Edexcel A Level Religious Studies - Anthology Companion Guide - Extract 4 - Medical ethics in late and postmodernity (2024)

Oct 20, 2026

Resource guide for Pearson Edexcel A Level Religious Studies focused on Anthology Extract 4 from Paper 2. Provides teacher support through expert commentaries and annotations that highlight key terminology, scholarly ideas, and links to specification content, with space for further notes. The extract examines how medical ethics develops in response to social, cultural, and technological change, addressing debates on abortion, euthanasia, autonomy, public health, genetic engineering, and emerging technologies, while considering evolving views of personhood, rights, responsibility, and professional roles in diverse societies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

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Access the Full Anthology Extract

About This Extract

Additional annotations

Edexcel A Level Religious Studies: Anthology Companion Guide Introduction This resource supports teachers in exploring an anthology extract for Pearson Edexcel A Level Religious Studies. Subject specialists have annotated the extract to highlight key terminology, scholarly ideas, links to specification content and opportunities for discussion. The annotations are intended as a starting point rather than a definitive commentary. Teachers may wish to adapt or expand them with their own notes, examples and teaching approaches. The full anthology extract can be accessed via the image or link opposite. How to Use this Resource Alongside the anthology extract, this resource includes expert commentaries that highlight key ideas, debates and connections within the text. The commentary is intended as a guide rather than a definitive interpretation. Teachers may wish to add their own annotations, examples, discussion points or specification links to reflect their approach to teaching the anthology. Space is provided throughout the resource for further annotation. Use this resource as a starting point for exploring the extract, identifying key themes and developing a deeper understanding of the ideas and issues it raises. Access the Full Anthology Extract Click the image or link below to open the complete anthology extract. Edexcel A Level Religious Studies: Anthology Companion Guide Medical ethics in late and postmodernity (2024) Adapted from: Thobaben, James. 2024. 'The History of Medical Ethics', St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. Edited by Brendan N. Wolfe et al [https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/HistoryofMedicalEthics](https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/HistoryofMedicalEthics) About This Extract • This is Extract 4 from Paper 2 of the anthology. • The extract explores how medical ethics has developed in response to social, cultural and technological change. • It examines key ethical debates surrounding issues such as abortion, euthanasia, patient autonomy, public health, genetic engineering and emerging medical technologies, alongside the different ethical approaches used to address them. • The text considers how ideas about personhood, rights, responsibility and the role of medical professionals have evolved overtime and highlights the challenges of reaching ethical agreement in increasingly diverse societies. • Teachers should note that the extract presents a range of viewpoints and ethical arguments designed to encourage critical analysis and discussion. Additional annotations Edexcel A Level Religious Studies: Anthology Companion Guide Commentary: 􀁍 Late modernity is the contemporary phase of modern society in which globalisation, individual choice, rapid change and awareness of risk have intensified, while traditional sources of authority have become less influential. Post modernity refers to the social condition which emerged from mid to late 20th century. The first few paragraphs introduce medical ethics as an area of ethical study. 􀁎 Links to papers: 4B 4 .2, 4D 6 .3, 4E 4 .1, 4F 4.1. 􀁏 Links to paper 2 4.2. 􀁐 People questioning traditional deontological moral decision-making approaches in 1960's, like Natural Law. 􀁑 Fletcher argued that one principle could determine right and wrong in every situation: love (1 Corinthians 13) . In Situation Ethics, this love is agape, the Greek term for selfless love. Link with paper 2, 2.2. 􀁒 Personalism-emphasises the importance of people, people are more important than rules. 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 Medical ethics in late and postmodernity (2024) 6.1 Late modernity: lost commonality, professional moralists, and the boundary of life Into [the] cultural confusion [of the late twentieth century] came a new academic discipline,‘medical ethics’. The term, by then, was far more expansive than merely defining how physicians might properly interact with patients and each other. While initially having strong Christia

FAQs

What does the guide aim to do for teachers studying the anthology extract?

It supports teachers in exploring the anthology extract through annotated commentary that highlights key terminology, scholarly ideas, and discussion opportunities, intended as a starting point rather than a definitive interpretation.

What is the focus of Anthology Extract 4 from Paper 2?

It explores how medical ethics has developed in response to social, cultural, and technological change, including ethical debates such as abortion, euthanasia, patient autonomy, public health, genetic engineering, and emerging medical technologies.

Which teaching approach does the guide encourage regarding the annotations?

Teachers may adapt or expand the annotations with their own notes, examples, discussion points, and specification links, and use the provided space for further annotation.

Oct 20, 2026

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