Philosophy of Religion: Foundations and Society

What this unit covers

The listed resources are built around the classic arguments for God's existence. The Cosmological Argument slides begin with cosmology as the study of the universe, then ask why anything exists at all. The Ontological Argument mind map covers Anselm, Descartes and modern versions from Norman Malcolm. The teleological material looks at purpose and order, with Aquinas and William Paley. There are also resources on the nature of God, the problem of evil, miracles, body, mind and soul, and life after death.

Where to start

1. Open the Religious Experience mind map. It runs from William James and David Hay to the criteria of an experience: ineffable, noetic, transient and passive.
2. Read the slides on the Cosmological Argument, then the slides on the Teleological Argument.
3. Move to the Ontological Argument mind map and compare it with the flashcards on the same argument.
4. Finish with the problem of evil and the Augustinian Theodicy maps.

Using quizzes and maps together

Go through a mind map first and say each branch aloud without looking. Then take a quiz such as the Cosmological Argument Quiz or the TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT quiz. Anything you miss goes back to the map, or into flashcards. The Design Arguments deck asks what design arguments seek to do and what Swinburne's three types are. That makes it a good check after the maps.

Essay practice

For longer writing, the notes include a sample essay on Westphal and a note explaining the ontological argument as outlined by Anselm. Read them to see how an answer is structured. Exam boards named across the resources include OCR, Eduqas and IB, so check which one matches your course.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Philosophy of Religion strand of the Philosophy subject. Pick one argument, try its quiz, and then make your own maps or flashcards to fill any gaps.