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Course Profile Philosophy: Questions and Theories (HZT4U),
Grade 12, University Preparation, Public
Course Overview
Prerequisite: Any University, University/College,
or College Preparation course in
Social
Sciences and Humanities, English, or Canadian and World Studies
This course
addresses three (or more) of the main areas of philosophy: metaphysics, logic,
epistemology, ethics, social and political philosophy, and aesthetics. Students
will learn critical-thinking skills, the main ideas expressed by philosophers
from a variety of the world’s traditions, how to develop and explain their own
philosophical ideas, and how to apply those ideas to contemporary social issues
and personal experiences. The course will also help students refine skills used
in researching and investigating topics in philosophy.
This course
offers students a host of opportunities for engaging some of the great
philosophical issues and questions of the last 2500 years. In the process of
putting into practice the Socratic injunction, “the unexamined life is not
worth living,” students develop a range of analytic and synthetic thinking
skills, enabling them to tackle the key concepts, issues, and questions of
philosophy. Students also develop research and writing skills and become
stronger logical thinkers. Students develop interest in a wide range of
important, philosophically-oriented issues and are challenged to think about their
world in an engaged, critical manner.
Philosophy:
Questions and Theories is to be comprised of three (or more) major areas of
philosophy selected from the six outlined in this profile (1. Metaphysics; 2.
Epistemology; 3. Logic and the Philosophy of Science; 4. Ethics; 5. Social and
Political Philosophy; and 6. Aesthetics). Unit 1: Metaphysics serves as the
core unit for the remaining units. Aside from examining questions and ideas
directly raised in the study of traditional metaphysics, Unit 1 provides students
with a sound introduction to the study of philosophy and lays the foundation
for philosophical inquiry. A feature of this course is its flexibility; the
teacher selects a minimum of three units to address three of the six areas.
This course is unique
in that it offers the teacher substantial latitude in terms of planning. This
profile uses a three-unit model, with Metaphysics as first and foundational.
Though all Unit Culminating Activities have been designed with the specific
unit in mind, each of these activities can be adapted to work in other units.
This course is
relevant to any students who have the prerequisites, regardless of gender,
ethnic or religious background, and academic or career goals. Students develop
and apply creative- and critical-thinking tools to crucial questions about
human nature; individual and communal responsibilities; issues of right and
wrong; the scope and nature of human knowledge; social justice; how various key
disciplines are related; and other issues. Philosophy encourages students to
further develop and refine their critical thinking, logical thinking, writing,
and oral communication skills. In a systematic and coherent manner, students
are exposed to the fundamental tenets underpinning their own values and
beliefs, as well as the beliefs of others. Because of its relationship to
fundamental issues affecting us all, philosophy has the potential to engage and
enthrall learners.
Philosophy
is a challenging and valuable course for the following reasons.
·
Students apply
metacognitive skills to explore their own beliefs and values.
·
Students
demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
·
Students develop
critical- and logical-thinking skills for reading, writing, and oral
communication, allowing them to challenge existing ideas and integrate
meaningful ideas into their own experiences.
Grade
12 Philosophy lays vital and long-lasting foundations for students wishing to
pursue Philosophy, or other Humanities and Social Science courses at
university. The skills focus in Grade 12 is not only on classifying ideas
(compare, contrast, strengths, weaknesses), but also on a range of higher-order
thinking, such as evaluating and defending ideas. The ability to locate,
summarize, and properly document information from sources is featured.
University-bound students develop the skills needed to read for meaning and
define terms, as well as to classify and evaluate ideas. Regardless of the
field students intend to pursue at university, they will find these skills
useful.
This course poses
significant, though potentially rewarding, challenges to teachers. The primary
challenge is to introduce students to the complex and often abstract study of
philosophical concepts and ideas. For most students, the study of philosophy is
substantially different from anything else they have studied in the past.
Often, by the time students reach Grade 12, they have come to believe and
endorse the notion that their responses to questions are based on the premise
that there are readily identifiable right and wrong answers. Rarely have they
been encouraged to raise and/or explore questions that have no immediate or cut
and dried answers or to pose queries and posit ideas that fundamentally
challenge the beliefs and viewpoints of others. Philosophy provides students
with new avenues of thought and opens new intellectual pathways. To
meaningfully meet these challenges, students must be provided with the skills
to develop strong, coherent, and logical arguments of their own and to critique
the ideas of others; rather than uncritically accepting a given point of view,
they evaluate its merits. This challenge can be mitigated by the fact that the
majority of students, by this stage in their intellectual development, have
developed a natural curiosity about the structures and underpinnings of the
world around them. They have developed a healthy skepticism towards accepting
the status quo in terms of values, beliefs, and ideas. This state leads
students towards the desire to delineate and communicate their own set of
values and beliefs. The teacher can capitalize on this burgeoning intellectual
curiosity by connecting abstract philosophical concepts and questions to the
concrete issues and realities relevant to students. The six areas of philosophical
focus provide numerous potential connections to students’ lives and the study
of philosophy. Ultimately, this course needs to serve two primary functions: to
prepare students for future studies in Philosophy and to provide students with
a pragmatic set of skills useful for any field of study in university.
For students to be
actively engaged in their learning, they must feel that the course material is
relevant to their lives and they must see themselves represented in the
material presented. In today’s diverse classroom, it is vital that teachers
strive to include readings, audio/visual sources, and other learning aids that
balance gender, religion, race, and regions of the world. Wherever feasible,
students should explore viewpoints on philosophical issues or questions through
examining the works and ideas of both women and men, Western and Eastern
philosophies, and philosophies encompassing diverse theological and/or
religious perspectives. As well, a focus on interdisciplinary connections
between philosophy and a host of other courses must be made to meet the course
expectations and to create maximum interest for students. It is also vital to
explore many of the ideas and questions raised in the course through a variety
of mediums, including contemporary music, film, literature, and art.
The learning expectations lead students and
teachers into the exploration of a range of sensitive issues that will require
careful planning to achieve approaches that are respectful to a range of points
of view. This balance is assisted by addressing the several expectations in the
Ethics and Research and Inquiry strands. As each unit has its own overall and
specific expectations, as well as the overarching Research and Inquiry Skills,
the teacher carefully plans lessons and activities to address the totality of
expectations as they relate to the relevant unit. Course expectations generally
provide a balance between students “doing” philosophy and studying the history
of philosophy. At the onset of the course, the teacher introduces students to
the rather unique nature of philosophical enterprise and touches on the skills
needed to be a successful philosopher. The application of these skills is implicit
in the evaluation activities but is not directly taught. Instead, these
expectations are reflected in rubrics, which are used to assess and evaluate
students’ ability to respond philosophically to fundamental issues and
questions.
|
* Unit 1 |
Metaphysics |
35.5 hours |
|
Unit 2 |
Logic and the
Philosophy of Science |
27 hours |
|
Unit 3 |
Epistemology |
27 hours |
|
Unit 4 |
Ethics |
27 hours |
|
Unit 5 |
Social and
Political Philosophy |
27 hours |
|
Unit 6 |
Aesthetics |
27 hours |
|
Culminating
Activity |
Essay and Seminar
Presentation |
20.5 hours |
* This unit is fully
developed in this Course Profile.
** Select two units
from Units 2-6 for a total of 54 hours (2 units ´ 27 hours = 54 hours).
Unit Description
In this unit,
students explore the main questions, concepts, and theories of metaphysics.
Metaphysics is generally concerned with defining the ultimate constituents of
reality and how we perceive them. The world appears to be structured by space
and time. It is proliferated by matter and minds, things and their properties.
We understand ourselves and our relationships to others and things by means of
abstract concepts, such as causation, necessity, creation, and destruction.
However, the age-old metaphysical dilemma remains when we investigate reality:
are we discovering the underlying structures of existence or merely reflecting
on how we represent the world within our minds? Beyond an examination of the
basic concepts of metaphysics, an investigation into historical approaches to metaphysical
questions is essential. How did science offer an alternative to mythological
explanations of reality? How did Plato and Aristotle explain the meaning of
life? How did perceptions of reality change from the Medieval to the Modern
period? Are there fundamental differences between Eastern and Western
approaches to metaphysics? How do virtual reality and hyper-reality affect the
post-Modern experience? Throughout this unit, students evaluate classic texts,
philosophers, and schools of philosophy to formulate their own opinions and to
demonstrate the applicability of metaphysical thought to everyday life.
Unit Culminating
Activity: A Metaphysical Web Quest
Students complete a
teacher-created Web Quest. In the Web Quest, students are cast in the role of
editors of a forthcoming philosophy textbook. They use the Internet to create a
chapter of the textbook. Students write an introduction and short summaries, as
well as choose primary readings. Students work in pairs but are graded
individually. (See Appendix A – Metaphysics Web Quest.)
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1 |
MEV.01, MEV.03, MEV.04, ME1.01, ME1.03, ME 1.05, ISV.01, ISV.03,
IS3.01 |
Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
Introduction to Philosophy and Metaphysics – defining metaphysics and
evaluating its relevance to everyday life. |
|
2 |
MEV.01, MEV.02,
ISV.02, ME1.03, ME1.04, IS1.03, IS2.03 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Ancient Concepts
of Reality – from supernaturalism to hylomorphism |
|
3 |
ISV.02, ME1.02,
ME1.04, IS2.01, IS2.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
A Socio-cultural
View of Reality – from medieval faith to enlightenment reason |
|
4 |
MEV.02, ISV.02,
ME1.01, IS1.03, IS2.01, IS2.03, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
The Search for
Ultimate Answers – from the romantic transcendental to the post-modern
hyper-real |
|
5 |
MEV.01, ISV.02,
ME1.01, ME1.02, IS2.01, IS2.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Eastern Approaches
to a Unified Reality |
|
6 |
MEV.02, ISV.02,
ME1.02, ME1.03, IS1.03, IS2.02, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
The Spiritual
Dimensions of Reality – the question of God and free will |
|
7 |
MEV.01, MEV.02,
MEV.03, ISV.01, ISV.03, ISV.04, ISV.05, ME1.01, ME1.02, ME1.03, ME1.04,
IS1.02, IS1.03, IS2.01, IS2.02, IS2.03, IS3.01, IS3.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application |
Unit Culminating
Activity – A Metaphysical Web Quest |
Unit Description
This unit is
comprised of two related areas of philosophy. The Western traditions of both
logic and science have their fundamental roots in the empiricism of Aristotle,
and his seminal work provides a grounding for the study of both areas. To
understand our intellectual tradition is to be familiar with Aristotle’s “Three
Laws of Thought,” which form the crux of Western logic. Students examine the
development of formal and informal logic from this point and beyond; they learn
to define and to correctly use the core terminology of logic, e.g., logical consistency, contradiction,
deduction, validity, and to demonstrate an understanding of the main
questions in logic, e.g., What is a valid argument? What is a logical fallacy?
Students also apply their knowledge to distinguish valid from invalid arguments
and sound from unsound arguments in a variety of sources and context. Students
explain the relevance of logic to mathematics, computer science, and artificial
intelligence, all the while learning to apply logical and critical thinking
skills in practical contexts and in detecting logical fallacies.
Science has become
the primary mode of intellectual understanding and exploration in the West,
especially post-Newton. The study of the Philosophy of Science charges students
with demonstrating an understanding of some of its central questions, e.g.,
What differentiates science from non-science? What constitutes a law-like
explanation? Can science tell us what the world is really like? Students
evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the responses, given by some of the
most prevalent philosophical theories of science, e.g., instrumentalism,
logical positivism, scientific realism, to such questions as “What is the
relationship between theory and observation?”, making reference to classic
texts, e.g., Quine’s Word and Object,
Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions. In the course of explaining the influence of philosophical
theories, e.g., atomism, phenomenology, on the development of the natural and
social sciences, students also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses, defended by some of the major philosophers and schools of
philosophy, to questions on natural and social sciences. They then develop and
defend responses of their own. Finally, students learn to formulate and defend
their own responses to some fundamental questions in the philosophy of science,
e.g., What makes a scientific theory true? and demonstrate an understanding of
how philosophical questions apply to other disciplines, such as physics,
mathematics, and psychology.
Unit Culminating
Activity: Formal Test
For the culminating
activity, each student takes a formal, multi-part test that includes all four
Achievement Chart categories (Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry,
Communication, and Application). The purpose of this test is twofold: first, to
evaluate students’ comprehension of this particular unit; second, to prepare
students for the examination portion of the Final Culminating Activity.
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1 |
PS1.01, PS1.02,
PSV.01, ISV.01, IS1.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry |
What is logic? Define key terms
of logic, e.g., logical consistency, contradiction, deduction, validity. |
|
2 |
PSV.02, PS1.03,
ISV.04, ISV.05, IS1.02, IS2.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
What is a valid
argument? What is a logical fallacy? |
|
3 |
PSV.02, PS1.03,
ISV.04, ISV.05, IS1.02, IS1.03 |
Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication |
View advertising
in various forms of media and identify logical fallacies. Analyse editorial
and/or opinion columns from major newspapers or news and identify informal
and formal logical flaws in the arguments presented. |
|
4 |
PS2.01, ISV.02, ISV.03,
IS2.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
What
differentiates science from non-science? |
|
5 |
PSV.03, PSV.04,
PS2.01, PS2.03, ISV.02, ISV.04, ISV.05, IS1.02, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
What constitutes a
law-like explanation? |
|
6 |
PSV.04, PS2.01, ISV.01, IS1.03, IS2.02, IS2.03 |
Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
Can science tell us what the world is really like? |
|
7 |
PSV.01, PSV.02,
PSV.04, PS1.01, PS1.02, PS1.03, PS2.01, PS2.02, PS2.03, PS2.04, ISV.05,
ISV.02, IS1.02, IS1.03, IS3.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication |
Unit Culminating
Activity: Formal Test |
Unit Description
Epistemology is
concerned with the origin, nature, and limits of knowledge. In this unit,
students explore the main questions, concepts, and theories of epistemology, as
well as evaluate the responses of philosophers and schools of philosophy to the
major issues in this area. Students formulate and defend their ideas concerning
epistemology and demonstrate the applicability of epistemological theories to
everyday life and other subject areas. Thematic questions include: Is it
possible to know anything with certainty? How can we differentiate between the
concepts of knowledge, wisdom, belief, and ideology? What does it mean for
something to be true? Are emotions and thoughts fundamentally different things?
What is the nature of the human mind? Is artificial intelligence possible? Can
machines and animals think? How do language, society, and technology affect our
ability to know? Beyond an examination of these preliminary epistemological
concerns, students investigate the empiricist/rationalist debate from its
ancient incarnation with Plato and Aristotle through Descartes and Locke to the
scepticism of Hume and the transcendental idealism of Kant. Differences in
Eastern and Western approaches are explored, along with the relevance of
epistemology to the artificial intelligence project.
Unit Culminating
Activity: Comparative Essay
The culminating
activity for this unit is an individual comparative essay in which students
answer the question, “Which epistemological theory has the greatest validity
for understanding contemporary society?” The essay should be in the form of a
dialectical argument, in which two opposing viewpoints are examined and a
synthesis is resolved. Students examine the ideas of at least two major
philosophers from primary sources. As well, they demonstrate the practical
application of epistemological theory to contemporary life.
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1 |
EPV.01, EPV.03,
EP1.01, EP1.04, ISV.01, ISV.02 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
Defining
epistemology and evaluating its relevance to everyday life |
|
2 |
EPV.02, EP1.02,
EP1.03, ISV.02, IS2.01, IS2.02 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Rationalism,
Empiricism, and the Kantian Revolution |
|
3 |
EPV.03, EPV.04,
EP1.03, EP1.04, EP1.05, ISV.02 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
Truth claims,
language games, social conditioning, and the impediments to knowledge |
|
4 |
EPV.02, EPV.03, EP1.02, EP1.03, EP1.04, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
The Self Under Siege – psychological concepts of identity in the
modern and post-modern eras |
|
5 |
EPV.03, EPV.04,
EP1.04, EP1.05, IS2.01, IS2.02, IS2.03, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application |
The controversy
around whether animals and machines think |
|
6 |
EPV.02, EPV.03,
EP1.02, EP1.04, IS2.02, IS2.03, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Society and the
Soul – Eastern approaches to knowledge |
|
7 |
EPV.01, EPV.02,
EPV.03, EPV.04, EP1.01, EP1.02, EP1.03, EP1.04, EP1.05 ISV.01, ISV.02,
ISV.03, ISV.04, ISV.05, IS2.01, IS2.02, IS3.02 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application |
Unit Culminating
Activity – Comparative Essay |
Unit Description
Students uncover the
main questions, concepts, and theories of ethics. Students debate questions,
such as What are good and evil? What is virtue? and What is the good life?
Various methods of determining right from wrong are explored. Moral relativism
and moral skepticism are also analysed. Students use critical-thinking skills
to explore and evaluate a variety of ethical questions and moral problems and
read primary source material by major philosophers. Connections are made
between the ethical theories and dilemmas in everyday life. Students analyse
and apply philosophical theories to create and defend their own ideas about
ethical issues. Research and philosophical reasoning skills are used to prepare
for class discussions and written papers.
Unit Culminating
Activity
The culminating
activity for this unit is a council that deals with a variety of ethical
dilemmas. Students are placed into small groups. Each group explores an issue,
such as environmental ethics, animal rights, or civil disobedience. Each
student researches the theories of one philosopher who has written about the
issue and assumes this persona. A sufficient number of research days should be
provided. A limited number of students act as the ethical council with the rest
of the class acting as audience. The presenters assume the personas of the
philosophers that they have researched to present their positions. After each
philosopher has verbalized his/her theory, the council and audience respond to
the other positions that have been presented.
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1 |
ETV.01, ET1.01,
ISV.02, IS1.02 |
Knowledge/Understanding Communication |
What is good and
evil? |
|
2 |
ETV.01, ET1.01,
ISV.03, IS1.03 |
Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
What is virtue? |
|
3 |
ETV.02, ET1.02,
ETV.04, ET1.05, ISV.04, IS3.02 |
Application Thinking/Inquiry |
What is the good
life? |
|
4 |
ETV.03, ET1.03,
ISV.02, IS2.02, ISV.04, IS2.03 |
Knowledge/Understanding Communication |
Deontological
Theory |
|
5 |
ETV.04, ET1.04,
ISV.01, IS1.01 |
Knowledge/Understanding Application |
Teleological
Theory |
|
6 |
ETV.03, ET1.03,
ISV.05, IS1.04 |
Thinking/Inquiry Application |
Moral Relativism
and Moral Skepticism |
|
7 |
ETV.01, ET1.01,
ETV.02, ET1.02, ETV.03, ET1.04, ETV.04, ET1.05, ISV.05, IS2.01, ISV.02,
IS3.01 |
Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication |
Unit Culminating
Activity – Ethics Council |
Unit Description
In this unit,
students explore social and political philosophy by analysing various
philosophical theories and questioning their validity. Students begin with a
discussion that focuses on the need for government and social justice. Students
critically analyse various forms of government and uncover conflicts between
the rights of the state and the rights of the individual. With information from
primary source materials, students use critical-thinking and philosophical
reasoning skills to summarize and evaluate philosophical concepts and formulate
their own views. The theories of political and social philosophy are applied to
contemporary political policy making. A range of reading materials should be
available. Students are given the opportunity to practise and apply their
research and inquiry skills in the unit culminating activity.
Unit Culminating
Activity
In a student-led
seminar, students are challenged to interpret and apply primary source material
to present-day politics. Each student locates a philosophical primary source
reading and a related contemporary political newspaper or magazine article. The
student facilitates a discussion with peers based on the application of the primary
source to the contemporary political issue. The student facilitator supplies
the class with the appropriate readings two days before the seminar. Each
seminar should be approximately forty minutes in length. This activity
challenges students to research, interpret, organize, and present the
information and act as a facilitator for other students. Students utilize
critical-thinking skills and improve communication skills that will be needed
in postsecondary studies.
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1 |
PPV.01, PP1.01,
ISV.03, ISI.03 |
Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Is there a natural
law? |
|
2 |
PPV.04, PP1.05,
ISV.01, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry |
What is justice?
What principles need to be adopted to achieve social justice? |
|
3 |
PPV.02, PP1.02,
ISV.02, IS1.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Communication |
What institutions
and practices are appropriate to implement the principles of distributive
justice? |
|
4 |
PPV.03, PP1.05,
ISV.05, IS3.02 |
Application Communication |
What are an
individual’s rights and responsibilities? |
|
5 |
PPV.04, PP1.03,
ISV.02, IS1.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Application |
Under what
conditions, if any, may citizens violate the law or resist authority? |
|
6 |
PPV.03, PP1.04, ISV.01, IS2.03 |
Thinking/Inquiry Application |
How are the theories of social and political philosophy adopted and
realized in contemporary political policy making? Are they effective? |
|
7 |
PPV.01, PP1.01,
PPV.02, PP1.02, PPV.03, PP1.03, PPV.04, PP1.04, PP1.05, ISV.04 IS2.01,
ISV.05, IS2.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication |
Unit Culminating
Activity – Student-led Seminars Interpreting and
applying primary source material to present-day politics |
Unit Description
From the earliest
cave paintings to contemporary performance installations, art and questions
about the nature of beauty and taste have been fundamental to humankind.
Changing modes of valuation – from Plato’s mistrust of poets to Kant’s theories
on judgment through post-Modern theories of art – have led to changing views of
both what is considered artistic and beautiful and of the role of art and
artists. Students often have strongly held, subjective viewpoints on taste and
artistic merit across a broad spectrum of artistic forms, including television,
music, and cinema. This unit gives students an opportunity to ground those
judgments in a more objective, philosophical context. By exploring the Western
philosophical tradition as it relates to aesthetics, they also have opportunities
to expand and revise their own theories and beliefs. Students are encouraged to
put art in the context of other branches of philosophy, including ethics,
epistemology, and metaphysics.
Unit Culminating
Activity: Verbal/Visual Essay
Students investigate
a central issue or concept of art. Students must examine this concept in at
least two of the following art forms: visual arts, movies, drama, dance, music,
and the written word (poetry or fiction). Employing definitions and quotations
from the philosophic and artistic traditions, images, symbols, representations,
and examples of extant art works, students create a conceptually coherent and
logically organized verbal/visual essay to demonstrate a clear understanding of
the philosophical underpinnings of the artistic endeavour.
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1 |
AE1.01, AE1.03,
AEV.01, ISV.01, IS2.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry |
What is beauty?
What is art? What makes something a work of art? |
|
2 |
AE1.01, AEV.01,
IS1.02, IS3.01, ISV.05 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Are judgments
about what is beautiful or ugly subjective? Are the standards of beauty
universal? How do feminist aesthetics contribute to our judgments on what is
beautiful? How do African and Eastern aesthetics contribute to our judgments
on what is beautiful? |
|
3 |
AE1.01, AE1.03,
IS3.02, ISV.05 |
Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication |
Should art have
social value? |
|
4 |
AE1.02, AEV.02,
ISV.02, ISV.03, IS1.01, IS1.02, IS1.03, ISV.05 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Is it the role of
art to improve people? |
|
5 |
AEV.01, AE1.01,
AE1.02, ISV.03, ISV.05 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication |
Can art tell us
what is true and false? |
|
6 |
AEV.03, AE1.01,
AE1.04, ISV.05, IS1.02, IS3.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Application |
Aesthetics and the
Contemporary World – music, art, fashion, film, and television |
|
7 |
AEV.01, AEV.02,
AEV.03, AE1.01, AE1.03, ISV.01, ISV.02, ISV.03, ISV.04, ISV.05, IS1.01, IS1.02,
IS2.01, IS3.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application |
Unit Culminating
Activity – Verbal/Visual Essay |
The course
culminating activity for Philosophy: Questions and Theories should allow students
to demonstrate a range of academic and intellectual skills, while at the same
time allowing students to draw on the materials and knowledge they have
acquired during the course. For these reasons and since 30% of a student’s
final grade is based on the course culminating activity, this activity is best
constructed around a variety of tasks. As a University Preparation course, the
tasks should reflect the types of assignments students are most likely to
encounter in Social Science or Humanities courses at university. This activity
should be introduced early in the course. Some of the allocated time (20.5
hours) should be used throughout the semester for conferencing, research,
writing, and editing workshops. The remainder is reserved for the end of the semester.
The first of
two related tasks for the Course Culminating Activity requires students to
write a 1500- to 2000-word formal essay, which can be expository,
argumentative, or persuasive; it is important that the essay cover material
from three of the main areas of philosophy. Students may take a particular
philosopher and examine how his/her philosophy has contributed to or influenced
the areas of philosophy covered in the units, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Kant,
Nietzsche, Carol Gilligan, Lao Tzu. Students may instead examine a specific
philosophical concept, issue, or question, e.g., How does the concept of
personhood relate to each unit? How does the question of whether a deity exists
or does not exist impact on the areas of philosophy covered? How does a
specifically feminist approach to philosophy alter or influence the approaches
to the three areas of philosophy? Alternatively students may focus on a
particular philosophical movement or school, e.g., existentialism,
phenomenology, scepticism, utilitarianism, pragmatism, Confucianism, and
examine how it approaches particular aspects of the major areas of philosophy.
The teacher reserves the right to give final approval for any particular topic.
The more
informal 10- to 12-minute oral presentation for the Course Culminating Activity
should focus and elaborate on one particular aspect of the essay. Students may
focus on the way their topic relates to a particular unit or they may organize
the presentation on an alternate basis. The presentation must include an
audio-visual component and the presenting student must prepare a one-page,
double-sided handout for classmates, contextualizing and summarizing the main
points of the material.
To maximize the potential for student success,
this activity should be structured by the teacher in terms of the process and
outcomes, while giving students substantial latitude in their choice of topics.
A sample method for organizing and sequencing the research, writing, and
presentation processes is provided. No specific grading weights have been
suggested. Students should be given multiple assessment and feedback
opportunities during the process prior to actual evaluations. Given the time
restrictions of the course, much of the work is done outside class hours.
Stage 1: Students conference with the
teacher. Students present two to four potential essay/presentation topics in
written form with evidence of rudimentary research. In consultation with the
teacher, students choose a specific topic.
Stage 2:
Students submit
specific topic and preliminary research in written form, including notes,
photocopies, and bibliographic references.
Stage 3:
Students have ongoing
consultation with the teacher and provide evidence of further progress in
written form, such as outlines, primary and secondary notes, and preliminary
drafts. The teacher provides assessment and feedback.
Stage 4:
All primary and
secondary notes are due for evaluation
Stage 5:
Students prepare full
rough drafts in word-processed form, including Works Cited and parenthetical
references, to be ready for in-class Peer Editing Workshop. The teacher may
choose to offer formative assessment at this stage.
Stage 6:
Students submit final
version of essay and all supporting materials.
Stage 7:
Small group rehearsals
for Oral Presentations.
Stage 8:
Oral Presentation for
full class.
The last part of the
activity is a formal examination that covers material from the entire course.
Ideally, students answer a variety of questions, including multiple-choice,
true/false, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and short-answer. The examination
should also include writing an essay from a choice of topics.
To ensure
that students experience success in class and achieve or surpass course
expectations, a variety of teaching/learning strategies should be used to
appeal to multiple intelligences and learning styles. This course gives
students many opportunities to analyse, explore, reflect upon, and actively do
philosophy. The teacher employs a variety of media, including philosophical
texts, case studies, music, poetry, works of art, literature, cartoons, and
movies. The course emphasizes critical-thinking skills; students demonstrate an
understanding of and summarize the main questions, concepts, and theories of
philosophy, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments of major
philosophers, illustrate the relevance of philosophy to other subjects, explain
how different philosophical theories apply to different subject areas, and
apply logical and critical-thinking skills in practical contexts. The correct
use of philosophical terminology, the identification and analysis of the main
areas and arguments of philosophy, the demonstration of an understanding of the
unique character of philosophical questions, and the effective use of a variety
of print and electronic sources and telecommunications tools in research
comprise the research skills that students practise. Students have numerous
opportunities to develop and refine their communication skills through formal and
informal oral presentations, seminars, role-playing, debates, response
journals, writing -in -role, and paragraph and essay writing.
Students
should be able to demonstrate the ability to conduct organized research using
primary and secondary sources; the ability to write papers that propose an
argument or defend a particular philosopher or philosophical school/movement in
a way that recognizes and respects the beliefs and viewpoints of others; and
the ability to think creatively in applying philosophical concepts and ideas to
other disciplines and everyday life. Cooperative group learning is also a key
learning strategy employed in this profile. Skills that are developed
throughout the activities are reinforced and synthesized in the course
culminating activity.
The Social Sciences
and Humanities have their unique and specific ways in which language is used to
express concepts and ideas. To help students, particularly ESL/ELD students,
teaching/learning strategies should allow for diagnostic and formative attention
to be paid to complexities in written and oral language. All learners benefit
if models or scaffolds for oral and written expressive communicative functions
are initially provided for them by the teacher.
The
Achievement Chart for Social Sciences and Humanities is the basis for
assessment and evaluation in this course. The chart identifies four major
categories of knowledge and skills – Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry,
Communication, and Application – which encompass the curriculum expectations.
The descriptions at Level 3 represent the provincial standard for student
achievement.
The
activities provide opportunities for diagnostic, formative assessment and
summative evaluation. Each unit has a suggested Unit Culminating Activity. The
Course Culminating Activity is designed to be appropriate for University
Preparation course requirements. Achievement Chart categories are included in
each of the units. They have been incorporated in a manner that will allow
students to practise and acquire proficiency in the many skills involved in
researching and writing a philosophical essay and making a presentation based
on that essay, e.g., inquiry and research skills, analysing sources, oral
communication. The activities and performance tasks in this profile are
examples of strategies that teachers may use with their own classes.
Seventy per cent of
the grade will be based on assessments and evaluations conducted throughout the
course. Thirty per cent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation in the
form of an examination, performance, essay, and/or other method of evaluation.
This course
has been constructed to meet the needs of a diversity of learners and effort
has been made to assist all students in achieving success. Specific adaptations
and accommodations are recommended with each activity in Unit 1. The teacher
should consult individual student IEPs for specific direction on accommodation
for individuals. As well, the proficiency levels outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12,
English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development provide the
teacher and school administrators with a guide to receiving and accommodating
these learners in the regular classroom.
Supports
provided to exceptional students to meet learning expectations include:
·
assessing student
reading comprehension level as early as possible to ensure text at the
appropriate reading level is provided;
·
allowing extra
time to complete assignments;
·
providing visual
cues;
·
providing ample
scaffolding to assist students in generating and organizing ideas before
completing tasks;
·
providing a
glossary of terms for reference;
·
providing a
vocabulary list to assist in the reading of assigned materials;
·
modelling skills
for students when they are expected to draw inferences, make conclusions, or
assess the implications of case study material;
·
making
appropriate adjustments to performance tasks for students with visual
impairments or with significant motor dysfunction.
The Grade 12 Philosophy course emphasizes the use of primary documents.
Reading copies of documents may be difficult for visually challenged students.
The teacher must make accommodations for these students, such as using larger
print texts and using large fonts for class handouts. When analysing primary
documents, students may benefit from having the documents copied and divided
into smaller components with guiding questions interspersed. However, if
accommodations are required, the teacher can employ secondary sources in
conjunction with or in lieu of primary sources. It may also be helpful to use
popular media resources, including songs, films, print, and television to
facilitate student involvement and understanding.
The teacher
must use care and professional judgement when adjudicating student success in
terms of meeting expectations. For enrichment, students may explore a greater
range of primary texts or interdisciplinary connections.
The Grade 12
Philosophy Course must build on the strengths of all individuals. The goal is
the development of critical-thinking skills and philosophical theories over the
activities of the course and prior content should not be assumed knowledge.
Having more than one opportunity to improve a product, talking to a partner or
small group about an issue prior to writing, and rehearsals in the form of
homework assignments are strategies that can help all learners in this course.
Units in this Course
Profile make reference to the use of specific texts, magazines, films, videos,
and websites. The teachers need to consult their board policies regarding use
of any copyrighted materials. Before reproducing materials for student use from
printed publications, teachers need to ensure that their board has a Cancopy licence
and that this licence covers the resources they wish to use. Before screening
videos/films with their students, teachers need to ensure that their
board/school has obtained the appropriate public performance videocassette
licence from an authorized distributor, e.g., Audio Cine Films Inc. The
teachers are reminded that much of the material on the Internet is protected by
copyright. The copyright is usually owned by the person or organization that
created the work. Reproduction of any work or substantial part of any work from
the Internet is not allowed without the permission of the owner.
The URLs for
the websites were verified by the writers prior to publication. Given the
frequency with which these designations change, teachers should always verify
the websites prior to assigning them for student use.
General
Academic
Info: Philosophy Digital Library – www.academicinfo.net/phillibrary.html
Blackwell
Philosophy Resource Center – www.blackwellpublishers.co.uk/PHILOS
BUBL Link:
Philosophy Resources – http://bubl.ac.uk/link/p/
Chinese
Cultural Studies: Philosophy and Religion in China
– http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/chinrelg.html
Contemporary
Continental Philosophy – www.baylor.edu/~Scott_Moore/Continental.html
Eastern
Philosophy – www.utm.edu/~jfieser/vita/research/Eastphil.htm#Buddhist
Encyclopedia
of Indian Philosophy – http://faculty.washington.edu/kpotter
E-server
Philosophy Texts Online – www.eserver.org/philosophy
Facts
Encyclopedia Philosophy Resources – www.refdesk.com/philos.html
The Film and
Philosophy Database – http://arts.anu.edu.au/Philosophy/videodata
Guide to
Philosophy on the Internet – www.earlham.edu/~peters/gpi/index.htm
The High
School Philosophy Website Project – www.oise.utoronto.ca/`hsphil
History of
Philosophy – www.friesian.com/history.htm
History of
Western Philosophy: Summary Outline –
http://home.earthlink.net/~pdistan/index.html
The Internet
Encyclopaedia of Philosophy – www.utm.edu/research/iep/
Meta-Encyclopedia
of Philosophy – www.ditext.com/encyc/frame.html
Noesis:
Philosophical Research Online – http://noesis.evansville.edu/bin/index.cgi
Online Text
Collection – www.bartleby.com
The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, © Oxford University Press, 1995 –
www.xrefer.com
Pathways to
Philosophy Distance Learning Project-
www.shef.ac.uKnowledge/Understandingni/projects
Philosophy
Comix – http://members.aol.com/lshauser/phlcomix.html
Philosophy
in Cyberspace – www-personal.monash.edu.au/~dey/phil
Philosophy
Quotes – http://philosophyquotes.com/archives
Philosophy
Resources on the Internet – www.epistemelinks.com
The
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy –
www.rep.routledge.com:/routledge/signpost/sp.html
Social
Science Information Gateway: Philosophy –
www.sosig.ac.uk/roads/subject-listing/World-cat/philos.html
The Stanford
Encyclopaedia of Philosophy – http://plato.stanford.edu/
Stephen
Downes’ Logical Fallacies Resources – www.intrepidsoftware.com/fallacy/toc.htm
The Window:
Philosophy on the Internet –
www.trincoll.edu/depts/phil/philo/philosophers.html
World Lecture Hall:
Philosophy
–
wnt.cc.utexas.edu/~wlh/search/results.cfm?count=1&from=browse&DescriptorID=65
Rubrics
About.com
Rubrics – http://search.about.com/fullsearch.htm?terms=rubrics&PM=59_0100_S
Kathy
Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Assessment Rubrics
– http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html
Make Your
Life Easier with Rubrics –
http://7-12educators.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa031300a.htm
OII Rubrics
– http://oii.org/rubrics.html
Ozline.com:
Web Quest Rubrics – www.ozline.com/webquests/rubric.html
Rubrics from The
Staff Room for Ontario Teachers – www.odyssey.on.ca/~elaine.coxon/rubrics.htm
Bedau, Hugo
Adam. Thinking and Writing about
Philosophy. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1996. ISBN
0312100825
Billington,
Ray. Understanding Eastern Philosophy.
London; New York: Routledge, 1997.
ISBN 0415129656
Blackburn,
S. The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy.
New York: The Oxford University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-19-211694-0
Bowie, G.
Lee, et al. Twenty Questions: An
Introduction To Philosophy, 4th ed. International Thomson Publishing, 2000.
ISBN 0155078542
Brannigan,
Michael. The Pulse of Wisdom: The
Philosophies of India, China, And Japan. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing
Co., 1995. ISBN 0534243843
Brown,
Stuart, Diane Collinson, and Robert Wilkinson, eds. One Hundred Twentieth Century Philosophers. New York: Routledge,
1998. ISBN 0415179963
Gaarder,
Jostein. Sophie’s World. Trans.
Paulette Moller. Toronto: Penguin, 1996.
Honderich,
Ted, ed. The Philosophers: Introducing
Great Western Thinkers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN
0198238614
Kessler,
Gary. Voices of Wisdom: A Multicultural
Reader. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2000.
ISBN 0-534-53572-0
Leiber,
Justin. Can Machines and Animals Be
Persons? A Dialogue. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.
ISBN 0-87220-002-7
Miller, E. Questions That Matter: An Invitation to
Philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
ISBN 0-07-042836-0
Mitchell,
Helen B. The Roots of Wisdom: A
Multicultural Reader, 2nd ed. Belmont, WA: Wadsworth, 1999. ISBN 0-534-54347-2
Moore,
Brooke Noel and Kenneth Bruder. Philosophy:
The Power of Ideas, 4th ed. Mountainview, CA: Mayfield Publishing, 1999.
ISBN 1-55934-988-3
Presbey,
Gail, et al. The Philosophical Quest: A
Cultural Reader. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
ISBN 0-07-289867-4
Rosen,
Stanley, ed. The Examined Life: A Tour of
Western Philosophy. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 2000. ISBN
0-965-00902-5
Solomon,
Robert C. Big Questions: A Short
Introduction to Philosophy, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2002.
ISBN 0-15-506302-2
White,
Thomas. Discovering Philosophy: Brief
Edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1996.
ISBN 0-13-508003-7
Wolff, R. About Philosophy. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, 1995. ISBN 0-13-059155-6
Philosophy Now. ISSN 0961-5970 – www.philosophynow.demon.co.uk
The Philosopher’s Magazine – www.philosophers.co.uk/
This Course Profile
is designed to assist teachers in the implementation of the Philosophy:
Questions and Theories, Grade 12, University Preparation course based on The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12,
Social Sciences and Humanities, pp. 118-125. This course is listed as one
of the optional credits that meet the requirements for the secondary school
diploma. It can also be used as an additional compulsory credit (one senior-level
credit in their choice of Canadian and World Studies, English, or Social
Sciences and Humanities) to fulfil the diploma requirements. Any Grade 11 or 12
course in these areas allows students to fulfil this requirement. Expectations
for teacher accommodations and modifications of regular programs for students
with Special Education needs are summarized in section 7.12 (pp. 56-58) of Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9-12.
Every effort should be made to utilize and integrate technology into the
delivery and practices of this course. The foundation for assessment,
evaluation, and reporting practices are outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Program Planning and
Assessment.
Coded Expectations, Philosophy: Questions and Theories, Grade 12, University Preparation, HZT4U
MEV.01 · summarize the main questions, concepts, and
theories of metaphysics;
MEV.02 · evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
responses to some of the main questions of metaphysics defended by some major
philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own responses;
MEV.03 · demonstrate the relevance of metaphysical
questions and theories to everyday life;
MEV.04 · illustrate how metaphysical theories are
presupposed in other subjects.
ME1.01 – demonstrate an understanding of some of the
main questions in metaphysics (e.g., What are the ultimate constituents of
reality? Does God exist? What is Being? What is the relation of mind to matter?
What is the self? What is personal identity? Are human actions free? What is
the meaning of life?);
ME1.02 – evaluate the positions of some of the major
philosophers (e.g., Plato, Avicenna, Buddha, Descartes) and schools of
philosophy (e.g., monism, idealism, Buddhism, materialism) on some of the main
metaphysical questions;
ME1.03 – formulate their own clear and cogent
responses to some of the fundamental questions of metaphysics (e.g., What is
the meaning of life?), and defend their responses in philosophical exchanges
with others;
ME1.04 – explain, with reference to some classic
texts (e.g., Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature), how different
metaphysical theories about such questions as “Do persons remain the same over
time?” make differences in people’s attitudes to such practical issues as
making promises, memory, and responsibility for past events;
ME1.05 – demonstrate an understanding of the
influence that some metaphysical ideas about topics such as causality, space
and time, and the infinite have on other disciplines, such as physics and
astronomy.
PSV.01 · identify the main questions in formal and
informal logic, and in the philosophy of science;
PSV.02 · apply logical and critical thinking skills
in practical contexts, and in detecting logical fallacies;
PSV.03 · demonstrate an understanding of how
philosophical questions apply to disciplines such as physics, mathematics, and
psychology;
PSV.04 · evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses to some questions of natural and social sciences defended by some of
the major philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own
responses.
Logic
PS1.01 – demonstrate an
understanding of the main questions in logic (e.g., What is a valid argument?
What is a logical fallacy?);
PS1.02 – correctly use the terminology of logic
(e.g., logical consistency, contradiction, deduction, validity);
PS1.03 – distinguish valid from invalid arguments,
and sound from unsound arguments;
PS1.04 – explain the relevance of logic to
mathematics, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
Philosophy of
Science
PS2.01 – demonstrate an understanding of some main
questions in the philosophy of science (e.g., What differentiates science from
non-science? What constitutes a law-like explanation? Can science tell us what
the world is really like?);
PS2.02 – evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses given by some of the major philosophical theories of science (e.g.,
instrumentalism, logical positivism, scientific realism) to such questions as
“What is the relationship between theory and observation?”, making reference to
classic texts (e.g., Quine’s Word and Object, Kuhn’s The Structure of
Scientific Revolutions);
PS2.03 – formulate and defend their own responses to
some of the fundamental questions in the philosophy of science (e.g., What
makes a scientific theory true?);
PS2.04 – explain how philosophical theories (e.g.,
atomism, phenomenology) have influenced the development of the natural and
social sciences.
EPV.01 · identify the main questions, concepts, and
theories of epistemology;
EPV.02 · evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
responses to some of the main questions of epistemology defended by some major
philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own responses;
EPV.03 · demonstrate the relevance of philosophical
theories of epistemology to concrete problems in everyday life;
EPV.04 · explain how different epistemological
theories apply to subject areas such as psychology.
EP1.01 – demonstrate an understanding of the main
philosophical questions of epistemology (e.g., What is human knowledge? Can
humans know the world as it really is? Are there some things that humans can
never know? Are there some things that we know with absolute certainty?);
EP1.02 – evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses given by some of the major philosophers (e.g., Aquinas, Plato,
Descartes, Berkeley, Nagarjuna) and major schools of epistemology (e.g.,
scepticism, empiricism, pragmatism) to some of the main epistemological
questions (e.g., Is human knowledge based entirely on sensory perception? What
counts as a justification in claiming to know something?), making reference to
classic texts (e.g., Plato’s Meno, Descartes’ Discourse on Method);
EP1.03 – formulate their own ideas about some of the
main questions of epistemology, and explain and defend those ideas in
philosophical exchanges with others;
EP1.04 – describe
instances in which philosophical problems of knowledge occur in everyday
contexts (e.g., conflicting eyewitness claims in court trials), and can be
clarified and analysed using philosophical theories of epistemology;
EP1.05 – explain how theories of knowledge (e.g.,
realism) are adopted and applied in subject areas such as psychology (e.g., the
psychology of perception).
ETV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the main
questions, concepts, and theories of ethics;
ETV.02 · evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
responses to ethical questions and moral problems defended by some major
philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own responses;
ETV.03 · illustrate the relevance of philosophical
theories of ethics to concrete moral problems in everyday life;
ETV.04 · demonstrate an understanding of how
philosophical theories of ethics are implicit in other subjects.
ET1.01 – identify the main questions of ethics (e.g.,
What are good and evil? What is the good life? What is virtue? Why be moral?
What obligations do people have to one another?);
ET1.02 – evaluate the responses given by some of the
major philosophers (e.g., Maimonides, Kant, Mill) and major schools of ethics
(e.g., utilitarianism, Thomism, post-modernism, Confucianism) to some of the
main ethical questions (e.g., Are moral values objective? On what grounds
should the rightness and wrongness of actions be determined?), making reference
to classic texts (e.g., Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Maimonides’ The
Guide of the Perplexed, Mill’s Utilitarianism);
ET1.03 – use critical and logical thinking skills to
defend their own ideas about ethical issues (e.g., the nature of the good life)
and to anticipate counter-arguments to their ideas;
ET1.04 – demonstrate how the moral problems and
dilemmas that occur in everyday contexts (e.g., in medicine, business, law, the
media) can be effectively analysed using a variety of different philosophical
theories (e.g., virtue ethics, social-contract theory);
ET1.05 – describe how problems in ethics and the
theories that address them (e.g., existential ethics, utilitarianism, Buddhist
ethics) may be illustrated in novels and drama, and in religious stories and
parables (e.g., the moral nihilism of Dostoevsky’s "underground man",
the biblical Abraham’s moral conundrum).
PPV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the main
questions, concepts, and theories of social and political philosophy;
PPV.02 · evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses to the main questions of social and political philosophy defended by
some major philosophers and schools of philosophy, and defend their own
responses;
PPV.03 · identify instances of theories of social and
political philosophy that are presuppositions in everyday life;
PPV.04 · demonstrate the relevance of social and
political philosophy to other subjects.
PP1.01 – demonstrate an understanding of the main
questions of social and political philosophy (e.g., What are the just limits of
state authority? Do people have a right to equal treatment? Should individual
citizens be free to do what they want? What are an individual’s rights and
responsibilities?);
PP1.02 – evaluate the responses of major philosophers
(e.g., Wollstonecraft, Confucius, Rousseau) and major schools of social and
political philosophy (e.g., individualism, communitarianism, feminism) to some
of the main questions of social and political philosophy (e.g., What is
justice? What is the proper boundary between public policy and private
morality?), making reference to classic texts (e.g., Hobbes’s Leviathan,
Rousseau’s Social Contract, de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex);
PP1.03 – use critical and logical thinking skills to
develop and defend their own ideas about some of the major questions of social
and political philosophy, and to anticipate counter-arguments to them;
PP1.04 – analyse how theories of social and political
philosophy (e.g., libertarianism, egalitarianism) are adopted and realized in
contemporary political policy making (e.g., concerning the distribution of
wealth), and how the adoption of a particular theory makes a difference to
political and social practices;
PP1.05 – demonstrate an understanding of how
particular philosophical theories (e.g., of rights, citizenship, duties) have
influenced the development of subjects such as political science, economics, or
law.
AEV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the main
questions, concepts, and theories of aesthetics;
AEV.02 · evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
responses to some of the main questions of aesthetics defended by some major
philosophers, and defend their own responses;
AEV.03 · illustrate the relevance of aesthetics to
other subjects.
AE1.01 – demonstrate an understanding of
philosophical questions of aesthetics (e.g., What is beauty? Are judgements
about what is beautiful or ugly subjective? Should art have social value?);
AE1.02 – evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses of some of the world’s major philosophers (e.g., Plato, Aristotle,
Kant, Dewey) to some of the main questions of aesthetics (e.g., Are the
standards of beauty universal? Is it the role of art to improve people?),
making reference to classic texts (e.g., Aristotle’s Poetics, Dewey’s Art
as Experience, Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy);
AE1.03 – formulate and defend their own responses to
some of the main questions of aesthetics (e.g., What makes something a work of
art? Can art tell us what is true and false?);
AE1.04 – explain how philosophical theories of
aesthetics influence music, art, and fashion.
ISV.01 · correctly use the terminology of philosophy;
ISV.02 · identify the main areas of philosophy, and
analyse philosophical arguments within them;
ISV.03 · demonstrate an understanding of the unique
character of philosophical questions;
ISV.04 · effectively use a variety of print and
electronic sources and telecommunications tools in research;
ISV.05 · effectively communicate the results of their
inquiries.
Using Reasoning
Skills
IS1.01 – classify philosophical conclusions (e.g.,
according to whether they claim to state empirical facts about human behaviour
or recommend ways people ought to behave);
IS1.02 – classify philosophical arguments (e.g.,
according to whether or not their conclusions are supposed to follow with
logical necessity from their premises or are only made plausible or likely by
the arguments);
IS1.03 – apply logical and critical thinking skills
to evaluate or defend positions in philosophical writings;
IS1.04 – apply logical and critical thinking skills
to problems that arise in jobs and occupations (e.g., What obligations do
employees have to the public, to their employers, and to themselves? When
resources are scarce, how should decisions be made about their allocation?).
Using Research
Skills
IS2.01 – summarize main philosophical concepts and
theories from information gathered from encyclopedias or surveys (e.g., by
using the Internet to access appropriate electronically recorded philosophy
resource material, such as surveys, journal articles, bibliographies, and
listserves);
IS2.02 – compare the problems, principles, methods,
and conclusions of different philosophers (e.g., how Aristotle made use of
Plato’s theory of forms, how Kant replied to Hume’s scepticism);
IS2.03 – describe the ways in which the ideas of
philosophers have influenced subsequent philosophers.
Using Communication
Skills
IS3.01 – clearly explain their own views in
philosophical discussions in class and in other types of exchanges (e.g.,
electronic, intra- and interschool) with peers;
IS3.02 – clearly explain their views and display their use of philosophical reasoning skills in written papers, using accepted forms of documentation as required.
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