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International · A Level ·
IB Philosophy
A course-aware revision pathway with source metadata, topic map, paper/test structure, approved original practice, flashcards, AI tutor handoff and Battle Mode connection. This route is labelled Fully covered after passing the StudyVector depth gate.
Fully coveredLast checked 2026-05-19
Practise
Original questions mapped to topic, subtopic, skill and provider.
Flashcards
Active recall decks for formulas, facts, vocabulary and practicals.
Battle Mode
Energy earned only from real revision progress and mistake repair.
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Top-level route areas visible before signup.
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Smaller learning blocks for repair and review.
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Practice targets used by diagnostics and tutor handoff.
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Success criteria tied to real answers, not passive reading.
Night-before review for IB Philosophy
This plan uses your course route, target date and confidence. It is a starter preview until the student saves the course in onboarding.
practise
Start with Core Theme: Being Human
Night-before review: StudyVector starts with the highest-signal topic before widening the plan.
25 min · 10 energyflashcardsReview What it means to be a person flashcards
Spaced recall keeps today's work from fading before the next session.
9 min · 4 energyexam modeTry a short skill practice set
Timed practice turns understanding into exam/test readiness.
18 min · 12 energyai tutorAsk the tutor to explain the next step
Tutor mode uses course-aware language and should guide, not shortcut, the answer.
8 min · 3 energyTopic map
IB Philosophy
Core Theme: Being Human
What it means to be a personPersonal identity, mind and freedom
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Ethics
Normative theories and moral reasoningMetaethics and the status of values
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Philosophy of Religion
Arguments for and against God's existenceReligious language and the problem of evil
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Philosophy and Contemporary Society
Equality, justice and human rightsTechnology, media and social change
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Political Philosophy
Authority, legitimacy and the stateLiberty, rights and distributive justice
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Aesthetics
Nature and definition of artAesthetic judgement, taste and value
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Epistemology
Sources and limits of knowledgeScepticism, justification and truth
IB Philosophy
Optional Theme: Philosophy of Science
Scientific method and demarcationTheory change, realism and explanation
IB Philosophy
Prescribed Text Study
Close reading of a set philosopherArguments, context and critical response
IB Philosophy
HL Extension: Doing Philosophy
Nature and methods of philosophical activityPhilosophy as critical and reflective enquiry
IB Philosophy
Philosophical Argument and Reasoning
Validity, soundness and logical structureFallacies and counterargument construction
IB Philosophy
Engaging With Unseen Stimulus Material
Extracting philosophical issues from a sourceLinking stimulus to core theme concepts
IB Philosophy
Internal Assessment: Philosophical Analysis
Non-philosophical stimulus and issue selectionDeveloping and defending a personal argument
Sample original practice
In the IB Philosophy core theme 'Being Human', philosophers distinguish between numerical identity and qualitative identity. Suppose a wooden ship has every plank gradually replaced over twenty years until none of the originals remain. Which claim best expresses the problem this raises for PERSONAL identity over time?
Ask which kind of identity is threatened: same individual thing (numerical) or same set of properties (qualitative)?
Source type: original · Review status: approved
Sources and legal boundary
StudyVector is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by exam boards unless explicitly stated.
- StudyVector original UK/USA curriculum depth map
Last checked 2026-04-29. Internal original mapping; not copied from paid platforms or official papers.
Explanation, examples and mistakes are visible before full practice
These previews come from the first-party course map and approved question registry. Fully covered means the public route has topic depth, skills, objectives, worked examples and mistake repair attached before students enter full practice.
What it means to be a person
What to know
- What it means to be a person should connect the scientific idea to evidence, data or a model.
- A full answer names the mechanism, then links it to the observation or calculation.
Common mistake
Naming a key word without explaining the mechanism behind it.
Worked example
A Core Theme: Being Human question gives data and asks for an explanation. What should the answer do?
- 1. State the relevant concept or model.
- 2. Use the data or scenario as evidence.
- 3. Explain how the evidence supports the conclusion.
Personal identity, mind and freedom
What to know
- Personal identity, mind and freedom should connect the scientific idea to evidence, data or a model.
- A full answer names the mechanism, then links it to the observation or calculation.
Common mistake
Naming a key word without explaining the mechanism behind it.
Worked example
A Core Theme: Being Human question gives data and asks for an explanation. What should the answer do?
- 1. State the relevant concept or model.
- 2. Use the data or scenario as evidence.
- 3. Explain how the evidence supports the conclusion.
Normative theories and moral reasoning
What to know
- Normative theories and moral reasoning should connect the scientific idea to evidence, data or a model.
- A full answer names the mechanism, then links it to the observation or calculation.
Common mistake
Naming a key word without explaining the mechanism behind it.
Worked example
A Optional Theme: Ethics question gives data and asks for an explanation. What should the answer do?
- 1. State the relevant concept or model.
- 2. Use the data or scenario as evidence.
- 3. Explain how the evidence supports the conclusion.
Three quick checks
1. What skill does the approved sample question test?
ib
Numerical identity is being one and the same individual thing over time; qualitative identity is sharing the same properties. The replacement scenario keeps the ship qualitatively ship-like while every part changes, pressing the question of whether numerical identity can survive total material replacement. Applied to persons, this is exactly the puzzle of personal identity over time (e.g. bodily continuity vs psychological continuity): am I numerically the same person as the child I once was, despite changed cells, beliefs, and memories? The correct option states this puzzle precisely without overclaiming.
2. What mistake should you watch for in What it means to be a person?
Naming a key word without explaining the mechanism behind it.
StudyVector stores common mistake patterns so the next attempt can repair the specific error rather than restart the whole course.
3. What should happen after a missed point?
Review the explanation, name the mistake, then answer a similar question while the correction is fresh.
The page feeds the same loop as practice: attempt, feedback, repair, and return.