Who Is Right?: Values, Norms, and Rules in Different Cultures
In this high school philosophy lesson plan, students engage with the question of whether or not there are universal values across different cultures.
Archives: Philosophy ToolKit
How Do We Decide Who Should Decide?
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?
Should Driverless Cars Kill Their Passengers?
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?
Can animals make music?
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?
Big Questions and How We Answer Them
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
What is the world really made of?
In this high school philosophy lesson plan, students will engage with Gottfried Leibniz’s The Monadology.
The Gaze: Power and Resistance in Flim
The Gaze: Power and Resistance in Film Read “The Oppositional Gaze” for homework the day before class. It’s fairly long and challenging. Watch the 19 minute film. This material explores the way what Sartre calls “The Gaze” operates in films, how the perspective of the camera and of the implied audience affect the meaning. This … The Gaze: Power and Resistance in Flim
Can We be Authentic in Everyday Life?
“Republic of Silence,” by Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre came to define post-war Existentialism. In this prominent editorial published shortly after the occupation ended, Sartre articulates both the context to his views and the suggestion that everyday life may present even more challenges to real “Existential Choice.” After watching this short video, read the essay and … Can We be Authentic in Everyday Life?
The Ethics of the Creation of Dual-Species Chimeras
On November 6, 2015, NPR aired a story about the very controversial topic of stem cell research. This story can be used as the basis for a philosophical discussion of a variety of topics including what it is to be human and the ethics of medical research. Here is a link to the story: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/11/06/454693391/should-human-stem-cells-be-used-to-make-partly-human-chimeras … The Ethics of the Creation of Dual-Species Chimeras
Can anyone make art?
In 2007 an independent film came out entitled “My Kid could paint that.” It followed the art career of a four year old, Marla Olmstead, living in Binghamton, NY who took the art world by storm. Many of her canvases sold for 5 figures and presented beautiful and engaging abstract images. The film began as … Can anyone make art?
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