Philosophy: The Big Questions, Grade 11, University/College Preparation (HZB3M)
This document is intended to provide an overview of the curriculum revisions. Teachers are required to refer to the curriculum documents for program planning.
General Introduction
Three significant changes should be noted: 1) Specific Expectations are now directly connected to Overall Expectations; 2) there are now 4 strands
instead of 5; 3) strand C. contains informal logic from (5) Research and Inquiry Skills from the 2000 curriculum, and expands on this now
including more on the fallacies and philosophical vocabulary, such as part of an argument.
2000 Curriculum Strands:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Philosophical Questions
Philosophical Theories
Philosophy and Everyday Life
Applications of Philosophy to Other
Subjects
(5) Research and Inquiry Skills
2013 Curriculum Strands:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Research and Inquiry Skills
Philosophical Foundations
Philosophical Skills
The Relevance of Philosophy
The 2000 curriculum’s strands (3) Philosophy and Everyday Life and (4) Applications of Philosophy to Other Subjects are combined to form one
strand in the 2013 curriculum: D. The Relevance of Philosophy.
Further, the 2000 curriculum’s strands (1) Philosophical Questions, and (2) Philosophical Theories, are combined to form strand B., Philosophical
Foundations in the 2013 curriculum.
Other changes are noted in the charts below.
Strand: A. Research and Inquiry Skills
*The first two strands of the 2013 curriculum, Research and Inquiry Skills and Philosophical Foundations, should be woven throughout the entire HZT3M course. These
expectations can be taught and assessed in all units/branches of philosophy.
2000 Philosophy Curriculum
Overall Expectations:
Overall expectations:
1) apply research and inquiry skills
related to philosophy appropriately
and effectively;
2) evaluate some main philosophical
arguments;
3) formulate and defend a response of
their own to one or more of the big
questions of philosophy;
4) effectively use a variety of print and
electronic sources and
telecommunications tools in research
related to the big questions of
philosophy;
5) effectively communicate the results
of their inquiries.
Specific Expectations:
Using Reasoning Skills
1) correctly use the terminology of
philosophical argumentation;
2) define terms central to philosophical
discussions of each of the big
questions;
3) identify the main conclusions of
some philosophical positions
regarding one or more of the big
questions, and the arguments used to
support them;
4) illustrate common fallacies in
reasoning.
Using Research Skills
5) find overviews of a variety of
philosophical concepts and theories
by accessing such sources as
encyclopedias and surveys, and
report on their findings;
2013 Philosophy Curriculum
Overall Expectations:
A1. Exploring: explore topics related to philosophy, and formulate
questions to guide their research
A2. Investigating: create research plans, and locate and select information
relevant to their chosen topics, using appropriate philosophical research and
inquiry methods
A3. Processing Information: assess, record, analyse, and synthesize
information gathered through research and inquiry
A4. Communicating and Reflecting: communicate the results of their
research and inquiry clearly and effectively, and reflect on and evaluate
their research, inquiry, and communication skills
Specific Expectations:
A1. Exploring
A1.1 explore a variety of topics related to philosophical topics and/or issues
to identify topics for research and inquiry
A1.2 Identify key concepts related to their slected topics
A1.3 formulate effective questions to guide their research and inquiry
A2. Investigating
A2.1 create appropriate research plans to investigate their selected topics
A2.2 locate and select information relevant to their investigations from a
variety of primary sources and secondary sources
A2.3 based on preliminary research, formulate arguments and anticipate
counter-arguments
A3. Processing Information
A3.1 assess various aspects of information gathered from primary and
secondary sources
A3.2 record and analyse information and key ideas using a variety of
formats
A3.3 analyse and interpret research information
A3.4 demonstrate academic honesty by documenting the sources of all
information gathered through research
Major Differences
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2000’s Strand (1) and Strand
(4) have been reoriented to
reflect literacy skills: A1
Exploring, and A2.
Investigating.
Addition: A4: Reflecting on
research, inquiry and
communication skills.
Deletion: 2 has been moved
to strand C. Philosophical
Skills (C2).
1) has been moved to C1.3.
2) Is now A4.2.
3) has been moved to B1.2.
4) has been moved to C1.4.
5) is now A3.1.
6) is now A2.2.
7) is now incorporated into
A4.1.
8) is now divided into A4.1
and A4.3.
Addition: A2.1 Create
appropriate research plans to
investigate their selected
topics.
6) compile information related to the
big questions of philosophy, using
the Internet.
Using Communication Skills
7) discuss their own views in
philosophical exchanges in class
with others;
8) clearly explain their views and
display their use of philosophical
reasoning skills in short written
papers, using accepted forms of
documentation as required.
A3.5 synthesize findings and formulate conclusions
A4. Communicating and Reflecting
A4.1 use an appropriate format to communicate the results of research and
inquiry effectively for a specific purpose and audience
A4.2 correctly use terms relating to their chosen topics
A4.3 clearly communicate the results of their chosen inquiries, and follow
appropriate conventions for acknowledging sources
A4.4 demonstrate an understanding of the general research process by
reflecting on and evaluating their own research, inquiry, and
communication skills
Strand: B. Philosophical Foundations
*The first two strands of the 2013 curriculum, Research and Inquiry Skills and Philosophical Foundations, should be woven throughout the entire HZT3M course. These
expectations can be taught and assessed in all units/branches of philosophy.
*The first two strands of the 2000 curriculum - (1) Philosophical Questions, and (2) Philosophical Theories - are combined to form strand B., Philosophical Foundations in the
2013 curriculum.
2000 Philosophy Curriculum
2013 Philosophy Curriculum
Overall Expectations:
Strand (1): Philosophical Questions
1) describe precisely and clearly three (or
more) of the big questions of
philosophy;
2) summarize their own or others’ answers
to these questions, and give reasons in
support of the answers.
Strand (2): Philosophical Theories
3) summarize the ideas of some famous
philosophers with respect to one or more
of the big questions of philosophy;
4) describe the strengths and weaknesses of
the responses to some of the big
questions of philosophy defended by
some major philosophers or schools of
philosophy.
Overall Expectations:
B1. Identifying the Big Questions: describe the main areas of philosophy;
B2. Philosophers and Philosophical Traditions: demonstrate an understanding of
how major philosophers and philosophical traditions approach some of the big
questions of philosophy;
B3. Defining Terms and Concepts: demonstrate an understanding of terms and
concepts central discussion of the big questions of philosophy, and how these terms
and concepts are used in various philosophical disciplines.
Specific Expectations:
Specific Expectations:
B1. Identifying the Big Questions
B1.1 describe the main areas of philosophy
B1.2 identify the big questions associated with each of the main areas of
philosophy
B2. Philosophers and Philosophical Traditions
B2.1 describe some major philosophical traditions, and explain how these traditions
approach the big questions of philosophy
B2.2 compare how different philosophers have answered the same big question
B2.3 compare how different philosophical traditions approach the same big
question
B3. Defining Terms and Concepts
B3.1 define terms central to philosophical discussions of the big questions
B3.2 explain the ways in which philosophical terms and concepts use by different
philosophers have evolved over time, and describe how these terms and concepts
are understood within different philosophical traditions
Strand (1) Philosophical Questions:
1) Compare two or more answers to three
(or more) of the big questions of
philosophy;
2) Give appropriate reasons for their own
or others’ answers to three (or more) of
the big questions of philosophy;
3) Summarize some arguments for and
against answers to three (or more) of the
big questions of philosophy;
4) Describe the strengths and weaknesses
of the main arguments used to defend
answers to three (or more) of the big
questions of philosophy;
5) Compare philosophical approaches to
some of the big questions with
Major Differences
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B1 and B2 draw from overall
expectations 1, 2 and 3 from the
“Research and Inquiry Skills”
strand in the 2000 curriculum
The requirement to include
elements of logic (fallacies of
reasoning) is a new addition
Strand 2) of the 2000
curriculum has been moved and
elaborated in the Overall
Expectations of strand C.
Philosophical Skills.
B2.2 replaces (4), and now asks
students to ‘compare’ how
different philosophers have
answered the same big question,
rather than to ‘describe’ as in
the 2000 curriculum.
Strand (1) , Specific Expectation
5) has been rolled into C1.
Philosophical Reasoning.
nonphilosophical approaches.
Strand (2) Philosophical Theories:
1) Compare answers to some of the big
questions by different philosophers;
2) Describe the differences in approach to
three (or more) of the big questions of
philosophy by some major philosophical
schools;
3) Describe important similarities and
differences among some of the world’s
philosophical traditions with regard to
three (or more) of the big questions
Strand: C. Philosophical Skills
Strand C. is composed of elements of the 2000 curriculum’s Philosophical Skills, Philosophy and Everyday Life, Philosophical Theories, and
Research and Inquiry Skills strands, and new elements, mainly C1.1, and C1.2.
2000 Philosophy Curriculum
2013 Philosophy Curriculum
Overall Expectations:
Overall Expectations:
C1. Philosophical Reasoning: demonstrate an understanding of terms, methods,
and fallacies associated with philosophical reasoning.
C2. Evaluating Philosophical Responses to Big Questions: analyse, using their
own philosophical reasoning skills as well as the arguments of other critics, the
strengths and weakness of the responses of major philosophers or schools of
philosophy to some of the big questions of philosophy;
C3. Developing Philosophical Responses: use philosophical reasoning and critical
thinking skills to formulate responses to big questions of philosophy and to
arguments encountered in everyday life.
Specific Expectations:
Specific Expectations:
C1. Philosophical Reasoning
C1.1 Describe the parts of an argument, and explain how a philosophical argument
differs from other communications
C1.2 Describe forms of reasoning and explain how they are applied to
philosophical arguments
C1.3 Correctly use terminology related to logic and philosophical argumentation
C1.4 Identify some common fallacies in reasoning, and identify arguments
encountered in everyday life
C2. Evaluating Philosophical Responses to Big Questions
C2.1 Summarize arguments that critics have used to support, critique, or even
refute responses of major philosophers or philosophical traditions to some of the
big questions in philosophy
C2.2 Analyze, using their philosophical reasoning skills, the strengths and
weakness of the main arguments made by major philosophers or philosophical
traditions in response to some of the big questions in philosophy
C3 Developing Philosophical Responses
C3.1 Develop and defend, using philosophical reasoning and critical-thinking
skills, their own response to one of more big question in this course
C3.2 Apply philosophical reasoning and critical-thinking skills to analyse
arguments encountered in everyday life, and develop a response to them
Major Differences
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Addition: C1.1 Describe the
parts of an argument, and
explain how a philosophical
argument differs from other
communications.
Addition: C1.2 Describe forms
of reasoning, and explain how
they are applied in philosophical
arguments.
Strand: D. The Relevance of Philosophy
Strand C. is composed of elements of the 2000 curriculum’s strands (3) Philosophy and Everyday Life, and (4) Application of Philosophy to Other
Subjects.
2000 Philosophy Curriculum
Overall Expectations:
Strand (3) Philosophy and Everyday Life
 Relate the big questions of philosophy to
their own experience, reports in the news
media, and their society;
 Demonstrate the application of philosophical
theories and skills to jobs, occupations, and
everyday life.
Strand (4) Application of Philosophy to Other
Subjects.
 Identify philosophical theories and
presuppositions in natural science, history,
art, social science and humanities, and other
subjects;
 Demonstrate how philosophical skills that
are used to address the big questions of
philosophy can be used effectively in other
subjects.
Specific Expectations:
Strand (3) Philosophy and Everyday Life

describe what difference the answers people
accept to three (or more) of the big
 questions of philosophy should make to their
values, behaviour, and life plans;
 describe the strengths and weaknesses of
alternative responses to questions of
 applied philosophy;
 apply philosophical skills such as precise
writing and critical analysis to solve
problems that arise in jobs and occupations.
Strand (4) Application of Philosophy to Other
Subjects.
* identify philosophical positions presupposed in
some other disciplines;
* contrast alternative philosophical viewpoints in
controversies discussed in other subjects;
* identify examples of fallacies in reasoning in
writings from other subjects.
2013 Philosophy Curriculum
Major Differences
Overall Expectations:
D1. The Relevance to Everyday Life and Society: Demonstrate an understanding
of the relevance of philosophical questions, theories, and skills to their everyday
life and to the community and broader society;
D2. The relevance to Education and Careers: Demonstrate an understanding of
the relevance of philosophy to other subject areas and careers.
Specific Expectations:
D1. The Relevance to Everyday Life and Society
D1.1 Explain the relevance of some of the big questions in philosophy to their own
experiences in everyday life
D1.2 Explain the relevance of some of the big questions in philosophy to their
community and broader society
D1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of how they can apply philosophical theories
and skills to enhance their understanding of popular culture
D2. The relevance to Education and Careers
D2.1 Demonstrate an understanding of ways in which skills developed and used in
philosophy, such as critical thinking, argumentation, and effective listening skills,
can be used in other subjects
D2.2 Explain the philosophical presuppositions that are implicit in other subject
areas
D2.3 Explain the philosophical presuppositions that are implicit in a variety of
careers
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Addition: C1.1 Describe the
parts of an argument, and
explain how a philosophical
argument differs from other
communications.
Addition: C1.2 Describe forms
of reasoning, and explain how
they are applied in philosophical
arguments.