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Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions

Exam preparation

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June 2014

Critically assess the view that Utilitarianism is of no use when making decisions about sexual ethics. [35]

January 2013:

‘Religious approaches to sexual ethics are more helpful than secular approaches.’  Discuss. [35]

January 2012:

‘For moral issues surrounding sex the demands of conscience override other ethical considerations.’ Discuss. [35]

June 2011:

To what extent is Virtue Ethics helpful when making decisions about extramarital sex? [35]

January 2011:

'Natural Law is the most reliable approach when making decisions about pre-marital sex.' Discuss. [35]

June 2010:

To what extent are ethical theories helpful when considering the issues surrounding homosexuality? [35]

The examiner's report said:

This was the more popular of the applied ethics questions on the paper. However, it did highlight a weakness in some candidates attempting this style of question. There was little use of specific cases or incidents to strengthen the arguments discussed by the candidates. Added to which, the use of specific ethical theories tended to be insubstantial and rather inconsequential with very little depth of response indicating a lack of any real understanding. The word ‘helpful’ was often ignored, and candidates simply discussed which ethical theory was the best approach. Homosexuality was mostly seen as a ‘male’ issue, concerning sexual relationships only.

Kantian Ethics and Natural Law were mostly dismissed as simply having a negative view of homosexuality and so seen as unhelpful as homosexuals are unable to reproduce naturally. Little effort was made by candidates to explore these ethics theories in any depth and apply them. Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics were considered helpful as long consenting adults were involved. Surprisingly few candidates considered any other issue or discussed the inclination versus practice issue.

However, this question did provoke far more engagement with the candidates than any other, and those who considered the attitudes of different societies, adoption, civil partnerships etc did so with considerable flair and understanding of the wider issues.

A great question from January 2010:

'Some ethical theories are of more help than others when making decisions about sexual issues.' Discuss.

The examiners wrote:

Some responses to this question were excellent and they were a pleasure to read, interestingly many favouring both the Virtue Ethics of Aristotle and the more modern interpretations such as those of Hursthouse, Slote and Gilligan as the most useful in today’s world.

Some candidates wrote at length about masturbation and/or homosexuality which, while it may have been illuminating, failed to address the question in an appropriate manner.

Good candidates handled the material in a mature and reflective manner; weaker responses were simply opinions about sex and sexuality without references to the range of ‘ethical theories’. This showed the danger of the danger of allowing the popularisation of an ethical issue to override the ethical and philosophical thinking behind the issue of sexual behaviour.

 

The June 2008 paper had this question:

‘Virtue ethics is a good approach to the issues surrounding sex and relationships.’ Discuss. [45]

This question is from June 2007:

'Sex and relationships are matters of personal choice.' Discuss. [45]

This question is from June 2006:

'Natural Law is the most reliable approach when making judgments about sex and relationships.' Discuss. [45]

The following exam questions are from AS papers where students unusually study Religious Ethics 2 at AS level. It is still good practice for A2 candidates::

    (a) Explain how a commitment to the religion you have studied might influence a person’s ethical behaviour in a sexual relationship. [33]
    (b) ‘Absolute moral rules have no place in personal relationships.’ Discuss. [17]

(a) Explain how Virtue ethics might be applied to issues raised by sexual relationships. [33]
(b) ‘In sexual relationships, Virtue ethics is useless.’ Discuss. [17]

(taken from the OCR website)

As this is an A2 topic (unless you study Ethics 2 at AS), you will be asked more challenging questions. For example, "What is the importance of pleasure in the ethics of sex and relationships?" "To what extent should sex and relationships be a private matter for the individual's conscience?" "There are no right or wrong answers in questions about the ethics of sex and relationships - Discuss". Have a look at a student's answer to the question: "Religious Ethics cannot provide good answers to questions of sexual ethics – a rational approach is needed" Discuss.

We now have an interactive diagram showing how to answer an ethics exam question, The 'structure' of the paragraph will be different for 'ethical theory' questions, but the basic principles are the same. Try filling it in yourself and print out the completed diagram.

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