AQA A-Level Philosophy | Paper 1 | 2026 Predicted Paper | Mark Scheme: Questions 6, 7 and 8
Question 6
What does it mean to say that moral properties or facts are mind-independent?
[3 marks]
What is expected in the answer?
This is a 3-mark AO1 question, so the student needs a short, exact definition rather than an extended discussion of moral realism. Full marks require the idea of mind-independence to be stated precisely, without drifting into arguments for or against realism.
AQA defines moral realism as the view that there are mind-independent/objective moral properties or facts.
Levels of response
Marks | Descriptor |
3 | A full and correct answer, given precisely, with little or no redundancy. |
2 | The substantive content is correct, but there may be some redundancy or minor imprecision. |
1 | Relevant but fragmented points. |
0 | Nothing written worthy of credit. |
This matches AQA's published 3-mark level descriptors.
Indicative content
Students may explain that:
a moral property or fact is mind-independent if its existence or truth does not depend upon what anyone thinks about it
it does not depend upon people's beliefs, attitudes, emotions, desires or preferences
therefore, if a mind-independent moral fact exists, it remains a fact even if an individual or society believes otherwise
this is the central commitment of moral realism.
Students do not need to explain moral naturalism, non-naturalism or anti-realism to gain full marks.
Example student answer
A moral property or fact is mind-independent if it exists or is true regardless of what anyone believes, feels or thinks about it. Its truth does not depend on people's attitudes towards it.
Example commentary
3/3
This is concise and precise. The student gives the essential idea, that the truth or existence of the moral fact is independent of mental attitudes, and clarifies what this means by referring to beliefs and feelings.
AQA's 2023 examiner report on a closely related 3-mark meta-ethics question found that the best responses often simply gave clear specification-level definitions. Examples on their own were not sufficient, and unnecessary extra material added nothing.
An answer such as "mind-independent means everyone agrees that it is right or wrong" would not be correct. Agreement is a fact about people's minds, whereas mind-independence means the moral truth does not depend on such agreement.
Question 7
Explain how contradiction in conception and contradiction in will are used in Kant’s first formulation of the categorical imperative.
[5 marks]
What is expected in the answer?
The command word explain requires a connected account. For 5 marks, students should explain the first formulation and then distinguish clearly between the two ways in which a universalised maxim can fail. This is an AO1 question, so evaluation of Kant is unnecessary.
AQA's specification explicitly includes the first formulation of the categorical imperative and the distinction between contradiction in conception and contradiction in will.
Levels of response
Marks | Descriptor |
5 | A full, clear and precise explanation. Logical links are made between precisely identified points, with no redundancy. |
4 | A clear explanation with logical links, but some imprecision or redundancy. |
3 | The substantive content is present and there is some logical linking, but the explanation is not full and/or precise. |
2 | One or two relevant points are made, but not precisely. The logic is unclear. |
1 | Fragmented relevant points with no logical structure. |
0 | Nothing written worthy of credit. |
These are AQA's published descriptors for 5-mark Philosophy questions.
Indicative content
Students may explain that:
Kant's first formulation requires an agent to act only on a maxim that they can will as a universal law
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