Free resources

Philosophical inquiry workshop materials for teens and adults

The facilitator notes, slideshows, activity handouts and other resources linked below offer a taste of The Philosophy Club’s more than 30 unique workshops designed for small groups of 8–10 participants. We are sharing these workshop materials freely in the spirit of enhancing the practice of philosophical inquiry among high school students and members of the public.

Start by reading this guide to The Philosophy Club’s free teaching materials.

Take a look at this more extensive outline of our student workshops including philosophical topics, themes and key questions for students in Years 7 – 12. You can also view our 80-page Digital Showcase, a visual portfolio of images and key ideas from many of our workshops.

The workshops below are best suited to participants aged 14+. Some of our other workshops are suitable for younger children.

Click on the images below to access the workshop materials.

Original material is shared under Creative Commons license CCBY-NC-SA (Attribution-Noncommercial-Sharealike). Material from other sources is clearly indicated in each workshop’s runsheet.

GO FOR BROKE!
Risk-taking and peak experiences

THE REAL DEAL: Authenticity and virtual worlds

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ANCESTORS: Connecting through deep time

THE NATURE OF TIME: A philosophical inquiry

A SONIC ATTACK?
Reasoning through a mystery

A PRETTY GIANT UNKNOWN: The construction of social reality

A SHADY CABAL: Conspiracy culture and false belief

A DIFFERENT KIND OF JUSTICE: Forgiveness and guilt

WHAT THE BODY KNOWS: Memory, perception and embodiment

NEW MODES OF PERCEPTION: Sensory substitution & augmentation

For an accessible overview of our practice, please read this article by our Director, Michelle Sowey:
Sowey, M. (2021). Unveiling and packaging: A model for presenting philosophy in schools. Human Affairs, 31(4), 398-408.

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The Philosophy Club provides acclaimed Melbourne-based enrichment workshops for select entry high schoolers, inclusive student workshop programs for all interested students, and Philosopher in Residence programs (Australia-wide). Please contact us with any enquiries.

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The resources above are available free of charge, so that those who can’t afford it can still access it, and so that nobody has to pay before discovering it’s not what they are really seeking. But if you find it valuable and you’d like to contribute whatever easily affordable amount you feel it is worth, please leave a donation via Paypal below.