GCE Religious Studies H173/01: Philosophy of religion Advanced Subsidiary GCE Mark Scheme for November 2020

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GCE Religious Studies H173/01: Philosophy of religion Advanced Subsidiary GCE Mark Scheme for November 2020 Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations GCE Religious Studies H173/01: Philosophy of... religion Advanced Subsidiary GCE Mark Scheme for November 2020Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide range of qualifications to meet the needs of candidates of all ages and abilities. OCR qualifications include AS/A Levels, Diplomas, GCSEs, Cambridge Nationals, Cambridge Technicals, Functional Skills, Key Skills, Entry Level qualifications, NVQs and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business, languages, teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills. It is also responsible for developing new specifications to meet national requirements and the needs of students and teachers. OCR is a not-for-profit organisation; any surplus made is invested back into the establishment to help towards the development of qualifications and support, which keep pace with the changing needs of today’s society. This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and students, to indicate the requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which marks were awarded by examiners. It does not indicate the details of the discussions which took place at an examiners’ meeting before marking commenced. All examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated. Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the published question papers and the report on the examination. © OCR 20202 Indicative content – Responses might include: Guidance 1. To what extent does Plato’s view of the Forms explain the nature of reality? AO1 Candidates may demonstrate knowledge and understanding through the use of some of the following materials: • Plato’s view that the material world in which we live is one of corruption, changeability and shadows while true reality is to be found in the realm of Forms or Ideals • Plato’s contention that the Forms are eternal, unchangeable and perfect and every particular in this world is a dim reflection of a perfect Form of that thing • Plato’s emphasis on abstract concepts, such as beauty, truth and justice, rather than concepts such as chairs, tables and beds • Plato’s understanding of the Forms themselves being in a hierarchy, all under the Form of the Good • Plato’s idea that objects in this world participate in the Forms • Plato’s illustration of this concept in the analogy or allegory of the cave, which illustrates the journey of a philosopher, breaking free from the realm of shadows and discovering that of the Forms. AO2 Candidates may demonstrate evaluation and analysis through the use of some of the following arguments. • Some candidates might argue that Plato successfully explains the nature of reality through his view of the Forms because: o the material world is evidently corrupt and so the quest for truth must look beyond this world o the work of the philosopher in prioritising thought emphasises the need to reach beyond this world o Plato’s own argument from opposites suggests that if there is an opposite of all things then there is an opposite to life, which is death; and if death is a reality there must be an eternal soul that establishes an eternal realm o our senses may be said to be unreliable in establishing reality and so we must look beyond them o in observing different particulars we are able to recognise the same sort of thing even if we cannot explain why that is; thus, there must be a Form of that thing that our souls knew before they entered the body. • Some candidates might argue that Plato does not successfully explain the nature of reality through his view of the Forms because: o there is no proof or evidence of the existence of another realm o it is not clear how the two realms interact or relate to each other3 Indicative content – Responses might include: Guidance o resemblance might be explained not by participation in a Form, but by there being a series of overlapping characteristics o the idea of there being a Form for everything can lead to postulating the Form of bad things (e.g. illness) and/or the Forms of absurd ideas o the Forms do not have value in observing and studying the world. • Some candidates may combine these views and argue that Plato offers insights into metaphysics but that the detail of his view has been better developed or replaced over time.4 Indicative content – Responses might include: Guidance 2. Evaluate Aquinas’ cosmological argument for God’s existence. AO1 Candidates may demonstrate knowledge and understanding through the use of some of the following materials: • Aquinas’ first three ways (of five) are now known as cosmological arguments that are a posteriori arguments for the existence of God • the first way is from motion and suggests that as all things move because they are acted upon by something else, and as this motion cannot go back to infinity, there must be an Unmoved Mover, which people understand to be God • the second way is from causation and suggests that as all effects come from a cause and the chain of cause and effect cannot be said to be infinite, there must be an Uncaused Causer or First Cause which people understand to be God • the third way is from necessity and contingency and suggests that nothing could have existed without a necessary being and there could not have been an infinite regress of necessary beings; thus, there must be a being that has in itself its own necessity, which people understand to be God. AO2 Candidates may demonstrate evaluation and analysis through the use of some of the following arguments. • Some candidates might argue that the cosmological argument from Aquinas is strong because: o it moves from clear observation of motion, causation and existence in this world to a valid conclusion and thus is based on empirical evidence o it explains the existence of the universe and rejects the notion that the universe has simply always existed, thus providing a sufficient reason for its existence o it acknowledges the idea that motion and causation cannot be in infinite series and must have definite start and end points o the idea that there is one simple cause is more straightforward than other possible explanations. • Some candidates might argue that the cosmological argument from Aquinas is weak because: o modern understandings of the origins of the universe remove the need for a creator God o the argument might postulate a first mover or cause but makes a leap in logic to presume that this first mover is the God of classical theism o it is a leap in logic to move from the idea that every effect has a cause to the idea that the entire universe must5 Indicative content – Responses might include: Guidance have a cause or reason to exist (i.e. the fallacy of composition) o the argument is self-contradictory because its conclusion requires a special case that goes against its starting point (that everything has a cause or explanation) o it could be said to be an assumption that everything has a cause. Some candidates may combine these views and argue that modern scientific theories explain everything since the creation of the universe, but that the cosmological argument remains a valid explanation for the universe as a whole.6 Indicative content – Responses might include: Guidance 3. ‘Augustine’s interpretation of the Fall successfully explains the problem of evil.’ Discuss. AO1 Candidates may demonstrate knowledge and understanding through the use of some of the following materials: • Augustine’s discussion of evil being a lack or privation of goodness that detracts from the perfect creation by the perfect God • the Fall, for Augustine, was a key turning point in the history of the world because both angels and humans misused their free will to destroy the harmony of creation and the harmonious relationship between God and humanity • as a result of the Fall, humans, while being created perfectly by God, are tainted with Original Sin, which is contracted through being the descendants of Adam • moral evil is a result of the disorder of relationships and the continued misuse of human free will which can all be explained by the Fall and so the problem of evil is perpetuated • natural evil, which is a central concern for theodicy, is an ongoing punishment for the events of the Fall and is a reflection of the disharmony in nature • thus, for Augustine, all evil is either sin or punishment for sin. AO2 Candidates may demonstrate evaluation and analysis through the use of some of the following arguments. • Some candidates might argue that Augustine’s understanding of the Fall does successfully explain the problem of evil because: o his approach seems to fit well with our experience of this world in which suffering is caused by free will o the idea of privation and the Fall, emphasises the ultimate goodness of God o if Genesis is to be understood as being true then the Fall’s effects are likely to be as far-reaching as Augustine suggests o it successfully demonstrates why God is not responsible for evil and suffering as the emphasis is on ongoing human action. • Some candidates might argue that Augustine’s use of the Fall does not successfully explain the problem of evil because: o it requires Genesis to be read literally, which is challenged by textual study and by the theory of evolution7 Indicative content – Responses might include: Guidance o the idea that humans are all in some way seminally present in the loins of Adam does not seem to cohere with the idea of a fair, loving God o even if there is truth behind Augustine’s approach, the God who allowed the Fall to happen does not seem worthy of worship o human nature may be said to be flawed because of its essence, rather than an event in history o natural disasters can be explained by natural events such as plate tectonics, rather than an angelic fall. Some candidates may combine these views and argue that with a non-literal interpretation of Genesis, humans might be said to fall individually and break their own perfect relationship with God, thus perpetuating evil and suffering.1 Level (Mark) Levels of Response for AS Level Religious Studies: Assessment Objective 1 (AO1) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including: • Religious, philosophical and/or ethical thought and teaching • Approaches to the study of religion and belief Note: The descriptors below must be considered in the context of all listed strands of Assessment Objectives 1 (AO1) and the indicative content in the mark scheme. 5 (13– 15) A very good demonstration of knowledge and understanding in response to the question : • focuses on the precise question throughout • very good selection of relevant material which is used appropriately • accurate, and detailed knowledge which demonstrates very good understanding through either the breadth or depth of material used • accurate and appropriate use of technical terms and subject vocabulary. • a very good range of scholarly views, academic approaches, and/or sources of wisdom and authority are used to demonstrate knowledge and understanding 4 (10– 12) A good demonstration of knowledge and understanding in response to the question: • addresses the question well • good selection of relevant material, used appropriately on the whole • mostly accurate knowledge which demonstrates good understanding of the material used, which should have reasonable amounts of depth or breadth • mostly accurate and appropriate use of technical terms and subject vocabulary. • a good range of scholarly views, academic approaches, and/or sources of wisdom and authority are used to demonstrate knowledge and understanding 3 (7–9) A satisfactory demonstration of knowledge and understanding in response to the question: • generally addresses the question • mostly sound selection of mostly relevant material • some accurate knowledge which demonstrates sound understanding through the material used, which might however be lacking in depth or breadth • generally appropriate use of technical terms and subject vocabulary. A satisfactory range of scholarly views, academic approaches, and/or sources of wisdom and authority are used to demonstrate knowledge and understanding with only partial success 2 (4–6) A basic demonstration of knowledge and understanding in response to the question: • might address the general topic rather than the question directly • limited selection of partially relevant material • some accurate, but limited, knowledge which demonstrates partial understanding • some accurate, but limited, use of technical terms and appropriate subject vocabulary. a limited range of scholarly views, academic approaches, and/or sources of wisdom and authority are used to demonstrate knowledge and understanding with little success 1 (1–3) A weak demonstration of knowledge and understanding in response to the question: • almost completely ignores the question • very little relevant material selected • knowledge very limited, demonstrating little understanding • very little use of technical terms or subject vocabulary. • very little or no use of scholarly views, academic approaches and/or sources of wisdom and authority to demonstrate knowledge and understanding 0 (0) No creditworthy response2 Level (Mark) Levels of Response for AS Level Religious Studies: Assessment Objective 2 (AO2) Analyse and evaluate aspects of, and approaches to, religion and belief, including their significance, influence and study Note: The descriptors below must be considered in the context of all elements of Assessment Objective 2 (AO2) and the indicative content in the mark scheme. 5 (13–15) A very good demonstration of analysis and evaluation in response to the question: • clear and convincing argument • successful and clear analysis and evaluation • views very well stated, coherently developed and justified • answers the question set competently • accurate and appropriate use of technical terms and subject vocabulary. • a very good range of scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority used to support analysis and evaluation Assessment of Extended Response: There is a well–developed and sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant and logically structured. 4 (10–12) A good demonstration of analysis and evaluation in response to the question: • argument is generally successful and clear • generally successful analysis and evaluation • views well stated, with some development and justification • answers the question set well • mostly accurate and appropriate use of technical terms and subject vocabulary. • a good range of scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority are used to support analysis and evaluation Assessment of Extended Response: There is a well–developed line of reasoning which is clear, relevant and logically structured 3 (7–9) A satisfactory demonstration of analysis and/evaluation in response to the question: • some successful argument • partially successful analysis and evaluation • views asserted but often not fully justified • mostly answers the set question • generally appropriate use of technical terms and subject vocabulary. • a satisfactory range of scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority are used to support analysis and evaluation with only partial success Assessment of Extended Response: There is a line of reasoning presented which is mostly relevant and which has some structure. 2 (4–6) A basic demonstration of analysis and evaluation in response to the question: • some argument attempted, not always successful • little successful analysis and evaluation • views asserted but with little justification • only partially answers the question • some accurate, but limited, use of technical terms and appropriate subject vocabulary. • a limited range of scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority to support analysis and evaluation with little success Assessment of Extended Response: There is a line of reasoning which has some relevance and which is presented with limited structure. 1 (1–3) A weak demonstration of analysis and evaluation in response to the question: • very little argument attempted • very little successful analysis and evaluation • views asserted with very little justification • unsuccessful in answering the question • very little use of technical terms or subject vocabulary. • very little or no use of scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority to support analysis and evaluation Assessment of Extended Response: The information is communicated in a basic/unstructured way. 0 (0) No creditworthy response1 Annotations Annotation Meaning Level one – to be used at the end of each part of the response in the margin. Level two – to be used at the end of each part of the response in the margin. Level three – to be used at the end of each part of the response in the margin. Level four – to be used at the end of each part of the response in the margin. Level five – to be used at the end of each part of the response in the margin. (H573 only) Level six - to be used at the end of each part of the response in the margin. Highlighting a section of the response that is irrelevant to the awarding of the mark. Point has been seen and noted, e.g. where part of an answer is at the end of the script. SUBJECT–SPECIFIC MARKING INSTRUCTIONS H173, H573 AS and A Level Religious Studies Introduction Your first task as an Examiner is to become thoroughly familiar with the material on which the examination depends. You should ensure that you have copies of these materials: • the specification, especially the assessment objectives • the question paper and its rubrics • the mark scheme. Please ask for help or guidance whenever you need it. Your first point of contact is your Team Leader. Information and instructions for examiners The practice scripts provide you with examples of the standard of each band. The marks awarded for these scripts will have been agreed by the Lead Marker and Team Leaders.2 The specific task-related indicative content for each question will help you to understand how the band descriptors may be applied. However, this indicative content does not constitute the mark scheme: it is material that candidates might use, grouped according to each assessment objective tested by the question. It is hoped that candidates will respond to questions in a variety of ways. Rigid demands for ‘what must be a good answer’ would lead to a distorted assessment. Candidates’ answers must be relevant to the question. Beware of prepared answers that do not show the candidate’s thought and which have not been adapted to the thrust of the question. Beware also of answers where candidates attempt to reproduce interpretations and concepts that they have been taught but have only partially understood. Using the Mark Scheme Please study the Mark Scheme carefully. The Mark Scheme is an integral part of the process that begins with the setting of the question paper and ends with the awarding of grades. Question papers and Mark Schemes are developed in association with each other so that issues of differentiation and positive achievement can be addressed from the very start. This Mark Scheme is a working document; it is not exhaustive; it does not provide ‘correct’ answers. The Mark Scheme can only provide ‘best guesses’ about how the question will work out, and it is subject to revision after we have looked at a wide range of scripts. Please read carefully all the scripts in your allocation and make every effort to look positively for achievement throughout the ability range. Always be prepared to use the full range of marks. The Mark Scheme contains a description of possible/content only; all legitimate answers and approaches must be credited appropriately. Learners are expected to make use of scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority to support their argument. The Levels of Response must be used in conjunction with the outlined indicative content. Assessment Objectives Two Assessment Objectives are being assessed in all questions: AO1 (Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief) and AO2 (Analyse and evaluate aspects of, and approaches to, religion and belief, including their significance, influence and study). Responses are credited for AO1 for selection, detail and accuracy of the knowledge and understanding of religion and belief deployed. Responses are credited for AO2 for how well the response addresses the question, for candidates using their knowledge and understanding to draw, express and support conclusions in relation to the question posed. Candidates will be assessed on the quality of the conclusions and points they argue and the clarity and success of their argument. Levels of Response Questions in this paper are marked using a levels of response grid. When using this grid examiners must use a best fit approach. Where there are both strengths and weaknesses in a particular response or particularly imbalanced responses in terms of the assessment objectives, examiners must carefully consider which level is the best fit for the performance. Note that candidates can achieve different levels in each assessment objective, for example a Level 3 for AO1, and a Level 2 for AO2.3 Please note that the Assessment Objectives being assessed are listed at the top of the mark scheme. Where a candidate does not address all of the Assessment Objective strands listed, the candidate cannot achieve the top level of response. Assessment of Extended Response The GCE General Conditions of Recognition state that: GCE 5.1 In designing and setting the assessments for a GCE qualification which it makes available, or proposes to make available, and awarding organization must ensure that, taken together, those assessments include questions or tasks which allow Learners to - a) provide extended responses As such, the quality of extended responses are assessed in all questions. While marks are not specifically given for this, descriptors for extended responses can be found in the AO2 Levels of Response in italics.OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) The Triangle Building Shaftesbury Road Cambridge CB2 8EA [Show More]

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