Philosophy

Is your philosophy IA deadline looming, leaving you uncertain about selecting a suitable topic? This post is here to assist you in navigating through that challenge! Within this text, we present a variety of IA ideas accompanied by examples to initiate your writing journey. Our goal is to steer you towards fulfilling the IB criteria and maintaining focus throughout the IA writing process. Regardless of your specific interest within philosophy, the suggestions below are bound to offer options that align with your requirements!&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:center;">Philosophy IA Ideas</h2>&nbsp;&nbsp;<ol><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/64b99585c0741a00129dec9b" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Selfless behaviour:</a> In this topic, you can explore whether humans can ever behave selflessly. This can be evaluated against the theory of Psychological Egoism which states that humans are unable to behave selflessly.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/64df8334b6f669f4a3d5b2b9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Illusion of dichotomy:</a> Through this exploration, you can look at whether humans act based on free will versus based on determinism. You can explore whether a person's choices are solely their own, or if everything plays out according to a set destiny.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/64b0417eb38ec100134ba7c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Absolute freedom:</a> Within this exploration, you could analyze the role of biological traits on free will, and if there is such a thing as absolute freedom or if our innate characteristics always constrain our choices.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/64c100d2f8603e0013d65799" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Morality of suicide:</a> Looking at this topic, you could explore whether suicide is morally permissible or even morally required in some extraordinary circumstances.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/62fa83fdbf877e001371503c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Use of the word "woman":</a> In this topic, you could look at the extent to which the word "woman" is biologically determined - is it wholly biologically determined or is it a product of social conditioning?&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/62d46643efe3ca0013f9a676" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Discussions of morality:</a> Through this analysis, you can explore two different perspectives of morality such as moral realism and anti-realism, as well as if the whole concept of morality is an error.</li></ol>&nbsp;<pre><code class="language-plaintext">CAROUSEL</code></pre>&nbsp;<ol start="7"><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/6418b526e1d1550013668a66" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mind and body:</a> Looking at this topic, you could investigate the Cartesian and Nietzschean notions of mind and body interaction, by exploring the mind and body and both separate and interconnected entities.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/64a6f4d1701b5600139b42ae" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toy Story and free will:</a> Within this topic, you could analyze the extent to which the toys in Toy Story can be considered people based on whether or not they have free will.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/6202decd59dfc50013182a98" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ethics of security technology:</a> In this exploration, you could look at whether new security technologies are necessary and ethical, based on factors like the privacy of individuals subjected to this technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/62d1b7af8c5db80013f0426c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The morality of a character's behaviour:</a> Through this analysis, you could evaluate the morality of a character's actions in a movie or TV show episode.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li><a href="/ia/philosophy/61b0ad094869b1001385d577" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Machines as people:</a> In this topic, you can explore the extent to which a machine can be considered a person, or whether it is simply a piece of technology.</li></ol>&nbsp;&nbsp;For more IA ideas and a deeper insight into how to structure your IAs, head to the <a href="/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clastify</a> website where you will be able to find numerous <a href="/ia/philosophy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">philosophy</a> IA topics as well as exemplar IAs that you can refer to during your writing process!

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A comprehensive list of 11 philosophy IA internal assessment topic ideas along with explanations and examples. See what can be done and use this as inspiration for your own topic. 

Philosophy IA Topic Ideas + Examples

Do you need some guidance in preparing for your IB Philosophy exams or writing your IA and are wondering how you can maximize your score? This post is here to help you identify the grade boundaries so you can plan yourself accordingly. Keep in mind that these values change from session to session and hence are only an indicator of the approximate marks you would need for a certain grade, but feel free to use this guide as a planning tool!&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:center;">IB Philosophy HL Grade Boundaries</h2>&nbsp;The following grade boundaries are based on official IB May 2024 grade boundaries.&nbsp;<figure class="table" style="width:98.79%;"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col style="width:14.82%;"><col style="width:17.29%;"><col style="width:17.82%;"><col style="width:18%;"><col style="width:12.45%;"><col style="width:19.62%;"></colgroup><thead><tr><th colspan="6">Points needed</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Grade</td><td>Paper 1</td><td>Paper 2</td><td>Paper 3</td><td>IA</td><td>Final grade (%)</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>0-5</td><td>0-4</td><td>0-4</td><td>0-3</td><td>0-11</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>6-10</td><td>5-8</td><td>5-8</td><td>4-7</td><td>12-24</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>11-23</td><td>9-11</td><td>9-12</td><td>8-11</td><td>25-39</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>24-35</td><td>12-14</td><td>13-14</td><td>12-15</td><td>40-53</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>36-48</td><td>15-16</td><td>15-17</td><td>16-18</td><td>54-66</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>49-60</td><td>17-19</td><td>18-19</td><td>19-21</td><td>67-79</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>61-75</td><td>20-25</td><td>20-25</td><td>22-25</td><td>80-100</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:center;">IB Philosophy SL Grade Boundaries</h2>&nbsp;The following grade boundaries are based on official IB May 2024 grade boundaries.&nbsp;<figure class="table" style="width:97.6%;"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col style="width:16.82%;"><col style="width:19.63%;"><col style="width:20.16%;"><col style="width:20.63%;"><col style="width:22.76%;"></colgroup><thead><tr><th colspan="5">Points needed</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Grade</td><td>Paper 1</td><td>Paper 2</td><td>IA</td><td>Final grade (%)</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>0-5</td><td>0-4</td><td>0-3</td><td>0-12</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>6-10</td><td>5-8</td><td>4-7</td><td>13-25</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>11-15</td><td>9-11</td><td>8-11</td><td>26-37</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>16-22</td><td>12-14</td><td>12-15</td><td>38-51</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>23-31</td><td>15-16</td><td>16-18</td><td>52-65</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>32-38</td><td>17-19</td><td>19-21</td><td>66-78</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>39-50</td><td>20-25</td><td>22-25</td><td>79-100</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;We hope that this guide helps you in planning your studies and IA preparation. <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:justify;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Also, make sure to visit <a href="/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:justify;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Clastify</a><a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineHover css-16r75hj" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0, 171, 85);font-family:&quot;Public Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;text-align:justify;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.clastify.com/" node="[object Object]"> </a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:justify;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">for tons of free IA examples. Good luck!

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A comprehensive list of IB Philosophy grade boundaries for Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, and the IA. See what the boundaries are and use this to plan your studying accordingly. 

IB Philosophy Grade Boundaries

<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:center;" dir="ltr">Philosophy IA word count and page limit&nbsp; &nbsp;</h2>Are you starting to write your Philosophy IA? We know this process can be tricky therefore we prepared a short guide to help you get started. Continue reading this post to make sure your investigation follows the formal requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This internal assessment is a philosophical analysis of a chosen stimulus. As a philosophy student, you should identify and analyse a philosophical issue raised by the stimulus. When it comes to the formal requirements, your IA can be at most 2000 words, there is no page limit.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr">Stimulus description&nbsp;</h3>You have to provide a copy of the analysed stimulus with your IA. If it exceeds 200 words or is in a form different than text (movie extract, radio recording etc.), you have to describe it in a maximum of 200 words. This part is not included in the word count, same as the bibliography and references.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr">Introduction&nbsp;</h3>Begin your essay with around 300 words of introduction. Present the subject of your exploration, clearly identify the issue raised by the stimulus, and provide a sufficient justification of the connection between them.&nbsp;Utilize this section to offer background information regarding the stimuli, introducing the examiners to the context of your exploration. Also, define the key concepts or theories relating to the topic of your analysis.&nbsp; &nbsp;Check out <a href="/ia/philosophy/64b0417eb38ec100134ba7c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this exemplar</a> for inspiration.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr">Analysis and evaluation</h3>Your response should contain a developed analysis of the chosen philosophical issue.&nbsp;You should apply a well-structured argumentative framework&nbsp;consisting of supportive arguments but also convincing counterarguments. Support each of them with an example or a suitable reference. In this section, you can demonstrate your extensive knowledge of different areas of philosophy and deep understanding of the issue. Don’t forget about the appropriate use of the specific terminology and to properly justify each point of view. This should be the longest part of your exploration and take up around 1,500 words.&nbsp; &nbsp;You can read a perfectly structured analysis <a href="/ia/philosophy/62fa83fdbf877e001371503c " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here.&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;<pre style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr"><code class="language-plaintext">CAROUSEL</code></pre>&nbsp;<h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr">Conclusion&nbsp;</h3>After having demonstrated the different perspectives on the philosophical issue raised by the stimulus, synthesize and evaluate them. State which argument you find most persuasive and why. Inform about the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen approaches in the analysis. Remember, not to add any new arguments here to make sure that the conclusion stays consistent with the previous parts of the exploration (and that enough justification is provided for every point of view). Devote the remaining 200 words for this final section.&nbsp; &nbsp;Take a look at <a href="/ia/philosophy/64a6f4d1701b5600139b42ae " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this conclusion.</a>&nbsp;The above word allocation between the different sections of the internal assessment is based on the received marked exemplars. We recommend to stick to this structure because it also reflects the assessment criteria and how many points are awarded for specific aspects of the essay.&nbsp; &nbsp;Are you in need of more <a href="/ia/philosophy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">philosophy exemplars</a> to support your writing process? Don’t hesitate to check out the <a href="/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clastify website</a>, where you can find numerous IAs from different subjects. For other available guides head to our blog!

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A comprehensive guide to Philosophy IA word count and page limit. Make sure that your essay follows the formal requirements! 

Philosophy IA word limit and page count 

Paper 1 is the first examination you'll face in your IB Philosophy assessments. In this post, we’ll provide a thorough breakdown of IB Philosophy Paper 1, ensuring you are familiarised with the structure of the exam and know what type of questions to expect.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:center;">IB Philosophy Paper 1</h2>&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>For SL, Paper 1 contributes 50% to the overall subject grade, while for HL, it accounts for 40%</li><li>SL students have 1 hour 45 minutes, while HL students are given 2 hours 30 minutes to complete Paper 1</li><li>Paper 1 is an extended response paper.&nbsp;</li><li>Students answer one stimulus-based question on the core theme and one question on an optional theme.&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;Students may expect the Paper 1 questions to look the following way:&nbsp;Core theme: What is a human being?&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Read the following passage and develop your response as indicated below.&nbsp;&nbsp;‘”Animal” is a negative term, but only because man has been made inappropriately privileged. It has been argued that whereas the traditional view supports Hamlet’s exclamation, “How like a god,” Pavlov emphasizes “How like a dog.” But is that a step too far? A god is the archetypal pattern of an explanatory fiction, of a miracle-working mind, of the metaphysical. Man is much more than a dog, but like a dog he is within the range of scientific analysis.&nbsp;Write a response (of approximately 800 words) in which you:&nbsp;<ul><li>identify a central philosophical concept or philosophical issue in this passage that addresses the question, “what is a human being?”</li><li>investigate two different philosophical approaches to the philosophical concept or philosophical issue you identified</li><li>explain and evaluate the philosophical concept or philosophical issue you identified.</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Optional Theme 2: Theories and problems of ethics&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Evaluate the claim that for utilitarianism the purpose of ethics is the increase of happiness.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Philosophy Paper 1 tips</h3>&nbsp;To do well in IB Philosophy Paper 1, it’s important to understand the command terms and make sure you’re answering exactly what the question is asking. Whether you need to describe, explain, or evaluate, your response should match the specific requirements of the question. Start by defining key concepts clearly to show your understanding from the beginning. Your answer should be well-organized and use clear, precise language suited to philosophy. You need to show a good understanding of relevant philosophical issues, analyse and evaluate key ideas and arguments, and use examples to support your points. It’s also important to consider counter-arguments to show a balanced perspective. Finally, make sure to include a clear and thoughtful personal response that directly relates to the question.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of <a href="/ia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IA</a>, <a href="/ee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EE </a>and <a href="/tok" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TOK </a>exemplars available at <a href="/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clastify</a>.&nbsp;

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A comprehensive guide to IB Philosophy Paper 1. Learn about Paper 1 structure, duration, weighing, and the questions you may encounter. 

IB Philosophy Paper 1

Paper 2 is the second examination you'll face in your IB Philosophy assessments. In this post, we’ll provide a thorough breakdown of IB Philosophy Paper 2, ensuring you are familiarised with the structure of the exam and know what type of questions to expect.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:center;">IB Philosophy Paper 2</h2>&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>For SL, Paper 2 contributes 25% to the overall subject grade, while for HL, it accounts for 20%</li><li>Both SL and HL students have 1 hour to complete Paper 2.</li><li>Paper 2 is an extended response paper.</li><li>Students answer 1 question based on a prescribed text.</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;Students may expect the Paper 2 questions to look the following way:&nbsp;Simone de Beauvoir: The Second Sex, Vol.1 part 1, Vol. 2 part 1, and Vol.2 part 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;<ol><li>(a) Explain why private property is the ''great historical defeat of the female sex'' [10]</li></ol>&nbsp;(b) Evaluate why private property is the ''great historical defeat of the female sex'' [15]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Philosophy Paper 2 tips</h3>&nbsp;To do well in IB Philosophy Paper 2 you need a strong understanding of the text’s key ideas, themes, and arguments so make sure you have a deep understanding of the text before the exam. Make sure that your answer is analytical, especially when dealing with an ''evaluate'' question. This means you must go beyond explanation and consider different viewpoints, strengths, and weaknesses of the argument. A strong response includes both the philosopher’s ideas and possible counterarguments.&nbsp;&nbsp;Structure your essay clearly: start with an introduction that outlines your argument, develop your points in well-organized paragraphs with analysis, and conclude by reinforcing your main ideas. You have only 1 hour to complete this paper so it is crucial you manage your time wisely. Creating and following a plan can be helpful in ensuring that you stay focused and don't run out of time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of <a href="/ia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IA</a>, <a href="/ee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EE </a>and <a href="/tok" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TOK </a>exemplars available at <a href="/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clastify</a>.&nbsp;

A comprehensive guide to IB Philosophy Paper 2. Learn about Paper 2 structure, duration, weighing, and the questions you may encounter. 

IB Philosophy Paper 2

IB Philosophy challenges students to explore fundamental questions about knowledge, reality, and human existence through critical thinking and philosophical inquiry. The course develops analytical skills by examining key philosophical concepts, arguments, and perspectives from various philosophical traditions.

IB Philosophy

Coursework Exemplars

IA/EE Review

Notes

Command Terms

Paper Weighting

2,685 students

4.9 average grade

Difficulty

Grade distribution

Helpful Blog Posts

IB Philosophy Paper 2

Philosophy IA Topic Ideas + Examples

IB Philosophy Grade Boundaries

Philosophy IA word limit and page count

IB Philosophy Paper 1

IB Philosophy Paper 2

Philosophy IA Topic Ideas + Examples

IB Philosophy Grade Boundaries

Philosophy IA word limit and page count

IB Philosophy Paper 1

IB Philosophy Paper 2

2,685 students

4.9 average grade

Difficulty

Grade distribution