Year 10 Philosophy
Overview
Philosophy provides an opportunity for students to be introduced to and develop an understanding of the powerful ideas that have shaped our culture. Philosophy grapples with the most profound questions, such as: Are rights and wrongs simply a matter of culture or personal preference? Should the right decision be based on a calculation of happiness? What is the best (fairest) form of government? How much freedom should we have and what type of freedom should this be?
The Year 10 Philosophy elective aims to be an engaging and stimulating study which nurtures curiosity, problem solving skills, open mindedness and intellectual rigour. The three main areas/topics of focus in this elective are Ethics, Political Philosophy and Critical Thinking. In this elective we will fine-tune our thinking skills as we explore some really fascinating questions to do with acting well (ethics), organising ourselves into a just community (political philosophy) and developing and evaluating arguments (critical thinking). These are core topics for philosophy and for any well-lived life!
What do you do?
In this subject you will have the opportunity to debate and discuss a range of philosophical questions relating to Ethics, Political Philosophy and Critical Thinking. You will develop skills to analyse arguments, explore concepts and build your own argument/s for a given question or philosophical problem.
You will submit work in your own blog each week and engage in discussion with your fellow students in the philosophy forum. Key debates and ideas of the week will be discussed within the community of philosophers through online lessons, in blogs, and/or forums. Philosophy is a communal activity. Your thoughts and comments, when stated logically and ordered coherently, can help other philosophers with their own philosophical problems.
Finally, you will also have the opportunity to complete two mini assignments. These are an opportunity to further deepen your inquiry and thinking into a particular issue or question covered in main topics of Ethics and Political Philosophy.
What skills do you develop?
Philosophy allows you to think, read, discuss, write and be creative with your ideas. Doing philosophy is about developing the ability to clarify concepts, analyse problems and construct coherent and convincing arguments.
Philosophy is intellectually challenging; doing philosophy builds skills in independent thinking. Such skills are highly transferable. The study of philosophy complements all learning. In particular, philosophy encourages the questioning of underlying reasons and the search for justified links between ideas.
Requirements
Internet is needed to access this course. Work will be completed and submitted online weekly.
Things you can do now
Go to the VCAA website for more information about this subject.