Religious Studies A Level

Watch the following video and create a mind map for the ontological argument.

Extras

1. Summarise the arguments highlighted in yellow
2. Choose an argument highlighted in green from the list and say how you go about researching it – try and research the argument and summarise it – say how you found your information (Spinoza is done as an example)

1078
St. Anselm, Proslogion. Followed soon after by Gaunilo’s critique In Behalf of the Fool.

1264
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa. Criticises an argument which somehow descends from St. Anselm.

1637
Descartes, Discourse on Method. The argument of Discourse 4 is further elaborated in the Meditations. The Objections—particularly those of Caterus and Gassendi—and the Replies contain much valuable discussion of the Cartesian arguments.

c1680
Spinoza, Ethics. Intimations of a defensible mereological ontological argument, albeit one whose conclusion is not (obviously) endowed with religious significance.

Example: I searched in Google for Spinoza ontological arguments – I found an article called Spinoza’s Ontological Argument by Don Garrett in J Store (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2184506?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents) and I read an article page for Spinoza. From here I found a book on ontological argument where I found a summary of Spinoza ontological argument where he concludes that either nothing exists or God exists out of necessity. The source of wisdom is called Ethics.

1709
Leibniz, New Essays Concerning Human Understanding. Contains Leibniz’s attempt to complete the Cartesian argument by showing that the Cartesian conception of God is not inconsistent.

1776
Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Part IX is a general attack on a priori arguments (both analytic and synthetic). Includes a purported demonstration that no such arguments can be any good.

1787
Kant, Critique of Pure Reason. Contains famous attack on traditional theistic arguments. Three objections to “the ontological argument”, including the famous objection based on the dictum that existence is not a predicate.

1831
Hegel, Lectures of 1831. In these lectures, Hegel says that “the ontological argument” succeeds. However, he does not make it clear what he takes the premises of “the ontological argument” to be; and nor does he make it clear what it would be for “the ontological argument” to succeed. Some scholars have claimed that the entire Hegelian corpus constitutes an ontological argument.

1884
Frege, Foundations of Arithmetic. Existence is a second-order predicate. First-order existence claims are meaningless. So ontological arguments—whose conclusions are first-order existence claims—are doomed.

1941
Hartshorne, Man’s Vision of God. Defence of modal ontological arguments, allegedly derived from Proslogion 3.

1970
Lewis, “Anselm and Actuality”. A key critique of ontological arguments. All ontological arguments are either invalid or question-begging; moreover, in many cases, they have two closely related readings, one of which falls into each of the above categories.

1974
Plantinga, The Nature of Necessity. Plantinga’s “victorious” modal ontological argument.

1995
Gödel, Collected Works Volume III. Gödel’s ontological argument.

2004
Sobel, Logic and Theism. Detailed critique of ontological arguments. See, especially, chapters 2–4, pp. 29–167.

Write in your own definition of each word below:

Watch this video on a day in the life of a Buddhist Monk.

British Library Entry on Buddhist Canon
The Buddhist ‘canon’ is vast, complex, and difficult to define. Here Professor Tim Barrett outlines some of the key works for the different branches of Buddhism.

Like the adherents of many other religious traditions, Buddhists have always considered that some writings are particularly important to them and have taken steps to preserve them as a separate group. Given the long time span and vast geographical range of Buddhist history, it is inevitable that both the structure and the contents of these collections of ‘the word of the Buddha’ have varied markedly.

The Buddhist scripture was first compiled orally since writing was not in common use in the Buddha’s time in India. Thus, his teachings were not written down, and a pattern of memorised discourses and other materials therefore constitutes the oldest layer that was handed down. The origins of this heritage are said to have begun with an assembly of monks immediately after the Buddha’s death, at which his teachings were first recollected and recited. Secondly, everything he had said regarding the rules to be observed by the monastic community were recollected. Added to these was a third type of memorised material consisting of later analyses of the teachings by learned monks. This tripartite structure is central to all branches of Buddhism.

Read the full article here.

Work experience
It’s important to get relevant work experience to boost your employability prospects. Talk to professionals in the field you’re interested in and consider the different types of placements and work available.

If you’re thinking about work in a religious ministry, talk to local spiritual leaders and get involved in the life of your religious community to find out more about what’s involved.

If you want to get into teaching, you will need to have a minimum of two weeks’ experience working in a school with children of the age you want to teach. This will show you have the skills and motivation required.

Try to become involved with your local community if you’d like a role that involves working with people or look for work with charitable and volunteer organisations.

Typical employers
As a theology and religious studies graduate, you could work in a variety of different
roles in a range of employment sectors. Typical employers include:

• national and local government, including the Civil Service and government agencies, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• schools, colleges, and universities (for teaching and research positions)
• charities, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations
• social services and other caring professions
• the church and other religious organisations
• financial and legal firms
• the National Health Service (NHS)
• PR, advertising, sales, and marketing companies
• media companies.

Skills for your CV
Studying Theology and Religious Studies gives you a thorough understanding of the major world religions, their historical development, and their relationship with the world we live in. You’ll gain insight into the theological, ethical, cultural, political and philosophical issues of religion.

You also develop skills that are valued by employers in a range of sectors. These include:

• research, analysis, and presentation skills
• critical thinking skills and the ability to interpret information, formulate questions and solve problems
• organisational and time management skills
• teamworking and communication skills
• writing skills, including accurate referencing and the ability to construct a reasoned argument
• IT skills
• empathy and the ability to understand people and take on board others’ views
• the ability to work methodically and accurately
• independence of mind and the ability to think for yourself.

Further study
You may choose to increase your knowledge of religion/theology through a postgraduate qualification such as a Masters or PhD. Areas of research include theology, religion and culture, ethics and religious conflict.

Or depending on the career you want, you may need to take a vocational postgraduate course in an area such as teaching, journalism, librarianship, or law. Postgraduate courses are also available in subjects such as marketing, finance, human resource management or business/management, so think about which direction you’d like your career to take.