§-Philosophy syllabus

VIC · VCAA← Philosophy

Philosophy syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the VIC Philosophy study design, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Unit 3: Minds, bodies and persons

Unit overview →

Is there really a persisting self, or only a bundle of fleeting experiences, as Hume and the Buddhist tradition claim?

Hume's bundle theory and the Buddhist no-self doctrine, including the argument from introspection and its objections

Could the solution to the mind-body problem be that there is no matter at all, only minds and their ideas, as Berkeley argues?

idealism as a monist response to the mind-body problem, including Berkeley's argument and its objections

If teleportation or fission could divide me, what really matters in survival, and is it identity at all?

Parfit's psychological continuity theory, the fission problem, and the claim that identity is not what matters

What makes a person at one time the same person at a later time, and is memory the answer?

personal identity over time, Locke's memory or consciousness criterion, and its leading objections

Can property dualism take consciousness seriously without inheriting the interaction problem that sinks substance dualism?

property dualism and epiphenomenalism as responses to the mind-body problem, including the threat to mental causation

Do qualia show that consciousness cannot be captured by any physical description, as Jackson and Nagel argue?

qualia and the case against physicalism, including Jackson's knowledge argument and Nagel's bat

Is personal identity over time a matter of having the same body or the same brain?

the bodily and brain criteria of personal identity, including their objections from teleportation and brain swaps

Does Searle's Chinese Room show that running the right program can never be sufficient for genuine understanding?

the Chinese Room argument against strong AI and functionalism, including Searle's syntax and semantics distinction

How, if at all, can I know that anyone other than myself has a mind?

the problem of other minds, including the argument from analogy and its objections

What is the relationship between the mind and the body, and does substance dualism survive its objections?

substance dualism and the mind-body problem, including Descartes' arguments and the problem of interaction

Can mental states be fully explained as physical or functional states of the body?

physicalist theories of mind including identity theory and functionalism, and their objections

Can mental states be analysed entirely in terms of behaviour and dispositions to behave, as Ryle claims?

logical (philosophical) behaviourism as a theory of mind, including Ryle's category mistake and its objections

How do I compare viewpoints and form and defend my own position on the good life?

the skills of critically comparing viewpoints, developing perspectives and formulating and defending a philosophical position, including for contemporary living

To what extent is the good life dependent on freedom and authenticity?

viewpoints and arguments on freedom and authenticity as they bear on the good life

What obligations, if any, do we have to others?

viewpoints and arguments on the obligations we have to others, including those beyond our immediate communities

Which texts and concepts does the Unit 3 study of the good life draw on, and how do you use them?

the concepts used in discussion of the good life and how the prescribed set texts speak to the eight general questions

What role do love and friendship play in the good life?

viewpoints and arguments on the role of love and friendship in the good life

What role do pleasure and self-discipline play in a good life?

viewpoints and arguments on the role of pleasure and self-discipline in the good life, with objections and comparisons

What is the role of rights and justice in the good life?

viewpoints and arguments on the role of rights and justice in the good life

What is the nature of happiness and what is its role in the good life?

viewpoints and arguments on the nature of happiness and its role in the good life

What is the relationship between the good for the individual and the good for others?

viewpoints and arguments on how the good of the individual relates to the good of others and the community

What does a good life have to do with being morally good?

viewpoints and arguments on the relationship between the good life and being morally good

How do I recognise, analyse and criticise an argument in a set text?

the skills of identifying premises, support, conclusions and assumptions, and offering criticisms of arguments about the good life

Unit 4: On believing

Unit overview →

Is the good life a life of virtuous activity, as Aristotle's account of eudaimonia claims?

Aristotle's eudaimonist conception of the good life: function, virtue, the mean and external goods

If wellbeing is not pleasure, is it getting what we want, or is it achieving certain objective goods whether we want them or not?

desire-satisfaction and objective list theories of wellbeing, including their advantages over hedonism and their objections

What epistemological issues arise from misinformation, disinformation and echo chambers?

analysing case studies from the context of misinformation, disinformation and echo chambers using the concepts and arguments of the set texts

What epistemological issues arise when voices are silenced, excluded or cancelled?

analysing case studies from the context of silencing, exclusion and cancelling using the concepts and arguments of the set texts

What epistemological issues arise around truth, trust, credibility and expertise?

analysing case studies from the context of truth, trust, credibility and expertise using the concepts and arguments of the set texts

What is epistemic injustice, and what does it show about how epistemic communities should work?

the concepts of epistemic justice, epistemic injustice and epistemic community, as developed in the set texts

How do I choose a case study and analyse its epistemological issues?

how to identify a case study from a context, find its epistemological issues and analyse it using the general questions, concepts and set texts

Is the good life a life of pleasure, and can Mill's distinction between higher and lower pleasures save hedonism?

hedonism and well-being: Mill's qualitative utilitarianism and the higher and lower pleasures distinction

In what circumstances should we trust assertions made by others?

viewpoints and arguments on when we should trust assertions made by others

Must the good life be a moral life, or can a person flourish while acting immorally?

the relationship between the good life and morality, including whether moral goodness is necessary for the good life

How are believing well and living well related?

the interrelationship between believing well and living well, and our responsibility for the conditions of good belief

What responsibilities do we have to ourselves and others regarding belief?

viewpoints and arguments on the responsibilities we have regarding belief, belief formation and justification

What role should experience, testimony and expertise play in forming and justifying beliefs?

viewpoints and arguments on the roles of experience, testimony and expertise in the formation of and justification for belief

Do technology and human enhancement help us live the good life in the twenty-first century, or undermine it?

living the good life in the twenty-first century: technology, human enhancement and contemporary debates

Would you plug into a machine guaranteeing perfect experiences, and what does the answer reveal about well-being?

theories of well-being: hedonism, desire-satisfaction and objective list, and Nozick's experience machine

Which texts and concepts does the Unit 4 study of belief draw on, and how do they connect?

the concepts used in discussion of belief, belief formation and justification, and the prescribed set texts for Unit 4

What should we do when others hold beliefs that disagree with ours?

viewpoints and arguments on how to respond to others holding beliefs that disagree with our own, including peer disagreement

Do the ancient schools of Epicureanism and Stoicism offer a better route to the good life than Aristotle's eudaimonism?

Epicurean and Stoic conceptions of the good life, including tranquillity, pleasure and the role of virtue