A Topic Concerning the Question of Evil A long-simmering debate in theology involves the status of the classical definition of God. Traditionally, one area of agreement between Theists and Atheists has been in the definition of God; without this agreement, they wouldn’t really be able to debate. The mainstream among Abrahamic monotheists tends of center around … God: All-Good or All-Evil…is there any Difference?
Students are arranged into groups of 2-4. First they formulate their answers to written questions, then they work together as a group to respond to a challenge at the end of the activity. Discussion Questions For the first few questions, think about all of the different kinds of things that you do at home, at … Magic Box Activity
Instructions: Facilitator performs the below: Draw/Project this diagram into a shared visible space. Prompt students to write down: 3 qualities that make a good ________.(e.g. friend) Randomly solicit students to contribute 3 different qualities. Write these where x, y, and z are shown. (Make sure they are conceptually different). Field clarifying questions about x, y, … Choose Two
For much of modern science, since the Enlightenment, animals were generally thought to be automatons: materialist robots programmed to behave in certain ways. Rene Descartes drew a sharp distinction between thinking beings, humans, and everything else, matter. 20th Century behaviorism continued to think of animals in this way but added humans to the mix. “Mind” … Animal Minds: puzzling over Puppies and Parrots
In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions, one of the major problems for theists [those who believe that there is a God] is the “Problem of Evil.” It runs like this: If God is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful, how can there be evil in the world? Since we witness evil of various types, this presents a problem. There … The Problem of Evil
Romantic love – beautiful and intoxicating, heart-breaking and soul-crushing… often all at the same time! If romantic love has a purpose, neither science nor psychology has discovered it yet – but over the course of history, some of the most respected philosophers have put forward some intriguing theories. This video outlines five of these philosophical … Why Do We Love?
Materials needed: Paper and pen/pencil Description: Begin by having a loose discussion about the difference between “opinion” and “knowledge.” This should bring up claims about reasons, evidence, and proof. After a brief discussion about this difference, have the students write down three things they know. For each statement, have the students write down their best … Beliefs and Evidence
Materials needed: Piece of paper and writing utensil Description: First ask the students to imagine that the class is in a city-state and that the members of this class are the rulers of the city. We make the laws, rules, and judge cases. Often, cases are brought to our court and we make decisions on … Cases Before the Court
Materials needed: Piece of paper and writing utensil Description: Note: this session operates as a good follow-up to a lesson plan on beliefs and evidence more generally. Ask the students for some things that they know. Put a few examples on the board. Tell the students the following story. It’s important that, for most of the … What Do You Know?
Materials needed: paper and pen/pencil Description: Start by asking “What is a law?” Allow a number of students to speak to get several ideas on the table. Likely they will talk about rules, punishments, order, peace, and the government. The central idea found in these suggestions will probably be “a rule made by the government for … Laws
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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