Philosophy, 14–17 years — 20 topics · MyLeoNes™ Kuks
20 philosophy topics written for 14–17 years — not a older text simplified. In teaching order, each a deck of five cards: the idea, why it exists, a worked example, the common trap and where you meet it.
Philosophy · 14–17 years
Building a philosophical argument
A philosophical argument gives reasons for a conclusion, so another person can examine the path rather than simply accept an opinion.
Philosophical scepticism
Scepticism tests how far our knowledge reaches by asking what could make an apparently certain belief mistaken.
Utilitarianism and consequences
Utilitarianism judges an action by the overall effects on everyone affected, asking which choice would produce the greatest balance of well-being over harm.
Free will and responsibility
The debate about free will asks whether people can genuinely choose, and what that means for praise, blame, punishment and change.
Plato’s cave: appearance and reality
Why what we see first may not be the whole truth.
Kant’s categorical imperative
A way to test an action by asking whether its rule could apply to everyone.
The social contract
Why people accept common rules, and what makes authority legitimate.
Existentialism and authenticity
How to live honestly when the world does not hand you a ready-made meaning.
Virtue ethics
Virtue ethics asks what kind of person we should become, not only which rule to follow or which result to seek.
The mind–body problem
The mind–body problem asks how thoughts and experiences relate to the physical brain and body.
Moral relativism
Moral relativism asks whether right and wrong depend on a culture, a group or a person, rather than applying everywhere.
Personal identity over time
Personal identity asks what makes someone the same person despite changes in body, memories, character and circumstances.
The problem of induction
Why repeated experience can guide our expectations, but never guarantee what happens next.
The Gettier problem
Why having a true, well-supported belief may still fall short of knowledge.
The is–ought gap
Why facts alone do not automatically tell us what we ought to do.
The paradox of tolerance
Why a tolerant society may need limits when intolerance threatens everyone’s freedom.
The problem of evil
Why does suffering exist if a perfectly good and powerful God exists? This problem tests how far an explanation can go before it stops being convincing.
The Sorites paradox
When does a pile become a heap, or a person become bald? Tiny changes can make clear rules look unable to mark a clear boundary.
Epistemic injustice
Sometimes people are treated unfairly specifically as knowers: their testimony is discounted, or they lack the shared concepts needed to describe what happens to them.
The trolley problem
Would you switch a runaway tram to save five people if doing so kills one? The thought experiment tests whether intention, action and numbers all matter in moral judgement.
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