Philosophers and sages have reflected on the nature and significance of death and mortality since ancient times whilst reflecting on the possibility of an afterlife in the face of the mystery of death. According to many philosophers and psychologists: a healthy appreciation of one’s own finitude is essential for living a full life and for striving to live without regrets. Speaking about death and dying is a taboo in our society and yet by failing to speak openly about it we can often exacerbate the fear of death in young minds and feed their anxieties around death. This interactive philosophy lesson allows for open and reasonable discussions about death, mortality, and the possibility (or impossibility) of an afterlife. It is created without a religious or cultural bias or an agenda to persuade or convert students to a particular viewpoint in relation to the afterlife. This session is ideal for teachers who want to explore these deep matters of life and death with students aged 8-16; we’ve carefully selected the most significant issues and questions relating to death and the afterlife so that young learners can engage in fun philosophical discussions and debates. This session explores topics such as: The nature of the death The benefits of contemplating one’s own mortality Different views about the afterlife Whether or believing in ghosts is justified The value of funerals and honouring the dead Existential psychology Please be careful to time your use of this resource carefully and to deliver it with due sensitivity as some young people might struggle to wrestle with these issues. Please note: this resource discusses a variety of afterlife beliefs (i.e. the possibility of reincarnation, Heaven, Hell and nothingness) and, therefore, will probably involve the analysis and evaluation of religious beliefs. The big question asked in this session is “What are the benefits of thinking deeply about our own mortality?”. Using a variety of engaging activities students will discuss and debate a wide range of other philosophical questions such as: Why do you think people are reluctant to talk about death and dying and that such topics are a taboo in our society? To what extent can thinking about death help us to appreciate and value those around us more? Many people have reported seeing ghosts: to what extent does this prove that ghosts exist? What do you think people experience after they die? How should we live our lives in such a way that we are always ready to die? and To what extent do Near Death Experiences (NDEs) prove that life after death is definitely true?

This thought-provoking philosophy teaching resource focuses on ethics and meta-ethics: instead of focusing on specific moral issues (which is covered in a different session on ‘Applied Ethics’ this re-usable lesson explores the fundamental nature of ethics, the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, the function of moral language, different theories of normative ethics, different ways of thinking about how we ought to live, and deeper issues around the metaphysical status of good and evil. This session is ideal for teachers who want to explore philosophy with students and is of particular value to teachers who want to nurture the moral development of their students (perhaps in an SMSC or PSHE context) and trigger deeper reflections on the fundamental nature of ‘right and wrong’; we’ve carefully selected the most significant issues and questions relating to normative ethics and meta-ethics so that young learners can engage in fun philosophical discussions and debates. This session explores topics such as: The fundamental nature of good and evil Different ways of evaluating the morality of actions Virtue ethics and what it means ‘to be a good person’ Whether or not morality is absolute or relative (e.g. to different cultures and time-periods) The degree to which moral judgements refer to objective facts The degree to which moral judgements are baseless and arbitrary The big question asked in this session is “What is the fundamental difference between good and evil acts?”. Using a variety of engaging activities students will discuss and debate a wide range of other philosophical questions such as: What makes it reasonable to call a specific action “good”? Are there some actions that we can say are always evil in all situations, time periods and cultures? What is the role of empathy in compassion in determining the most morally correct course of action in life? and What is the most important virtue to cultivate in life? Students will also analyse and evaluate an eclectic mix of philosophical claims such as: “Some actions are morally permissible even when they create suffering for others.” “Some people are born evil” and “It is impossible to truly know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil.” This resource is suitable for teachers of all school subjects who are looking to introduce philosophy, philosophical thinking and critical thinking. The file is a PowerPoint Show: no planning or preparation is required, just run the file and the intuitive menu system will make delivering a powerful philosophy session very easy!