Introduction to A2 Philosophy
Homework: Background reading – ‘Questions about God.’ –
Chapter 4 – God and Language, by Patrick J. Clarke
 At A level, candidates are required to demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding, and their ability to sustain a
critical line of argument in greater depth and over a wider
range of content than at AS level.
 Knowledge, understanding and skills are closely linked.
Specifications should require that candidates demonstrate
the following assessment objectives in the context of the
content and skills prescribed.
 AO1: Select and demonstrate clearly relevant knowledge and
understanding through the use of evidence, examples and
correct language and terminology appropriate to the course of
study.
 AO2: Sustain a critical line of argument and justify a point of
view.
 One question out of 35 marks. You are now expected to
evaluate throughout your answer.
 Sit back to back
 One person in the pair will be given a
picture.
 They must describe the picture to the
other person without telling them
what it is.
 The other person must draw the thing
that is being described.
 What is the purpose of language?
 Which pictures were hardest to draw?
1. What difficulties do religious believers face when they
are trying to use language to convey ideas such as
‘God’, ‘the soul’, ‘salvation’?
2. How might religious believers communicate their
ideas to others in an effective way?
3. What strategies might they employ?
4. Is it possible for religious believers to convey their
meaning in such a way that other people will know
exactly what they mean?
 In this unit, we will cover:
 The uses and purposes of religious language
 The verification principle as developed by the Vienna
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Circle and A J Ayer
The Falsification principle of Anthony Flew
The Via Negativa as a means of describing God
The use of analogy, symbol and myth to describe God
The thinking of Ludwig Wittgenstein
All swans are white
2. Sheep people yellow
3. Scientists study science
4. Sylvester is a cat
5. Philosophy is fun
6. The wages of sin is death
1.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Aheui kdien gg
01100101
God is love
The King of France is bald
I drove my car yesterday
Purple dreams sleep
furiously
For each of the above say whether it is:
•
True, false or you cannot determine
•
Meaningful or meaningless
b) By what criteria did you judge that some statements are
meaningless? Did it differ for different statements?
c) Which statements are religious?
d) Does the fact that there is no King of France affect your answers
concerning statement 10? If so, in what ways?
a)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
You will get a sheet, with a question and answer on it.
Leave your seat and find someone to quiz.
The other person will then quiz you
If BOTH have answered each others questions
CORRECTLY, then give each other a ‘high five.’
At the end, SWAP SHEETS, memorise the answer to the
new question received and find someone else to quiz.
There will be a MINI-QUIZ at the end to see if you have
learnt the answers to all of the questions!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TSJhIZmL0A
Univocal
Equivocal
Cognitive
Non-cognitive
 Read page 11 of A2 blue textbook …
 Why such a big deal?
 Do words mean exactly the same when applied to God?
 Do words mean completely different things when
applied to God?
 Some suggest that because these statements are not
subject to empirical testing, that they are meaningless.