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Table of Contents 1

1. Philosophical Language and Thought

• 1.1 Ancient Philosophical Influences
  Key Terms
  Specification
• 1.1.1 The Philosophical Influences of Plato
  A. Understanding of Reality
  B. Theory of FORMs
  C. The Allegory of the Cave
  D. Evaluation
• 1.1.2 The Philosophical Influences of Aristotle
  A. Understanding of Reality
  B. Four Causes
  C. Prime Mover
  D. Evaluation
  Confusions to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions
• 1.2 Soul, Mind and Body
  Key terms
  Specification
• 1.2.1 The Thinking of Plato and Aristotle
  A. Platonic Dualism
  B. Aristotelian Monism
  C. Evaluation
• 1.2.2 Metaphysics of Consciousness
  A. Substance Dualism
  B. Materialism
  C. Evaluation
  Confusions to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions

Table of Contents 2

2. Arguments for the Existence of God

• 2.1 Arguments based on Experience
  Key Terms
  Specification
• 2.1.1 The Teleological Argument
  A. Aquinas’ Fifth Way
  B. Paley’s Teleological Argument
  C. Evaluation
• 2.1.2 The Cosmological Argument
  A. Aquinas’ First, Second and Third Way
  B. Evaluation
• 2.1.3 Challenges to the Arguments from Observation
  A. Hume’s Challenge against the Teleological Argument
  B. Hume’s Challenge against the Cosmological Argument
  C. The Challenge of Evolution
  D. Evaluation
  Confusions to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions
• 2.2 Arguments Based in Reason
  Key Terms
  Specification
• 2.2.1 The Ontological Argument
  A. Anselm’s First & Second Version
  B. Gaunilo’s Response
  C. Evaluation
  Confusion to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions

Table of Contents 3

3. God and the World

• 3.1 Religious Experience
  Key Terms
  Specification
• 3.1.1 The nature and influence of Religious experience
  A. Examples of Mystical Religious Experiences
  B. Conversion experiences
  C. Conclusions of William James
  D. Evaluation
• 3.1.2 Different ways in which Religious experience can be understood
  A. Union with a great power
  B. Psychological affect
  C. Product of physiological effect
  D. Evaluation
  Confusion to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions
• 3.2 The Problem of Evil
  Key Terms
  Specification
• 3.2.1 The Problem of Evil and Suffering
  A. Logical Aspects of the Problem
  B. Evidential Aspects of the Problem
• 3.2.2 The Theodicies
  A. Augustine’s Theodicy
  B. Hick’s Theodicy
  C. Evaluation
  Confusion to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions

Table of Contents 4

4. Nature of God

• Key Terms
  Specification
• 4.1 Omnipotence
  A. Evidence
  B. Interpretations
• 4.2 Benevolence
  A. Hell
  B. Judgement
• 4.3 Omniscience
  A. Unlimited Knowledge
  B. Limited Knowledge
• 4.4 Eternity
  A. Timeless
  B. Four Dimentionalist Approach
  C. Everlasting
• 4.5 Free Will
  A. Boethius’ Dilemma
  B. Alternative Responses
  Confusions to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions

Table of Contents 5

5. Classical Religious Language

• Key Terms
  Specification
• 5.1 The Apophatic Way
  A. Speaking with Certainty
  B. Moses Maimonides
  C. Teresa of Avila
  D. Evaluation
  Strengths of the Apophatic Way
• 5.2 The Cataphatic Way
  A. The need for Analogy
  B. Analogy of Attribution
  C. Analogy of Proportionality
  D. Evaluation
• 5.3 Symbolism
  A. What are Signs and Symbols?
  B. Paul Tillich on Signs and Symbols
  C. The use of Symbols in Scripture and Religious Language
  D. Evaluation
  Confusions to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions

Table of Contents 6

6. Twentieth Century Perspectives on Religious Language

• Key Terms
  Specification
• 6.1 Logical Positivism
  A. The Principle of Verification
  B. Ayer’s Variations of the Principle of Verification
• 6.2 Wittgenstein’s Language Games
  A. Language as a Form of Life
  B. Meaningful not Cognitive
• 6.3 Falsification Symposium
  A. Falsification
  B. Bliks
  C. Falsification Parables
  Confusions to Avoid
  Key Quotes
  Suggested Reading
  Practise Exam Question
  Possible Future Questions