Year 13 Philosophy

Question 1

Critiques of Religion: Freud Strengths (Psychological, “Father Figure”) [P1]

Answer 1

• Explains psychologically why people drawn to religion
• Presents people creating comforting beliefs to escape harsh reality is plausible
• Challenges authority/truth claims = analytical

Question 2

Critiques of Religion: Freud Weaknesses [P2]

Answer 2

• Disregards social, cultural, historical factors contributing
• Focuses too much on psychology as evidence
• Religion can provide positive impacts
• Oedipus complex discredited by modern psychologists

Question 3

Critiques of Religion: Dawkins Strengths (multiple people suffering a “delusion”) [P3]

Answer 3

• Rational ~ focusing on empirical evidence
• Clear answer to Problem of Evil
• Highlights how certain religious beliefs/practices are harmful
• Presents how ethical behaviour can also be based on human welfare

Question 4

Critiques of Religion: Dawkins Weaknesses [P4]

Answer 4

• Comparison with religion and mental viruses does not link well
• Overgeneralisation (religions treated in same way)
• Brutal = “delusion” disregards reasoning to religion
• Focuses too much on negative aspects

Question 5

Life After Death: Hick’s Replica Theory Strengths (body can be resurrected) [P1]

Answer 5

• Respects religious diversity + compatible with all
• Good explanation for how personal identity can be preserved (links with Christianity)
• Plausible non-materialist explanation regarding debate about identity and existence

Question 6

Life After Death: Hick’s Replica Theory Weaknesses [P2]

Answer 6

• Underdeveloped (written in Hick’s last years before death)
• Difficult to prove empirically (cannot communicate with replica)
• People do not want to be exactly replicated (disabilities)
• Raises questions about true nature of identity

Question 7

Life After Death: Near-Death Experiences Strengths [P3]

Answer 7

• ‘Out-of-body’ = how body and soul are separate
• People give accounts of observations
• Experiencers report significant positive changes (reduced fear of death + spiritual awareness)

Question 8

Life After Death: Near-Death Experiences Weaknesses [P4]

Answer 8

• Evidence from REs from hallucinations and deception (Singer + Ramachandran)
• People lie about accounts
• No empirical evidence for ‘afterlife’
• Each experience is subjective = no one direct ‘truth’