Philosophy for Teens: Questioning Life's Big Ideas
Challenging teens to think, this 14-lesson guide introduces major philosophers who have shaped modern Western thought. Explaining the ideas of Plato, Socrates, Aquinas, Locke, Mills, Nietzsche, Sartre, and others through contemporary scenarios, the authors make these great thinkers accessible to teens. Given today's emphasis on mastery of standardized tests, it is important to have material that encourages students to use critical-thinking skills and for which there are no absolute right or wrong answers. The chapters cover Beauty (What is the Purpose of Art?); Truth (Is Lying Always Wrong?), Justice (Who Will Take Care of the Environment?); and God (Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?). They include dramatic skits, background on multiple philosophical views, and challenges to construct "thought experiments," imagining a world in which a single philosophy dominates. Discussion questions, activities, community projects, and further readings accompany each lesson. Teachers can use this resource to generate lively debate or to enrich courses in art, religion, history, science, or literature, but they're sure to miss an index when they want to review what individual philosophers said or the sections in which they were mentioned.—Kathy Lehman, Thomas Dale High School Library, Chester, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.