Paper 1: Philosophy of Religion and Ethics

Paper 1 of AQA A-Level Religious Studies (7062) examines your knowledge and critical understanding of Philosophy of Religion (Section A) and Ethics (Section B). This lesson provides a detailed guide to answering each question type within Paper 1, including model paragraph structures, common pitfalls, and precise time allocation strategies. Mastering the technique for this paper is essential because it carries 100 marks and accounts for 50% of your total A-Level grade.

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Section A: Philosophy of Religion

Section A tests your understanding of philosophical arguments, concepts, and debates related to religion. You will answer three compulsory questions in this section: a 3-mark question, a 15-mark question, and a 25-mark question.

Topics You May Be Examined On

The Philosophy of Religion content is drawn from the following areas of the specification:

1. Arguments for the existence of God — the design argument (teleological), the cosmological argument, and the ontological argument, including classical and modern formulations
2. Evil and suffering — the logical and evidential problems of evil, the Augustinian theodicy, the Irenaean theodicy, and modern responses
3. Religious experience — types of religious experience (mystical, conversion, prayer), the arguments of William James, challenges from psychology and neuroscience
4. Religious language — the verification principle, the falsification principle, language games, analogy, symbol, and myth
5. Miracles — definitions (Hume, Swinburne, Tillich), the credibility of miracle claims, and their relationship to the existence of God
6. Self, death and the afterlife — dualism, materialism, the soul, resurrection, reincarnation, and rebirth

The 3-Mark Question in Section A

This question is purely AO1. You must provide three distinct, accurate points in response to a knowledge-based prompt.

Example question:

"Give three features of the ontological argument for the existence of God." (3 marks)

Model answer:

• It is an a priori argument based on reason alone rather than empirical evidence.
• Anselm defined God as "that than which nothing greater can be conceived."
• It argues that existence is a necessary predicate of a perfect being.

Technique tips:

• Write in bullet points or numbered list — do not waste time with an introduction or conclusion.
• Ensure each point is distinct (do not repeat the same idea in different words).
• Use specialist terminology where possible (e.g., "a priori," "predicate," "necessary existence") as this demonstrates knowledge even in short answers.
• Spend no more than 3–4 minutes on this question.

The 15-Mark Question in Section A

This question is primarily AO1 (9 marks) with some AO2 (6 marks). You need to demonstrate detailed knowledge and offer some critical analysis.

Example question:

"Examine the claim that religious experiences provide evidence for the existence of God." (15 marks)

Recommended structure:

1. Introduction (2–3 sentences): Define the key term and outline the scope of your answer.
2. Paragraph 1 — AO1: Explain the nature of religious experiences with reference to scholars (e.g., William James' four characteristics: ineffability, noetic quality, transiency, passivity).
3. Paragraph 2 — AO1: Explain how religious experiences are used as evidence for God (e.g., Swinburne's principles of credulity and testimony).
4. Paragraph 3 — AO2: Analyse a challenge to this claim (e.g., the problem of conflicting claims, psychological explanations from Freud or neuroscience).
5. Brief conclusion (1–2 sentences): Summarise the key tension.

Model paragraph (AO1):

William James identified four characteristics of mystical religious experience: ineffability (the experience cannot be adequately described in words), noetic quality (the experience conveys insight or knowledge that feels authoritative), transiency (the experience is temporary, usually lasting only minutes), and passivity (the individual feels acted upon by a higher power rather than initiating the experience themselves). James argued that these features are consistent across cultures and religious traditions, which he took as evidence that the experiences have a genuine, external cause rather than being purely psychological.

Model paragraph (AO2):

However, the evidential value of religious experiences is significantly challenged by the problem of conflicting claims. If a Christian mystic, a Hindu mystic, and a Buddhist monk all report profoundly different experiences — pointing to different conceptions of ultimate reality — it is difficult to use any single experience as evidence for a specific God. As John Hick noted, the diversity of religious experience may point to a common transcendent reality, but it cannot straightforwardly confirm the truth claims of any one tradition. This casts doubt on the extent to which religious experience can function as reliable evidence.

Time allocation: Spend approximately 25 minutes on this question (3 minutes planning, 18 minutes writing, 4 minutes reviewing).

The 25-Mark Question in Section A

This is the most important question in Section A. It is heavily weighted towards AO2 (15 marks out of 25) and requires a sustained, evaluative essay with a clear line of argument.

Example question:

"'The problem of evil decisively disproves the existence of God.' Evaluate this claim." (25 marks)

Recommended essay structure: