A-level
PHILOSOPHY
7172/2
Paper 2 The metaphysics of God and the metaphysics of mind
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
*256A7172/2/MS*
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PHILOSOPHY – 7172/2 – JUNE 2025
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own
internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third
party even for internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PHILOSOPHY – 7172/2 – JUNE 2025
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The
descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level.
Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as
instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme.
Step 1 Determine a level
Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the
descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in
the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it
meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With
practice and familiarity you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the
lower levels of the mark scheme.
When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in
small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If
the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit
approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within
the level, ie if the response is predominantly level 3 with a small amount of level 4 material it would be
placed in level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the level 4 content.
Step 2 Determine a mark
Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate
marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an
answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This
answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer
with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then
use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example.
You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and
assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.
Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be
exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points
mentioned in the Indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme.
An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks.
3
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PHILOSOPHY – 7172/2 – JUNE 2025
0 1 State the difference between God being everlasting and God being eternal.
[3 marks]
AO1 = 3
Marks Levels of response mark scheme
3 A full and correct answer, given precisely, with little or no redundancy.
2 The substantive content of the answer is correct, but there may be some
redundancy or minor imprecision.
1 Relevant, but fragmented, points.
0 Nothing written worthy of credit.
Indicative content
• This question concerns a difference/distinction between two ways that God is said to be related to
time.
• Students may introduce their subject as ‘the God of classical theism’, before stating the key issue:
how to characterise God’s relationship with time. Some students might associate classical theism
more narrowly with the view that ‘God is eternal’. Either approach is fine in this context.
• The difference is between God being...
o everlasting: existing throughout/within all of time (existing temporally) and...
o eternal: existing outside of/independently of time (existing timelessly/atemporally).
• NB: It is important to distinguish between God as an ‘everlasting’ being from other finitely old
temporal beings (eg humans or the universe itself). There are different ways this can be done:
o Students might say that ‘an everlasting God exists throughout time’ or ‘within all of time.’
o Students may omit those references to ‘throughout time’ or ‘within all of time’ but say instead
that an ‘everlasting God exists within time without beginning or end’.
Distribution of marks
If students give precise definitions of the two concepts, leaving the differences implicit but perfectly
clear, full marks can be awarded. Some students will hone straight in on the difference, however, and
should be marked according to the levels of the generic mark scheme. But this approach will still
signal their understanding of the two concepts. So here is a guide to the awarding of marks:
o Students awarded 3 marks will show clear knowledge and understanding of both concepts
of God’s relationship to time.
o Students awarded 2 marks will show clear knowledge and understanding of one concept,
but there will be imprecision on the other (perhaps through redundancy).
o Students awarded 1 mark will either show clear knowledge and understanding of one
concept but be incorrect on the other, or else they will show imprecise / fragments of
knowledge and understanding of both concepts. In the event that a student gives correct
definitions of the concepts but gets them the wrong way round, then 1 mark can also be
awarded.
Examples for 3 marks
• An eternal God is timeless. An everlasting God exists throughout time.
• An everlasting God is without beginning and end but still exists within time, whereas an eternal
God transcends time.
4
PHILOSOPHY
7172/2
Paper 2 The metaphysics of God and the metaphysics of mind
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
*256A7172/2/MS*
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PHILOSOPHY – 7172/2 – JUNE 2025
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own
internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third
party even for internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PHILOSOPHY – 7172/2 – JUNE 2025
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The
descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level.
Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as
instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme.
Step 1 Determine a level
Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the
descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in
the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it
meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With
practice and familiarity you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the
lower levels of the mark scheme.
When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in
small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If
the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit
approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within
the level, ie if the response is predominantly level 3 with a small amount of level 4 material it would be
placed in level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the level 4 content.
Step 2 Determine a mark
Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate
marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an
answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This
answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer
with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then
use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example.
You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and
assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.
Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be
exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points
mentioned in the Indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme.
An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks.
3
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PHILOSOPHY – 7172/2 – JUNE 2025
0 1 State the difference between God being everlasting and God being eternal.
[3 marks]
AO1 = 3
Marks Levels of response mark scheme
3 A full and correct answer, given precisely, with little or no redundancy.
2 The substantive content of the answer is correct, but there may be some
redundancy or minor imprecision.
1 Relevant, but fragmented, points.
0 Nothing written worthy of credit.
Indicative content
• This question concerns a difference/distinction between two ways that God is said to be related to
time.
• Students may introduce their subject as ‘the God of classical theism’, before stating the key issue:
how to characterise God’s relationship with time. Some students might associate classical theism
more narrowly with the view that ‘God is eternal’. Either approach is fine in this context.
• The difference is between God being...
o everlasting: existing throughout/within all of time (existing temporally) and...
o eternal: existing outside of/independently of time (existing timelessly/atemporally).
• NB: It is important to distinguish between God as an ‘everlasting’ being from other finitely old
temporal beings (eg humans or the universe itself). There are different ways this can be done:
o Students might say that ‘an everlasting God exists throughout time’ or ‘within all of time.’
o Students may omit those references to ‘throughout time’ or ‘within all of time’ but say instead
that an ‘everlasting God exists within time without beginning or end’.
Distribution of marks
If students give precise definitions of the two concepts, leaving the differences implicit but perfectly
clear, full marks can be awarded. Some students will hone straight in on the difference, however, and
should be marked according to the levels of the generic mark scheme. But this approach will still
signal their understanding of the two concepts. So here is a guide to the awarding of marks:
o Students awarded 3 marks will show clear knowledge and understanding of both concepts
of God’s relationship to time.
o Students awarded 2 marks will show clear knowledge and understanding of one concept,
but there will be imprecision on the other (perhaps through redundancy).
o Students awarded 1 mark will either show clear knowledge and understanding of one
concept but be incorrect on the other, or else they will show imprecise / fragments of
knowledge and understanding of both concepts. In the event that a student gives correct
definitions of the concepts but gets them the wrong way round, then 1 mark can also be
awarded.
Examples for 3 marks
• An eternal God is timeless. An everlasting God exists throughout time.
• An everlasting God is without beginning and end but still exists within time, whereas an eternal
God transcends time.
4
