Course Objectives
God created us as rational being and gave us a mind to use. Students will study the progression of rational thought and struggle with issues for today so that they will “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 As they struggle for the answers they will become more “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Course Objectives
Students will study a history of Western Philosophic thought and the main players in that history from antiquity up until the present day. (ESLR: SCW) They will reflect on the ideas presented in light of the Bible and the truths it teaches us and present what they think in light of these ideas. (ESLR: RUC, ET, DC) The course will prepare students for different ideas they will meet after leaving school (ESLR:NLL) and what the Bible has to say about these different philosophies.(ESLR: RUC) They will also research more indepth one philosophy each semester in their own research project and analyse that philosopher’s ideas in light of the Bible’s truths. (ESLR: ET, RUC, DC, NLL, SCW)

Textbooks
Bible
Sophie’s World – Jostein Gaarder
The Journey – Peter Kreeft

Time Allotment
50 minutes per day, 4 days a week and attending weekly chapel

Course Content

  • What is Philosophy?
  • Myths and Natural Philosophy
  • Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
  • Hellenism, Indo-European and Semitic Cultures
  • The Middle Ages, The Renaissance, The Baroque periods
  • Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Berkeley
  • The Enlightenment and Romanticism
  • Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marx, Darwin, Freud and More Modern Philosophers

Evaluation

  1. Weekly 250 -500 word reflections – every week a topic will be assigned for students to reflect Biblically on.
  2. “Quote of the week” – every week a different student will be assigned to come up with on appropriate quote for the week derived from their reading or other sources.
  3. Quarterly and Semester Tests
  4. Research project – Each semester complete a Research project.

Grading Semester (1)
Weekly Reflections – 40%
Quote of the week – 5%
Tests – 30%
Research project – 25%

Grading Semester (2)
Weekly Reflections – 40%
Quote of the week – 5%
Tests – 30%
Research project – 25%