VCE Philosophy contains a broad introduction to Western philosophy and its methods of inquiry. It explores themes and debates within metaphysics, epistemology and value theory, as well as techniques of reasoning and argument drawn from formal and informal logic. It investigates how we should live by examining what a good life is for the individual and the community, and what it means to believe well.
Prescribed texts by significant philosophers are used to develop a critical appreciation of key questions and contemporary debates. Where religious concepts and traditions of thought are discussed, they are considered from a philosophical rather than a theological point of view.
What is the nature of reality? How can we acquire certain knowledge? These are some of the questions that have challenged humans for millennia and underpin ongoing endeavours in areas as diverse as science, justice and the arts.
This unit engages students with fundamental philosophical questions through active, guided investigation and critical discussion of two key areas of philosophy: epistemology and metaphysics. The emphasis is on philosophical inquiry and the process of ‘doing philosophy’ through the formulation and exploration of questions in philosophical exchanges with others. As a result, the study and practice of techniques of philosophical reasoning are central to this unit. As students learn to think philosophically, appropriate examples of philosophical viewpoints and arguments, both contemporary and historical, are used to support, stimulate and enhance their thinking about central concepts and problems.
What are the foundations of our judgments about value? What is the relationship between different types of value? How, if at all, can particular value judgments be defended or criticised?
This unit enables students to explore these questions in relation to different categories of value judgment within the realms of morality, political and social philosophy and aesthetics. Students also explore ways in which viewpoints and arguments in value theory can inform and be informed by contemporary debates. They study at least one primary philosophical text, using the complete text or an extract, and develop a range of skills, including formulating philosophical questions and developing philosophical perspectives.
This unit considers the crucial question of what it means for a human to live well. Students explore questions relating to happiness, pleasure, self-discipline, friendship and love, and the role these concepts play in creating a good life. The unit also examines how the good life can be understood within the context of our relationships with others beyond our immediate communities. Students consider the implications of adopting different perspectives, viewpoints and arguments in relation to contemporary issues, including our relationships with wider communities, non-human animals and the broader natural world.
Students engage with the set texts to develop perspectives on questions relating to the good life, including questions of relevance to contemporary living. Through critical reflection on ideas, perspectives, viewpoints and arguments, students develop and defend their own philosophical positions.
This unit focuses on interpersonal aspects of belief and belief formation, considering what it means to believe well by examining the nature of belief and the grounds for accepting or rejecting beliefs. Across 2 areas of study, students explore what our obligations are in relation to belief; when we should adjust or change our beliefs; and to what extent we should take responsibility for fostering the good beliefs of others and the conditions that make them possible. Through doing so, students are invited to consider the interrelationship between believing well and living well.
