Internal Assessment: Philosophical Analysis of a Non-Philosophical Stimulus
What this domain tests
The internal assessment requires a philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus. You choose a stimulus - an advertisement, news photograph, film scene or object - and identify, explain and evaluate a philosophical issue it raises. It is internally marked and externally moderated.
Rules and structure
- The stimulus must not itself be a philosophical text or argument.
- Identify a clear philosophical question, define its terms and explain why it matters.
- Analyse using relevant philosophical positions, with reasons and examples.
- Consider objections or alternative views, then reach a judgement.
- Keep within the prescribed word limit and cite sources accurately.
Worked example
A memory-enhancing app advertises 'Become the real you'. The implicit premise is that memory makes the self. Connect this to Locke's memory criterion of personal identity; then consider the biological criterion, which says the organism persists even when memory changes. Ask whether the advert assumes a false view of authenticity. Evaluate which account better explains the intuition that radical memory loss changes who someone is. The stimulus is the starting point, not the subject of a summary.
Traps
- Choosing a stimulus that already argues a philosophical position.
- Spending too many words describing the stimulus.
- Name-dropping philosophers without argument.
- Omitting counterarguments and implications.
- Losing marks for presentation, referencing or the word limit.