Philosophy Themes

Philosophy 2

This week Cypress Class worked really hard at learning to give reasons for their opinions. We discussed if it would be a good idea to sleep all day. Some people thought it was a great idea but others disagreed. Here are the reasons the students gave for and against sleeping all day.

Reason why it might be a good idea to sleep all day:

• You and your brain would get more rest
• You would feel more relaxed
• You would feel less stressed
• You wouldn’t have to go to school
• You would store up energy
• If you were ill, it would help you recover
• It’s fun to stay in bed watching TV or playing on your computer

Reason why it might be a bad idea to sleep all day:

• You would be very bored
• You wouldn’t learn
• You wouldn’t see your teachers or your friends
• You wouldn’t get anything done
• Too much sleep could affect your emotions and you might feel depressed
• Too much sleep could cause damage to the brain
• You wouldn’t get a good night’s sleep if you slept all day
• You would feel even more tired than usual

What do YOU think.

Philosophy 3

We discussed whether there was such a thing as a ‘good lie’ or a ‘bad lie’. We worked hard at giving reasons for our answers. The class had to read and talk about a number of statements, then decide if the statement was a ‘good lie’ or a ‘bad lie’.

Here are some of the statements* we thought about and discussed:

1. The Broken Toy: You borrow your friend’s toy without asking. When you break it by accident, you put it back without saying anything.
2. Grandma’s Present: Your favourite grandma gives you a horrible present. You don’t want to hurt her feelings. You tell your grandma you really love the present.
3. The Stolen Cake: At home, you eat some cake which was being kept for tea. Your mum asks if you took it. You say your brother ate the cake.
4. ‘He’s not in’: A neighbour, who your parents don’t like very much, comes to the door and asks to see your dad. Your dad tells you to tell the neighbour he’s not at home. You tell them your dad isn’t in.
5. Hidden Vegetables: Your mum knows you don’t like vegetable but wants you to eat them because vegetables are good for you. She hides some carrots and turnip in the mashes potato. When she serves the meal, she gives you an extra helping because she says, ‘I know you love potatoes’.
6. Practical Joke: As a joke, you hide some homework belonging to your classmate. Everyone in the class laughs while your classmate spends ages looking for it. When the classmate asks where the homework is, you say you don’t know.

What do YOU think?

• What might make something a ‘good’ lie?
• What are YOUR reasons?

*The statements were provided by Steve Williams @ p4c.com