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The Meaning of Life

What's it all about?

‘The meaning of life’ is a class about exploring what the purpose of existence is, based on the views of historical figures and societies. Students delve into philosophical inquiries and analyse how various cultures and times have interpreted the essence of humanity.

What type of things will I do?

Students perform research and analysis of different historical sources from philosophers, historians, psychologists, and others. They are encouraged to debate and develop their own opinions.

What will I learn?

TOPIC 1

There is meaning.

  • Students explore historical perspectives of ‘supernaturalism’ and ‘religion’ within two different cultures. To do so, students learn about the creation of art, law, literature, and meaning.

TOPIC 2

There might be meaning?

  • Students analyse the concepts of ‘Ikigai’ and ‘Raison d'être’ in order to understand how Japan and France view ‘subjective purpose’. In doing so, students learn about a range of factors that can affect meaning, including age; generational divide; and societal expectations.

TOPIC 3

I don’t know if there’s meaning.

  • Students look at the concept of ‘objectivity’ in meaning by learning about ‘ethical dilemmas’, such as whether actions can be objectively right or wrong. In doing so, they look at laws and rules from a range of societies, cultures, and religions.

TOPIC 4

There isn’t meaning.

  • Students look at Asian perspectives of nothingness, including ‘kū’, ‘mu’, ‘śūnyatā’, ‘ki mu ron’, and ‘gen gaku’ (Sanskrit, Mahayana Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Neo-Daoism). Through these shared multicultural understandings, students investigate whether life is meaningless.

What can this lead to?

University and TAFE courses in Humanities and the Social Sciences, Philosophy and History.

POSSIBLE PATHWAY 

YEAR                               COURSES OFFERED 

YEAR 10 The Meaning of LIfe

YEAR 11                           Philosophy, History, Geography VCE Theory of Knowledge IB Core

YEAR 12                           Philosophy, History, Geography VCE Theory of Knowledge IB Core


Why choose this subject?

Choose this subject if you are curious, open to discussion, and interested in hearing about a range of cultures, societies, and perspectives.

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