Philosophy

YEAR LONG

Philosophy is the study and pursuit of knowledge. In this subject, students are encouraged and taught to develop their critical thinking skills to pursue deep and difficult questions about the world around them.

Philosophy is a challenging and stimulating study, which nurtures curiosity, problem-solving skills, open-mindedness and intellectual rigour. Doing philosophy involves explicitly developing the habits of clarifying concepts, analysing problems, developing critical questions and constructing reasoned perspectives on key debates. It encourages students to reflect critically on their own thinking and helps them to develop a sophisticated and coherent world view.

The ability to think philosophically is highly regarded in careers where conceptual analysis, strategic thinking, insightful questioning and carefully reasoned arguments are needed. At the same time exploring the big philosophical questions and the ideas of some of history’s greatest thinkers can promote a more satisfying intellectual life and offer inspiration to guide human existence into the future.

Classes are predominantly discussion based where students are encouraged to share their views and listen to others as we investigate and debate a wide range of longstanding philosophical questions.

We look at many case studies from the real world and apply our philosophical learnings onto these real world examples. We also watch television shows and films that demonstrate certain philosophical problems and potential solutions to these big questions.

We study a wide variety of philosophical perspectives ranging from Ancient Greece, contemporary Australian philosophers and Eastern perspectives such as Buddhism.

Topics that we explore are:

  • What motivates ethical behaviour?

  • Is everyone capable of evil?

  • Are we motivated by reason or emotion?

  • Is what we see around us real? Can we trust our senses?

  • Can we know anything for certain?

  • Where do human rights come from?

  • What rights should animals have?

  • Are our decisions free or pre-determined?

  • Is there a ‘right way’ to live?

  • Is time travel possible?

  • Do non-physical things exist?

  • Is genetic enhancement or manipulation of humans ethically justified?

  • Is animal testing ever justified?

You should study Philosophy if:

  • You have strong opinions about justice and how the world works

  • You enjoy questioning the way things are done

  • You enjoy classes that have debates and discussions

  • You enjoy classes where there may not be just ‘one right answer’

  • You enjoy watching films or reading books that question reality, human motivations and capacity for ethical decision-making

  • You have an interest in learning about different belief systems and practices across the world

Philosophy is a year-long Humanities elective. There are set tasks and skills however the content and areas of passion for study are co-created with the students to create meaningful investigations on issues that they care about.

Student Testimonials

“I recommend it to any student who loves debating and deep thinking. I have learnt not to jump to conclusions, and that everything has a flipside. I think I am a better person now. After doing Philosophy, the world will change; nothing will be certain anymore, but everything will be exciting. This subject has inspired me to continue with philosophy outside of high school, an option I never considered before this year. I think it will be your favourite subject and will change the way you think about everything.”

“Exploring the world of philosophy is likely to open your eyes to a whole new realm of existence, where suddenly you just can't believe in anything without investigating it first. You'll become extremely good at pondering deeply. Best of all, you get to spend lots of classes arguing for your point of view and debating current issues. Your moral compass could broaden. Philosophy is almost a class in time travelling, you start out looking at 'ye olde dudes in arm chairs thinking about wax (Descartes) and ancient Greeks (Socrates, Plato & Aristotle) before looking at thinkers who are still around today and talking about how to live a good life.”