Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
1st Year Philosophy.
This Junior Cycle Philosophy short course introduces first-year students to the foundational skills of philosophical inquiry, critical thinking, and dialogue. Students will explore fundamental questions about knowledge, morality, and human existence while developing their ability to reason and communicate effectively.
01Foundations of Philosophy
An introduction to what philosophy is, the community of inquiry, and the basics of constructing arguments.
Students explore the origins of philosophy and the nature of philosophical questions compared to other types of questions.
Establishing ground rules for respectful dialogue, active listening, and collaborative thinking in the classroom.
Introduction to basic logic, identifying premises and conclusions, and spotting common logical fallacies.
02Philosophy of Knowledge
Investigating the nature of truth, belief, and how we know what we claim to know.
Examining the difference between knowing something, believing something, and something being true.
Exploring whether we can trust our senses to give us an accurate picture of the world.
Questioning whether machines can 'know' things or 'think' in the same way humans do.
03Moral Philosophy
Exploring concepts of right and wrong, fairness, and how we ought to live together.
Introducing ethical dilemmas and the different ways people decide what is the right thing to do.
Investigating what it means to be fair, distributive justice, and equality in society.
Applying moral reasoning to our treatment of animals and the environment.
04Philosophy of Art and Beauty
Questioning the nature of art, beauty, and aesthetic judgment.
Debating the definition of art and who gets to decide what counts as a work of art.
Exploring whether beauty is objective or entirely in the eye of the beholder.
Investigating how and why art evokes emotional responses and its role in human expression.
05Philosophy of Language
Examining how words shape our thoughts, the power of language, and how meaning is created.
Exploring the connection between words and the objects or ideas they represent.
Analyzing how language can be used to persuade, manipulate, or empower individuals.
Investigating how meaning is conveyed without words through body language, symbols, and art.