Click here to explore thousands of examiner marked IA, EE and TOK exemplars!
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.
IB Philosophy Paper 1
- For SL, Paper 1 contributes 50% to the overall subject grade, while for HL, it accounts for 40%
- SL students have 1 hour 45 minutes, while HL students are given 2 hours 30 minutes to complete Paper 1
- Paper 1 is an extended response paper.
- Students answer one stimulus-based question on the core theme and one question on an optional theme.
Students may expect the Paper 1 questions to look the following way:
Core theme: What is a human being?
1. Read the following passage and develop your response as indicated below.
‘”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.
Write a response (of approximately 800 words) in which you:
- identify a central philosophical concept or philosophical issue in this passage that addresses the question, “what is a human being?”
- investigate two different philosophical approaches to the philosophical concept or philosophical issue you identified
- explain and evaluate the philosophical concept or philosophical issue you identified.
Optional Theme 2: Theories and problems of ethics
2. Evaluate the claim that for utilitarianism the purpose of ethics is the increase of happiness.
Philosophy Paper 1 tips
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.
We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify.
The Fast Track To Your
Best IB Coursework & College Essays
All content on this website has been developed independently from and is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. International Baccalaureate and IB are registered trademarks owned by the International Baccalaureate Organization.