3 x Sample answers for 2026 OCR Religious
Studies ALevel – Ethics paper A grade
, 1) Evaluate Aquinas’ theological approach to conscience (40 marks) Level 6 2) ‘“Good” is
meaningful’. Discuss (40 marks) Level 6 3) Assess the view that natural law is of no help with regard to
the issue of euthanasia (40 marks) Level 5
1) Evaluate Aquinas’ theological approach to conscience (40 marks)
To Aquinas, the conscience is “reason making right decisions” and the feeling is a consequence of the
moral calculations of an individual and moral habits formed by experience. There are three main elements
to his view; reason, synderesis and consceintia and whilst these elements are plausible on their own, they
fail to fully address the complexity of making a moral decision.
The starting point for Aquinas’ theological approach to the conscience is his understanding of ratio
(reason), which is to be used correctly to find out what God sees as good. He was concerned with
practical reason, making moral decisions is practical in nature as one has to think through the options
available and know which is the right course of action, underpinned by moral principles, in a given
situation. We have to understand the general principles (i.e. preservation of life, worshiping God) and
also know how best to apply those in different circumstances. Aquinas central element of reason is in
contrast to other theologians who saw the conscience more as an active role of God. Augustine saw the
conscience as the literal voice of God whispering to us and Cardinal Newman saw the conscience as a
messenger of God. As such Aquinas’ view of the conscience could be criticized as not being as
theological as Augustine and Newman as there isn’t room for direct revelation from God, for instance in
the form of voice experiences. However, with Aquinas theological view of the conscience arguably God
maintains a higher degree of epistemic distance, which allows humans to have freewill making them
Studies ALevel – Ethics paper A grade
, 1) Evaluate Aquinas’ theological approach to conscience (40 marks) Level 6 2) ‘“Good” is
meaningful’. Discuss (40 marks) Level 6 3) Assess the view that natural law is of no help with regard to
the issue of euthanasia (40 marks) Level 5
1) Evaluate Aquinas’ theological approach to conscience (40 marks)
To Aquinas, the conscience is “reason making right decisions” and the feeling is a consequence of the
moral calculations of an individual and moral habits formed by experience. There are three main elements
to his view; reason, synderesis and consceintia and whilst these elements are plausible on their own, they
fail to fully address the complexity of making a moral decision.
The starting point for Aquinas’ theological approach to the conscience is his understanding of ratio
(reason), which is to be used correctly to find out what God sees as good. He was concerned with
practical reason, making moral decisions is practical in nature as one has to think through the options
available and know which is the right course of action, underpinned by moral principles, in a given
situation. We have to understand the general principles (i.e. preservation of life, worshiping God) and
also know how best to apply those in different circumstances. Aquinas central element of reason is in
contrast to other theologians who saw the conscience more as an active role of God. Augustine saw the
conscience as the literal voice of God whispering to us and Cardinal Newman saw the conscience as a
messenger of God. As such Aquinas’ view of the conscience could be criticized as not being as
theological as Augustine and Newman as there isn’t room for direct revelation from God, for instance in
the form of voice experiences. However, with Aquinas theological view of the conscience arguably God
maintains a higher degree of epistemic distance, which allows humans to have freewill making them
