Unit 7: Socrates was Obnoxious, and We Can Too
Unit 7: Socrates was Obnoxious, and We Can Too
The Socratic Method, Questioning, and Dialectics
The Socratic Method, Questioning, and Dialectics
In this reflective unit, students step beyond argument structure and logic to grapple with the deeper questions that drive human decision-making: What is right? What is just? How do we construct meaning in an uncertain world? Building on the tools of critical reasoning, students now enter the "philosopher’s playground," exploring major ethical frameworks, moral dilemmas, and the search for meaning that underpins both personal values and public debates.
This unit provides students with practical language and conceptual tools to analyze ethical questions from multiple perspectives, including deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and existential thought. Through contemporary case studies, philosophical texts, and real-world scenarios, students examine how moral reasoning operates in complex, ambiguous situations. The goal is not to prescribe right answers, but to cultivate the ability to ask better questions and to engage ethically with the world.
Identify and explain core ethical frameworks, including deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics, and existential approaches to meaning.
Apply moral reasoning to contemporary issues, dilemmas, and personal beliefs.
Critically evaluate competing ethical arguments, recognizing complexity and nuance.
Reflect on personal values and assumptions in relation to broader philosophical traditions.
Construct well-supported, ethically grounded arguments in written and spoken form.
Ethical Dilemma Position Paper
Students choose a contemporary moral issue, apply at least two ethical frameworks, and defend their reasoned position in a formal argumentative paper.
Moral Reasoning Case Study Presentation
Small groups analyze real or hypothetical moral dilemmas using structured ethical reasoning, presenting conclusions and points of tension.
Existential Reflection Journal
Personal written reflection on questions of meaning, purpose, and individual responsibility, connecting philosophical ideas to lived experience.
TBD
"Democracy in Troubled Times: Democracy in Ancient Athens" by Saint Leo University (Link)
The Partially Examined Life
Accessible philosophy podcast exploring ethics, meaning, and major philosophical thinkers in plain language.
Philosophize This!
Beginner-friendly podcast series introducing key philosophical concepts, including ethics, existentialism, and moral reasoning.
CrashCourse: Philosophy (YouTube series)
Engaging overviews of moral philosophy, ethical dilemmas, and major thinkers, presented with humor and clarity.
Wireless Philosophy: Ethics Series
Bite-sized academic videos unpacking deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and more.
"Existentialism is a Humanism" — Jean-Paul Sartre (Excerpts)
Foundational existential text introducing freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning.
"The Trolley Problem" Explained — BBC or Philosophy Now
Exploration of this famous ethical dilemma, with analysis of moral reasoning implications.
"Virtue Ethics: An Introduction" — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Simplified Selections)
Academic overview of Aristotle’s approach to ethics and character development.