Philosophy
What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is about acquiring wisdom through free inquiry. It explores fundamental questions about the world and our place in it.
- How do I know what is real?
- How should I live, and who should decide?
- How much should I reveal about myself (on Facebook
for example)? - How should tapu and noa influence my behaviour?
- What makes a fair society?
In philosophy, wisdom and knowledge are pursued through imaginative speculation together with sustained reflection and critical argument.
Why Philosophy, why now?
In an era of misinformation, geopolitical instability, the exponential rise of AI, and growing threats to democratic values and social cohesion, the skills philosophy develops are not simply “nice to haves”. They are core to what education is for and to the obligations states hold under international agreements for transformative education: equipping young people to navigate complexity, think and act with integrity, and contribute to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. The ability to think critically, challenge assumptions, construct reasoned arguments, and make sound ethical judgements are foundations, not extras. Issues come and go, the knowledge and skills are for life.
Philosophy in Schools
As UNESCO observes, philosophy, like education itself, is a non-isolatable subject, relevant across all areas of learning and life. Philosophy asks the questions that sit beneath everything else: what is real, what is true, what is good, how should we reason? Broadly across four branches, ethics, epistemology, logic and metaphysics, philosophy reaches into every subject and every dimension of a life. Not just a matter of knowing information, but of knowing how to be.
Philosophy is taught as a distinct subject in many school systems worldwide. In France, it has been compulsory in secondary schools since 1808, and forms the opening exam of the baccalauréat. A similar tradition holds in several Francophone African countries that share France’s school-leaving qualifications. In Quebec, philosophy is a compulsory part of CEGEP, the pre-university college stage. Interest in teaching philosophy in schools is also growing in parts of Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.
Philosophy is taught as a distinct subject in schools across the world. In France, it has been a compulsory part of the baccalauréat for centuries, and strong traditions of school philosophy exist across Europe, Canada, Latin America, Africa and increasingly across Asia and the Pacific.
Doing Philosophy
The skills and qualities students develop in philosophy build confidence, sound judgment, and responsible civic participation, laying a foundation for leadership in whānau, community, the workplace, and public life.
Philosophy opens career pathways including strategic management, research and planning, systems analysis, law, medicine, education, politics, ethics, diplomacy, international law, and global governance.
- Philosophy develops the ability to question and to build rational, plausible arguments across a wide range of contexts.
- Philosophy draws on a range of viewpoints and cultural perspectives, and the reasoned exchange of ideas builds tolerance and respect for others.
- Philosophy teaches ethical decision-making by examining different ethical theories and why we should act morally even when it isn’t the easiest or most profitable option.
- Philosophy encourages precise language in speech and writing, and builds skills in research, analysis, extended writing, and debating.