1. This week’s aims To practise planning and writing answers to past questions To set out written work in a clear, integrated, logical form To explain and analyse the attributes of the God of classical theism

2. Sample exam questions – p.95 Critically assess the views of Paul Tillich on religious language. Evaluate the claim that analogy can successfully be used to express the human understanding of God. Critically compare the use of myth with the use of analogy to express human understanding of God. Critically assess the claim that religious language is meaningless. ‘The falsification principle offers no real challenge to religious belief.’ Discuss. Critically assess Wittgenstein's belief that language games allow religious statements to have meaning. To what extent is the Via Negativa the only way to talk about God? ‘Symbolic language is the best way to talk about God.’ Discuss. ‘Myths are more useful for talking about God than symbols.’ Discuss.

3. Essay structure Introduction - how you understand the question, what you’ll discuss / argue for Approximately three PEACE paragraphs Conclusion – a clear answer to the question – is the theory successful / strong or not?

4. Example question Critically assess the claims made by the Vienna Circle in their verification principle (35)  Key words in the question?  Key ideas to include?  Key arguments to use?  Three key points for PEACE paragraphs

5. Critically assess the claims made by the Vienna Circle in their verification principle (35) P E A C E

6. Critically assess the claims made by the Vienna Circle in their verification principle (35) P E A C E

7. Critically assess the claims made by the Vienna Circle in their verification principle (35) P E A C E

8. Task – 10 minutes Critically assess the claims made by the Vienna Circle in their verification principle (35)  Write an introduction to the question  Write a conclusion to the question

9. For our next lesson… In our next lesson, you will be asked write an answer to the question we have planned today You can use notes and you can have an hour to write your answer Prepare for this by reviewing what we’ve done today

10. Task – 60 minutes Critically assess the claims made by the Vienna Circle in their verification principle (35)

11. THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD Philosophy of Religion

12. What is God? God is ‘maximally great’ Anselm: ‘thou art a being that than which nothing greater can be conceived.’

13. The concept of God Personal Omnipresent Creator Necessary Transcendent Omniscient Omnipotent Benevolent Rational Miracle-worker The ground of morality Immutable What is God? Booklets, p.30

14. What you need to know: God as eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omni- benevolent – and the philosophical problems arising from these concepts – p.31-36 The views of Boethius in his discussion of eternity and God’s foreknowledge in Book 5 of The Consolations of Philosophy: the question of whether a good God would reward and punish – p.37-39 The omniscience of God and free will – p.40-41

15. The Attributes of God Problems Simple Eternal Omniscient Omnipotent Omni- benevolent

16. God’s omniscience What does the concept of omniscience mean? Booklets, p.31

17. Problems with this concept Read p.31-32 in your booklets and complete the following table: ProblemYour response – e.g. do you have any ways to answer the problem?

18. God’s omnipotence What does the concept of omnipotence mean? Booklets, p.32

19. Problems with this concept Can God sin? Can God climb a tree? Can God change the past? Can God make square circles? Can God make it both true and false that the world exists? What issues do these questions raise?

20. Could God do the logically impossible? What does Descartes think? What does Aquinas think? What do you think? Booklets, p.32-33

21. Discussion What is the paradox of the stone?

22. What is a paradox? Look on p.33 in your booklet for the definition of a paradox and highlight it:  A paradox is a set of statements where each statement considered in isolation from the others is apparently true, but where the set as a whole appears to imply some philosophically unwelcome consequence, such as a contradiction.

23. What is the paradox of the stone? 1. An omnipotent being can do anything 2. An omnipotent being can create anything (including an object so heavy that it cannot be lifted) 3. There are no limits (physical or otherwise) to an omnipotent being’s power – so an omnipotent being can lift anything

24. Can we solve the paradox of the stone? What does Kenny think? What do you think? Booklets, p.33-34

25. Homework Log into Moodle and click on A2 Ethics and Philosophy – Homework and Assignments Look at the fifth block that says  5. Boethius Look at / read at least three links. At least one of them must be an article or website rather than just a YouTube link. Feel free to look at more links than this if you like.