures. [9]
.....................................................................................................................................................................
OR
(b) (i) Examine the main
features of definitions of miracles and two philosophical reasons for believing
in miracles. [21]
(ii) Comment on problems
raised by these definitions of miracles that may lead to a rejection of belief
in miracles. [9]
January 17th 2012
Either
1 a)i) Examine
three of the following in relation to the design argument for the existence of
God:
·
Analogy
·
Anthropic principle
·
Design qua purpose
·
Empirical evidence
·
Regularities of succession [21]
ii) Comment
on the view that the design argument leads to a valid conclusion. [9]
..................................................................................................................................................................................
Or
b)i) ‘Nothing takes place without
sufficient reason.’
Examine this claim with reference to the cosmological
argument. [21]
ii) Comment on the view that the weaknesses of the
cosmological argument imply that it fails as a proof for the existence of God. [9]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Either
2 (a)i) Examine the view
that it is contradictory to claim that there is a God and that there is
suffering. What are the strengths of one solution to the problem of suffering? [21]
(ii) Consider the weaknesses of this solution and comment on the
view that there is a better solution. [9]
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Or
(b)i) Examine the
strengths and weaknesses of belief in miracles. [21]
ii) Comment on the view that these strengths and weaknesses
depend on which definition of miracles one is using. [9]
May 16th 2012
Either
1 a)i) ‘The design argument explains the
purpose found in the natural world.’
Examine this description of the design argument. [21]
ii) Comment on the
view that this argument is successful as a proof of the existence of God. [9]
..................................................................................................................................................................................
Or
b)i) Examine the evidence used to support
the cosmological argument. [21]
ii) ‘Challenges to this argument show that it is a failure’ Comment on this claim. [9]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Either
2 (a)i) In what ways may
suffering be seen as a problem for religious believers? Give an account of TWO
solutions to this problem. [21]
(ii) To what extent is one of these solutions more convincing than
the others. [9]
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Or
(b)i) Examine the key
problems of believing in miracles. [21]
ii) Comment on the claim that it is justifiable to believe in
miracles. [9]
