Philosophical thought shapes everything we do: what we think, value, and how we ethically engage with others and the world around us. It seeks ask questions and understanding life’s big issues:

• Am I the only one who sees myself as I do?

• How do we know what we know?

• Do “bad” people really exist?

• Is free-will just an illusion?

• Where is the line between art and not art?

• To what extent is beauty subjective?

• Why do we experience time as linear, when it’s not?

Philosophy also grapples with problems that threaten, or enhance, our future, such as artificial intelligence, human rights and freedom of speech.  A recent Forbes article presents the importance of philosophers in leading business, noting that the greatest rise in board appointments in recent years have been graduates with a Philosophy degree.

In this course, you will be actively engaged in exploring authentic ethical, social and political dilemmas. We will be challenged to think rigorously and discuss these issues in communities of inquiry and Ethic Olympiads. This engagement in philosophical discussion will encourage you to think laterally, critically and collaboratively. Through the study of philosophy, you will develop the skills to: think deeply, formulate sound arguments, have an open-minded and challenge existing beliefs, attitudes and values.  Most of the activities in this elective will involve speaking, listening and collaboration.

Suited to students who enjoy speaking, listening and collaborating, a key feature of this elective is involvement in the Ethics Olympiad (Senior division in May; middle division in November.  An Ethics Olympiad is a competitive yet collaborative event in which students analyse and discuss real-life, and timely, ethical issues. It differs from a debate in that students are not assigned opposing views, rather, they defend a variety of positions and achieve by showing that they have thought carefully, deeply, and perceptively about the cases in question. The event encourages and promotes ethical awareness, critical thinking skills, civil discourse, international engagement, and an appreciation for diverse points of view.