Cranleigh Thinking is all about teaching through asking questions, following the example of Socrates. This powerpoint contains examples of questions that could be dropped into a lesson in a specific subject, as a starter or plenary activity, to stimulate thinking and discussion. For more information about Cranleigh Thinking visit: http://www.cranleigh.org/academic/cranleigh-thinking

1. World Philosophy Day
Thursday November 17th

2. Questions about Art
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• What is art?
• Why does art matter to us?
• What do we mean by ‘great’ art?
• What would a world without art be like?
• If there was a fire in an art gallery, would you risk running in to
save an artwork? Which would you save?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

3. Questions about Business Studies
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Is profit the most important thing in a business?
• Would it be immoral to buy and sell kidneys?
• Is management an art or a science?
• What does it mean to be an ‘ethical’ business?
• Is there such a thing as a ‘fair’ price?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

4. Questions about Classical Civilisation
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Was slavery wrong even when no-one believed it was?
• Why do we study ancient civilisations?
• Why do we watch tragedy?
• Can we say that the world has improved in the past 2000 years?
• What did it mean to be a ‘hero’ in the ancient world and does it mean
the same today?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

5. Questions about Design
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• What is the difference between good and bad design?
• Why do we need design?
• Is design an art or a science?
• Where do design ideas come from?
• If you could re-design a human, what would you change?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

6. Questions about Drama and Theatre Studies
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• What makes people want to act?
• Can theatre change the way we think?
• Is the meaning of a play purely personal?
• What does it mean to ‘become’ a character in a play?
• Should some plays be banned and if so, why?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

7. Questions about Economics
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Could we manage without money?
• Can you put a price on anything?
• Can economics explain human behaviour?
• Are economic laws like the laws of physics?
• Is economic growth a good thing in itself?
• Is there such a thing as a ‘fair’ wage?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

8. Questions about Geography
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• What is a map?
• What defines a country?
• Is Geography an art or a science?
• How many answers are there to the question: ‘where do you live?’
• Is space real or imaginary?
• What is a river?
• If we sent a Geographer to Mars, what would they do?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

9. Questions about Geology
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Can Geology prove how old the Earth is?
• Could animal behaviour predict earthquakes?
• If you split a rock in half, do you always get 2 rocks?
• Is it irrational to live near a volcano?
• How sure can we be about what is inside the Earth?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

10. Questions about History
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Is the past real?
• Is there such a thing as a true historical record?
• Does the way we think of historical events change the way they
are?
• Why do human beings tell stories about their past?
• Do non-human animals have an awareness of history?
• What do we mean by the cause of an event?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

11. Questions about IT
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Can computers think?
• Are there any jobs a robot couldn’t do?
• Could we be living in a virtual reality?
• Is the mind a computer?
• Could computers have feelings?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

12. Questions about Language
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• How do words get their meaning?
• Where do words come from?
• Is there such a thing as the ‘true’ meaning of a poem?
• Do fictional characters exist?
• What makes people write?
• Do non-human animals have a language?
• Does language shape our thought?
• Is any translation perfect?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class.

13. Questions about Maths
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Was maths discovered or invented?
• Do numbers exist?
• Could anything be infinite?
• Why is mathematics so useful?
• Can you imagine a world where maths didn’t work?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

14. Questions about Music
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Why do we listen to music?
• How does music acquire meaning?
• Can everyday sounds be a form of music?
• Is birdsong a form of music?
• Can silence be musical?
• Is musical quality purely a matter of personal taste?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

15. Questions about PE
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• How does the mind influence the body?
• What is the definition of ‘health’?
• Is the body a machine?
• Has sport been corrupted by money?
• Why does winning matter?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

16. Questions about Philosophy and Ethics
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• What should philosophers be thinking about in the modern world?
• Could a bad person be a good philosopher?
• If you click on the first hyperlink of a Wikipedia page, and keep doing
it for the next page and so on, eventually you get to Philosophy. Why?
• Has Science taken over from Philosophy?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

17. Questions about Politics
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• Could an ideal society exist?
• Is democracy philosophically defensible?
• Where do rights come from?
• Should the voting age be lowered?
• Would having a single world government help?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class

18. Questions about Science
Choose a question to discuss with a partner:
• What is science?
• Could there be a scientific explanation of love?
• What is the difference between science and maths?
• Is history part of science?
• How many sciences are there?
• Could there be a science of ghosts?
• Could science come to an end?
• Does science rule out faith or depend on it?
Be prepared to give a summary to your class