1. Section D practice GCSE question
(d) “The world is ours to do what we like with.” Discuss this statement showing that you have considered more than one point of view. [15 + 6] (You must refer to religious and non-religious beliefs such as those held by Humanists and Atheists, in your answer.)
Marks for spelling, punctuation and the accurate use of grammar are allocated to this question.
By the end of the lesson you should be able to gain full marks on this question.

2. Alternative views to Stewardship and dominion.
Date: Friday, 11 May 2018
Alternative views to Stewardship and dominion.
Success Criteria:
I can define what stewardship means
I can identify what I already know about caring for the world
I can understand and explain facts about how humans should treat the world
I can examine the different environmental ethical approaches to the world
I can evaluate attitudes towards dominion and anthropocentric
I can assess my knowledge through a GCSE question.

3. Environmental ethics
Environmental ethics seeks to explore what responsibility humans have towards the world in which they live.
We will look at theories that suggest that perhaps humans are not the only intrinsically worthy and valuable creature on the planet

4. ‘Humankind is the most important species
What would a Catholic say to this question?
What key words could you include?
‘Humankind is the most important species
on the planet; all other species are there for their use.’ Discuss

5. Do you agree with this hierarchy in the picture? Justify your answer

6. Conservationism (shallow ecology): the theory that the environment’s importance is related to its usefulness for humanity.
Instrumental Value: belief that something is only valuable because of its importance to something else.
Anthropocentric: belief that humanity is central and more important.
Intrinsic Value: belief that something is valuable in itself

7. This approach looks at the value the environment has to us as humans and how its welfare will affect us.
If we need to reduce, reuse and recycle in order for humanity to survive, then this is a conservationist approach.
The environment is only a means to an end – the end being the survival and well-being of humankind.
What do you think?

8. According to this view
plants and animals only
have instrumental
value, as their
usefulness only lies in
their usefulness to the
human race.
They are a means to
end rather than being
an end in themselves

9. If an animal or plant can
provide ingredients for
medicine or provide
food, it has importance
for humans and must be
protected and
preserved.

10. Shallow ecology
This approach is also called shallow ecology and is anthropocentric (human centred).
Human beings are believed to have intrinsic value and protection of their interests at the expense of other non-human entities is believed to be fully ethical. This approach also believes that humans have true moral worth and standing
Make notes on what Shallow Ecology is and state whether you agree with it or not.

11. Watch this clip…
What does Gaia hypothesis say about humans and the environment?

12. James Lovelock Lovelock first put forward the Gaia hypothesis in 1977
suggesting that planet Earth
is a massive, ego-centric,
self regulating biological
organism and is not
necessarily focused on the
survival or preservation of
humanity. Basically the
earth is alive

13. The theory suggests that
humankind is not
indispensable to the earth
therefore the idea that
man is superior to other life forms is
Flawed.
Lovelock believes that the planet regulates
itself in favour of life and has a sense of
intelligence that enables life to survive in
some form

14. What does this quote mean?
‘For me Gaia is a religious as well as scientific concept, and in both spheres it is manageable…. God and Gaia, Theology and science, even physics and biology are not separate but a single way of thought.’
Lovelock, The Ages of Gaia

15. Debate!!!!
‘If the earth is an ‘ego centric. Self regulating biological organisim’, then could it become ‘angry or hurt’ if I cut
the grass or if I spray weed killer in the
garden.’ Discuss this with
reference to lovelocks theory.

16. Peter Singer- Humanist
Peter Singer extended its bounds to non-
human animals who were sentient (capable
of experience) and could therefore feel pleasure
and pain.  
“We should give the same respect to the lives of
animals as we do to the lives of humans.”  It is
unclear whether the theory can be extended to
include non-animal entities. .
How does Singer believe we should treat the environment?

17. It would need either a
redefinition of pleasure
and pain, or a change to
the central principle of
utilitarianism.  Singer
sees a problem in trying
to imagine the interests
of a plant – if we put
ourselves in the place of
a plant, we wouldn’t
mind what happened to
us as plants cannot
experience positive or
negative effects

18. Once we have decided which aspects of
nature to include in our calculation, and
whether to weigh up pleasure/pain or
preferences or interests, we can do a
calculation. This could give us general rules
to live (rule utilitarianism) by e.g.:
Development must be sustainable
Farming should be organic etc.

19. Section D practice GCSE question
(d) “The world is ours to do what we like with.” Discuss this statement showing that you have considered more than one point of view. [15 + 6] (You must refer to religious and non-religious beliefs such as those held by Humanists and Atheists, in your answer.)
Marks for spelling, punctuation and the accurate use of grammar are allocated to this question.
Band
Performance descriptions
High performance
5 – 6 marks
  Learners spell and punctuate with consistent accuracy
 Learners use rules of grammar with effective control of meaning overall
Intermediate performance
3 – 4 marks
  Learners spell and punctuate with considerable accuracy
  Learners use rules of grammar with general control of meaning overall
Threshold performance
1 – 2 marks
  Learners spell and punctuate with reasonable accuracy
  Learners use rules of grammar with some control of meaning and any
errors do not significantly hinder meaning overall
  The learner writes nothing
  The learner’s response does not relate to the question
  The learner’s achievement in SPaG does not reach the threshold
performance Band, for example errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar severely hinder meaning

20. Candidates could include some or all of the following, but other relevant points should be credited.
The world is a gift from God that should be cherished
 The world should be protected for future generations; it is our
responsibility as humans
The end of the world is coming soon anyway so we don’t need to
worry about the environment
God won’t let the world be destroyed – he will intervene
Increased environmental challenges will lead to greater injustice
and poverty
God gave us dominion over the earth so we can do what we like
 We are the most intelligent creatures on the planet, so we should
know best
 A Humanist/non-religious believer would say that we should
cherish the planet as our home; we have social responsibility not linked to God or religion
GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES Sample Assessment Materials 175
Assessment of spelling, punctuation and the accurate use of grammar and specialist terminology.