Introduction to Philosophy

Stage 1: MOTIVATION

Time Objective(s) What will the teacher do? What will the students
do?
15 minutes: Motivating Using the different parts of a whiteboard or different whiteboards Each student goes to a spot,
students to the teacher sets five spots: Sciences, Mathematical sciences, and then she/he writes one
3 minutes, understand Humanities and Social Sciences, Arts and Literature and Others. word on the whiteboard.
giving what the Then the teacher asks students to think about philosophy as a For example, if one thinks
instructions philosophy discipline. Based on what they know or what they assume about that philosophy looks like
by the discipline is philosophy they need to think about the following question: To algebra, then she/he goes to
teacher about. which discipline, other than philosophy, philosophy is similar? the Mathematical sciences
They only need to reflect on disciplines they have known so far. The spot and writes algebra on
4 minutes, teacher says: “Please write the name of the discipline you have in the whiteboard.
writing a your mind on the relevant part of the whiteboard. For example, if you
word on think philosophy is similar to chemistry you need to go to Sciences In discussion part, then,
whiteboard spot and write chemistry. If one thinks that philosophy is similar to students talk about their
by students sociology, one should write sociology under Humanities and Social choices and tell the class
Sciences. If anyone thinks that his/her selected discipline does not why they think so.
8 minutes belong to Sciences, Mathematical sciences, Humanities and Social
discussion Sciences, Arts and Literature, he/she can write the name of the
discipline under Others. The teacher tells them that please select any
discipline comes to your mind and just have a reason to select it.
Even if someone says philosophy is similar to carpentry because
philosophers cut concepts the same way as carpenters cut woods, it
is acceptable. Just find a discipline and tell the class why you think so.
Go to the spot, write the word and be waiting for the second part.
While the students are doing the activity teacher helps if anyone has
a problem.

(Giving the instructions and doing this part all takes 7 minutes).

In discussion part, then, each student tells the class which discipline
he/she has selected and why. Teacher conduct the discussion to
make sure every voice is heard. (8 minutes)

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Introduction to Philosophy
Stage 2: COMPREHENSION
Time Objective(s) What will the teacher do? What will the students
do?
15: Understanding While students remain on their spots, the teacher shows one slide on Reflecting on the definition,
Minutes that philosophy which there is a definition of philosophy: “Philosophy is a students select a discipline
is a knowledge knowledge through arguments and concepts.” (by Hegel). again. Either they stay on
2 minutes through Then, the teacher asks the student to reflect on the definition. Now, their previous spots or they
lecturing arguments by students have two options: either stay in their current spots or they change them. They need to
using concepts. change their spots and select another discipline based on the have reasons to stay in their
1 minute It is somehow definition. For any of the two options, they need to give their reasons. previous spots or to change
giving similar to Why they want to stay or why they want to change. (7 minutes) their spots.
instruction mathematical
by the sciences. Again discussion. The teacher asks student to talk about their In discussion part, students
teacher (However, the positions about philosophy reflecting the definition. The teacher tries defend their ideas about the
students will to conduct the discussion to the idea that philosophy is about similarity between
4 minutes know that arguments. What students did in the activities was actually to say philosophy and the
doing the philosophy is not something and offering an argument for what they said (why). This is discipline they have
activity by exactly similar to the core of philosophy. You have a belief for which you argue. From selected after reflecting on
students math in next this aspect philosophy is similar to math, though not completely the definition.
stages). similar to it.
8 minutes To conduct the discussion, the teacher goes spot by spot and asks
Discussion student of each spot to defend their ideas. The teacher should go to
the math spot as the last one.
Based on my experience, the majority of students tend to go to math
spot in this part.
The teacher will say finally, what you did was actually philosophizing.
You had your own beliefs (similarity between two disciplines) and
made arguments for your beliefs (why) (8 minutes).

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Introduction to Philosophy
Stage 3: PRACTICE
Time Objective(s) What will the teacher do? What will the students do?
Students will be The teacher asks students to form groups of 4. Then, Firstly, students discuss in their groups
15 able to evaluate if the teacher gives some handouts to the students. In about the paragraphs and make their
minutes a text is a each handout there are two handouts. decisions which paragraph is a philosophical
philosophical First: A simple philosophical paragraph in which the one and which one is not philosophical.
2 minutes (argumentative) author arguing for some ideas (A1) and another
instruction one or not. paragraph which might be a paragraph of a novel or In discussion, students talk about their
by the anything non-philosophical (A2). decisions and the reasons behind their
teacher For this session A1 is an adapted paragraph from A decisions. They need to show how the
History of Philosophy: The British Philosophers from selected paragraphs are argumentative
5 minutes Hobbes to Hume by Fredrick Copleston, pages 73-75, roughly speaking.
activity and A2 is a paragraph from a website
https://iheartdogs.com/how-to-cope-with-visiting-
8minutes children-your-dog/
discussion

Second: A part of a philosophical dialogue like a part

of one of Plato’s treatise or Hume’s treatise (B1) and
a part of a play which is also a dialogue but non-
philosophical (B2).
For this session, B1 is a part of Plato’s Republic and
B2 is a part of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee
Williams. To not let the students to guess based on
the names of characters, for both B1 and B2 the
name of the characters have been changed to S and
R.
Then, the teacher asks students to discuss the
paragraphs and dialogues and to evaluate which one
is philosophical and why they think so. The students
need to compare A1 to A2, and B1to B2. They need
to show the line of argumentations in each
philosophical paragraph roughly speaking.
Each group needs to select a presenter. (5 minutes).

While the students discuss, the teacher shows the

paragraphs in one slide and will leave it until the
end of the discussion. Also, the teacher will help
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Introduction to Philosophy
anybody who needs help.

Then, the teacher asks the presenter of each group

to talk about the paragraphs and to tell the class
which paragraph is philosophical and why.

Repetition of Stage 2: COMPREHENSION

Time Objective(s) What will the teacher do? What will the students do?
5 Philosophy as a Students watch the video and take notes on
minutes discipline is about The teacher asks the students to remain in their what is philosophy and what are the main
argumentations. But group. questions which are being discussed in
what are the subjects The teacher will show a video from you tube in philosophy.
of philosophy? In which there is a brief discussion about what
other words, what are philosophy is and what kinds of questions a
main questions with philosopher might deal with. Video’s web address
which a philosopher
deals with? The https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYdx6lDD
students will know hg
about the main kinds
of questions which are
being discussed in
philosophy. Although
philosophy is similar
to math, it differs from
math because of the
main questions are
being dealt with in
philosophy.

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Introduction to Philosophy
Repetition of Stage 3: PRACTICE
Time Objective(s) What will the teacher do? What will the students do?
After watching the video, the teacher asks After watching the video each group has 4
10minutes: The objective in students to remain in their groups. Then, the minutes to discuss about the questions which are
this part is to teacher asks them to discuss with in their being discussed in philosophy comparing to the
1minute help the students group to compare the questions are being other discipline which is argumentative like
instruction to understand the discussed in philosophy with the questions philosophy but people in that discipline discuss
by the main questions that are being discussed in another discipline other main questions. They have mathematical
teacher (main themes or which is argumentative, but is different with sciences to discuss and to compare, but they are
main subjects) philosophy. For example, they have free to choose any other discipline which is
4 minutes which are being mathematics to talk about. But if the argumentative, but its questions are different.
activity discussed in students prefer to talk about any other Each group selects a presenter.
philosophy. And argumentative discipline they are free to do.
5 minutes to be able to After finishing their discussions, each group Then, in presentation time, the presenter of each
presentation make difference should select a presenter. While they discuss, group talks about his/her group ideas about the
between the teacher can help if anyone needs help. difference between philosophy with math or any
philosophy and other argumentative discipline in terms of the
the other main questions which are being discussed in the
argumentative In discussion part, the teacher asks each two disciplines.
disciplines. group (the presenter) to tell their ideas to
Philosophy is a the class.
knowledge
through
arguments and
concepts,
however, it deals
with its own
specific
fundamental
questions.