Excerpt from Plato’s Republic: Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the ruler of Lydia. One day there was a violent thunderstorm, and an earthquake broke open the ground and created a crater at the place where Gyges was tending his sheep. Seeing the big hole, Gyges was filled with amazement and went down … Ring of Gyges (in Plato’s Republic)
What is an allegory? Explain to the students that an allegory is a kind of story in which what happens is being compared to something else that is similar and unstated. Activity Read the Allegory of the Cave together. Ask: What do you think the Allegory of the Cave is being compared with? Then break … The Allegory of the Cave (in Plato’s Republic)
The Matrix In the film, the humans trapped in the Matrix are like the people in Plato’s cave. They see only what the machines want them to see, but they believe they see reality as it really is. They accept what their senses tell them as all that exists. Neo suspects that this is all … The Matrix & The Experience Machine
Four Ethical Dilemmas Lying: A girl is taken to a carnival by her dad. It is her tenth birthday and he’s promised her that she can choose any 5 rides. But as they approach the gate, he discovers that he’s forgotten his wallet. This is the last day of the carnival and it’s too far … Ethical Dilemmas
In this high school philosophy lesson plan, students engage with the question of whether or not there are universal values across different cultures.
Medical Ethics and the State The role of the state (government) in Medical Ethics can be quite complex. In these two articles (see links below), two perspectives are explored. The famous Baby Theresa case involves a situation where the state prevents parents from acting to share their dying daughter’s organs. The second case concerns a … How Do We Decide Who Should Decide?
The new technology of driverless cards has opened up a real-world corollary to the 65 year old tradition of Trolley Problems. The basic question here involved how the cars should be programmed: to protect their passengers or others out on the road? Read these the two articles and watch the video dealing with issues arising from … Should Driverless Cars Kill Their Passengers?
We all love music. Some of us sing daily, if just to ourselves. It could be our favorite tune from Frozen or simply a tune we made up ourselves. What makes sound music? Let’s start with ourselves. The teacher/facilitator may wish to share this video and have the children sing along or they may choose … Can animals make music?
This activity begins by grouping students into groups of three or four. Each student is handed a blank index card and each group is handed an index card on which is written one of the following questions: Do you have to see, hear, or touch something in order to believe it exists? Are you responsible … Big Questions and How We Answer Them
In this high school philosophy lesson plan, students will engage with Gottfried Leibniz’s The Monadology.
PLATO is part of a global UNESCO network that encourages children to participate in philosophical inquiry. As a partner in the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children, based at the Université de Nantes in France, PLATO is connected to other educational leaders around the world.
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