What is Philosophy?
Students explore the origins of philosophy and the nature of philosophical questions compared to other types of questions.
TL;DR:This topic introduces students to the foundational spirit of inquiry that defines philosophy. In the context of the NCCA Junior Cycle, it focuses on helping students distinguish between empirical questions, which can be answered through observation or measurement, and philosophical questions, which require deep reflection and reasoning. Students explore the historical roots of these questions, looking back to the first thinkers who moved away from mythological explanations toward rational ones.
About This Topic
This topic introduces students to the foundational spirit of inquiry that defines philosophy. In the context of the NCCA Junior Cycle, it focuses on helping students distinguish between empirical questions, which can be answered through observation or measurement, and philosophical questions, which require deep reflection and reasoning. Students explore the historical roots of these questions, looking back to the first thinkers who moved away from mythological explanations toward rational ones.
Understanding the nature of a philosophical question is a vital skill for 1st Year students as they develop their critical thinking and literacy skills. It encourages them to move beyond 'what' and 'how' to the more complex 'why' and 'should'. By identifying the origins of philosophy, students see themselves as part of a long tradition of human curiosity.
This topic comes alive when students can physically sort and categorize different types of questions, using peer discussion to justify why a specific query belongs in the philosophical realm.
Key Questions
- What makes a question philosophical?
- Who can be a philosopher?
- Why do we do philosophy?
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionPhilosophy is just a matter of opinion where any answer is right.
What to Teach Instead
While philosophy deals with open questions, it requires rigorous reasoning and evidence. Active peer review helps students see that some arguments are more logically sound than others, even if there is no single 'correct' answer.
Common MisconceptionPhilosophical questions are just 'hard' science questions.
What to Teach Instead
Students often confuse difficult factual questions with philosophical ones. Using a sorting activity helps them realize that whereas science looks for data, philosophy looks for meaning and conceptual clarity.
Active Learning Ideas
See all activities→Stations Rotation
The Question Sort
Set up three stations labeled Scientific, Factual, and Philosophical. Small groups move between stations with a set of envelopes containing questions like 'What is the boiling point of water?' and 'What is justice?' and must decide where each belongs, explaining their reasoning on a shared chart.
Think-Pair-Share
The Big Wonder
Students spend two minutes writing down the biggest question they have ever wondered about. They then pair up to determine if their questions are philosophical or non-philosophical, before sharing the most 'unanswerable' but important questions with the whole class.
Inquiry Circle
Philosophy's First Steps
Groups are assigned one of the early Pre-Socratic philosophers and must create a 'Social Media Profile' for them. They must identify the central question that philosopher was obsessed with and present it to the class as a hook for further inquiry.