Year 10 IB Diploma Preparation Course Guide 2023

PHILOSOPHY

Year 10 IB Diploma Preparation Course

SUBJECT OUTLINE Philosophy (IB Diploma) is a systematic critical inquiry into profound, fascinating and challenging questions such as: What is it to be human? Do we have free will? What do we mean when we say something is right or wrong? These abstract questions arise out of our everyday experiences, and philosophical tools such as critical and systematic thinking, careful analysis, and construction of arguments provide the means of addressing such questions. The practice of philosophy deepens and clarifies our understanding of these questions, as well as our ability to formulate possible responses. The emphasis of the Diploma Programme philosophy course is on “doing philosophy”, that is, on actively engaging students in philosophical activity. The course is focused on stimulating students’ intellectual curiosity and encouraging them to examine both their own perspectives and those of others. Students are challenged to develop their own philosophical voice and to grow into independent thinkers, in addition to engaging with some of the world’s most interesting and influential thinkers. The course also develops highly transferable skills such as the ability to formulate arguments clearly, to make reasoned judgments and to evaluate highly complex and multifaceted issues.

WHY STUDY THIS SUBJECT Students will develop as curious and intellectual thinkers, reasoned and purposeful arguers, balanced critical analysts and become confident in applying philosophical thinking to global challenges. For students, the course does not focus on learning what philosophers said, but rather it is about developing skills so students can ‘philosophise’. Therefore, the course is designed to help students become philosophers. Students interested in politics, law, history, creative writing, literature, and drama will find this course advantageous for gaining knowledge and critical thinking skills. STRUCTURE Both semesters follow the sequence of knowledge acquisition followed by a student-choice inquiry. Students will be guided through their inquiry, so they learn the requisite methodologies. Semester 1 – Ethics The first topic for study focuses on normative ethics, exploring moral theories and how we make ethical decisions. It also reflects on moral principles themselves, and debates such as whether moral principles are universal or relative. Students will learn concepts for moral principles, virtue or character-based theories, Kantian deontological ethics, and teleological theories. Students will then select a non-philosophical work of their choice (from a novel, play, poetry, song lyrics, film/movie, television and radio show) and The second topic is political philosophy which is an area of philosophy that focuses on the study of people in societies, the claims people have on each other in the form of rights and obligations, and their demands for justice, equality and liberty. Political philosophy is also concerned with an analysis of the state and its institutions. Students will focus on civil society, the state (and its origins), forms of government, distributive and retributive justice, and human and natural rights. Students will then select a fictional dystopian society from literature, film or TV, for philosophical analysis. undertaken a philosophical analysis. Semester 2 – Political Philosophy

PATHWAYS The Year 10 IB Philosophy students can flexibility follow on to Year 11-12 subjects of:

Queensland Certificate of Education: Philosophy and Reason IB Diploma Programme: Philosophy

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