PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY
The study of Philosophy appeals to those who like to think about things other people take for granted. The aim of the course is to enable a student to think and write like a philosopher: with clarity, originality and depth.
Students are required to study philosophical questions and problems grouped into themes; to explore in detail one major text in Philosophy; and to respond philosophically to different stimuli.
Elements of the course The Core theme asks what it means to be human, and offers different perspectives on issues such as the self, personal identity and consciousness.
Other themes include Ethics, the Philosophy of Religion, and Political Philosophy. Higher Level candidates study the core and two optional themes; Standard Level candidates study the core and one optional theme.
All candidates study one classic text from a list that includes Descartes’ Meditations, Mill’ s On Liberty and Nietzsche’ s The Genealogy of Morals.
All students complete a coursework essay exploring the philosophical implications of a nonphilosophical stimulus( perhaps song lyrics or a cartoon; a movie script or a piece of art). Higher Level candidates also develop their understanding of Philosophy as an activity in an additional paper.
THE IB AT SEVENOAKS | GROUP THREE 23