Philosophy Essay Topics: 260 Ideas to Fire Up Your Neurons

Writing a compelling philosophy paper is already tough, especially if you’re not used to its conventions. And if you have to choose the topic first? That’s a whole new level of difficulty!

No need to worry, though: to help you out, we’ve compiled 260 philosophical topics to write about, along with some advice on choosing one.

What Is a Philosophy Paper?

Before we dive into topics for philosophy paper, let’s make sure we’re on the same page regarding what a philosophy paper is. A philosophy paper is a piece of academic writing meant to defend the author’s stance on a certain topic (i.e., thesis).

Writing a philosophy paper can involve:

• Critiquing another philosopher’s argument
• Defending your thesis and arguments against objections
• Giving examples to explain your stance

To write a good philosophy paper, make sure you have a full grasp of the works and concepts you’ll be addressing in your paper. You’ll also have to provide solid reasoning for your thesis (i.e., arguments), along with evidence and examples.

How to Choose Philosophy Paper Topics

If you’re here, you must’ve been given free reins on choosing your topic. But how do you do that – and avoid regretting your choice three hours into doing your research?

Here are the three questions you should ask yourself before diving into the philosophy topics we listed below:

• Are you limited in the scope of possible topics? For example, you may be required to select a topic that concerns the philosophy of law or Plato’s body of work.
• What piques your interest? As you read through our ideas, take note when a topic stirs your curiosity – that could be the ticket.
• What have you been discussing in class? Use your notes and reading list to limit the range of suitable topics.

To settle on the perfect topic for your philosophy paper, jot down the prompts that interest you and/or brainstorm your own. Then, create a shortlist and do cursory research to refine the topics. Choose one and get to writing!

Interesting Philosophy Topics to Get You Started

All the topics you’ve considered so far seem to be boring? Here are the 20 interesting philosophy topics bound to make for a compelling paper:

1. What is justice?
2. Should morality be a binding force for one’s behavior?
3. Is incarceration an ethical punishment for a crime?
4. How do we know that something is true?
5. What is the difference between a belief and a truth?
6. Is knowledge possible to achieve given the subjectivity of human experiences?
7. Do humans possess free will?
8. How should we define consciousness?
9. How does the language we use impact the world we live in?
10. How can we define beauty?
11. What came first, thought or consciousness?
12. Is it possible to find meaning in an absurdist world?
13. Should we move from a human-centered system of values to a nature-centered one?
14. Are free will and determinism compatible?
15. What is the nature of love?
16. Can one be both a positivist and a pragmatist?
17. Do evil and good exist?
18. Is there such a thing as a sense of self?
19. How do we define and recognize the AI consciousness?
20. Do we have the moral obligation to obey the state?

Argumentative Philosophy Essay Topics

Tasked with writing an argumentative philosophy essay? Consider these 20 topics without clear-cut answers:

1. Is it ethical to share your child’s life on social media?
2. Should we obey the laws we privately consider unjust?
3. Do parents have a moral obligation to surveil their children?
4. Should we tolerate intolerance if we value free speech?
5. Could we be living in a sophisticated, simulated reality?
6. Is AI-generated art as valuable as art created by humans?
7. Is it ethical to patent life-saving inventions like drugs?
8. Can we apply Turing’s “polite convention” to present-day AI systems?
9. Is globalization inherently unfair?
10. Should you base your decisions on facts or feelings?
11. Can censorship be necessary in a democratic society?
12. Do we have a moral obligation to curb climate change?
13. What do we owe each other?
14. Can violence in protest be justified?
15. Is there such a thing as a duty to act?
16. Are moral values universal or individual?
17. Should we focus on the net effect of one’s actions to assess their impact?
18. Can being honest be morally wrong?
19. Do we have a duty to follow social conventions?
20. Are all events in the universe causally inevitable?

Easy Philosophy Paper Topics

If you’re not in the mood to spend hours researching a topic, take a look at these 20 easy but interesting ideas for your paper:

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. What is free will?
3. Is morality individual or collective?
4. Does anything matter?
5. Is there such a thing as reality?
6. Is it possible to know anything with absolute certainty?
7. Is respecting others’ privacy a moral obligation?
8. What is more important: the action’s actual or intended outcomes?
9. Can white lies be ethical?
10. Is charity a moral duty?
11. Is human nature by default good or evil?
12. Should we rely on our senses?
13. Are science and religion compatible?
14. Is it possible to create an artificial brain that would possess consciousness?
15. Would you prefer a perfectly joyful simulated world to the real one?
16. Are selfishness and altruism mutually exclusive?
17. Should we trade freedom for security?
18. Is war a natural state of humankind?
19. Is it our moral obligation to become organ donors?
20. Where does the legitimacy of authority come from?

Fun Philosophy Paper Topics

Yes, philosophy can be fun! Don’t believe it? These 20 topics can prove you otherwise:

1. Would artificial superintelligence tasked with improving the world be incentivized to destroy humanity?
2. Would you want to live forever?
3. Should artificial intelligence systems be given legal rights?
4. Is it possible to truly know another person?
5. What would Plato think about modern-day influencers?
6. Should you break the law to save someone’s life?
7. Is it possible to live a full life while considering life meaningless?
8. Would you want to be happy all the time?
9. What would happen if nobody could tell lies anymore?
10. Would you want to transfer your mind to a computer?
11. Would you want to live in a world without art?
12. Should video games teach moral values to players?
13. Can we be truly rational despite our bias?
14. Would you erase your bad memories if you could?
15. What would the world without money be like?
16. Would you want to live in a world where crime doesn’t occur?
17. Should you judge someone by your first impression of them?
18. Would you let an AI system govern you?
19. Are online relationships as meaningful as offline ones?
20. Would you choose to be a superhero if you gained special powers?

Philosophy of Law Essay Topics

Whether you’re working toward a law degree or are just curious about what makes law law, here are 20 topics for you:

1. Is it sensible to task courts with upholding justice instead of individuals?
2. What comes first: our moral values or our society’s laws?
3. Should we codify the right to die in our legal system?
4. How can liberty coexist with justice?
5. Where do the rights of one individual end and the freedoms of another begin?
6. Is deterrence an effective tool to prevent crime?
7. What purposes should punishment serve?
8. How do we ensure social equality in the justice system?
9. How does morality impact law?
10. Does a state need a constitution?
11. Should moral obligations be put into law?
12. Does the legal system affect everyone in the same way?
13. Why does law evolve?
14. Who should decide what norms become law?
15. Should religious dogmas be codified into law?
16. What should take precedent: international law or the national one?
17. Are all laws inherently just?
18. Does slow justice threaten the rule of law?
19. Can interrogational torture ever be justified?
20. Do convicted felons deserve to be treated with dignity?

Philosophical Research Questions

Don’t mind diving into other philosophers’ works to build your argument? Consider these 20 research-intensive topics:

1. What is the difference between agnosticism and agnostic theism?
2. How does Hillary Putnam’s Twin Earth thought experiment illustrate semantic externalism?
3. How does Newcomb’s paradox impact our notions of causality and free will?
4. How does Albert Camus’ view on absurdism differ from that of Jean-Paul Sartre’s?
5. What are the main arguments in favor of absurdism?
6. How has the definition of free will evolved from Greek stoics to determinism and compatibilism?
7. What is the difference between metaphysical and epistemological idealism?
8. How can Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative be applied to the ethics of consumption?
9. Is it possible to quantify utility under the utilitarian theory of ethics?
10. Can utility coexist with justice under utilitarianism?
11. How can Searle’s Chinese room thought experiment be applied to the problem of AI consciousness?
12. What does the new mysterianism say about the mind-body problem?
13. Should art aim to inform or entertain?
14. Is rational economic choice possible considering the subjectivity of human experiences?
15. What are the limitations of Rene Descartes’ argument, “I think, therefore I am”?
16. Is free will compatible with moral responsibility?
17. What are the key differences between nihilism and existentialism?
18. Can God be both all-powerful and all-good?
19. What are the main tenets of Kantianism?
20. How can we be certain of the direction of time?

Political Philosophy Paper Topics

If you’re specializing in political philosophy – or just find the field interesting – these 20 topics are for you:

1. Can capitalism be fair?
2. Is representative democracy the best form of government?
3. Do states possess absolute sovereignty in a globalized world?
4. Is it possible to achieve social equality?
5. Would direct democracy be a fairer political system?
6. Is nationalism necessary to achieve state sovereignty?
7. Should states concern themselves with the distribution of political power?
8. When does the use of political power become illegitimate?
9. What is the purpose of the government?
10. Should legal rights reflect natural rights?
11. What is liberty, and how is it different from freedom?
12. Can the authoritarian rule be justified?
13. Should the distribution of wealth be the responsibility of the state?
14. Should we abolish the right to property?
15. Is the merit-based distribution of goods fairer than needs-based distribution?
16. Should we pursue equity or equality?
17. Is equality of opportunity fairer than equality of outcome?
18. Can discrimination ever be necessary?
19. Should certain social groups be excluded from participating in a political system?
20. Should felons be prohibited from voting after serving their sentence?

Philosophy Research Paper Topics

Fishing for advanced topics for your philosophy research paper? Here are 20 of them that deserve your attention:

1. How can utilitarianism be applied to addressing world poverty?
2. Can a higher good contradict the common good?
3. Under epistemological skepticism, is knowledge possible?
4. What are the main criticisms of philosophical skepticism?
5. How does coherentism differ from naturalism in the philosophy of science?
6. What is the sublime in the philosophy of art?
7. Can beauty be quantified?
8. Can materialism describe reality accurately?
9. What is the purpose of art?
10. What constitutes true knowledge?
11. What are the limitations of human knowledge?
12. How do we know if we exist?
13. What constitutes valid argumentation?
14. What does it mean to have an identity?
15. Does secularism go against freedom of religion?
16. What defines the aesthetic experience?
17. How do words have meaning?
18. Can science be free of cultural or social bias?
19. How can we determine whether God or a similar deity exists?
20. Should ecosystems be granted legal protection?

Philosophy of Mind Essay Topics

If you’re fascinated by mind and conscience, these next 20 topics are for you:

1. Is memory necessary to have a sense of self?
2. Is matter more fundamental than the mind?
3. Can thinking be considered a type of computation?
4. Can a machine develop self-awareness?
5. Is reality distinguishable from a dream?
6. What matters more: feelings or facts?
7. Is reality a social construct?
8. Can we distinguish between conscious and unconscious mental states?
9. What defines a belief?
10. How can a physical brain create subjective experiences?
11. Can the mind be separated from the body?
12. Is the zombie argument a definitive solution to the mind-body problem?
13. Is intentionality the mark of mental abilities?
14. Can we trust our perceptual experiences?
15. What is the self?
16. Do animals possess consciousness?
17. How do we define human intelligence?
18. Is artificial consciousness possible?
19. Is it possible to make absolutely rational decisions?
20. Is the mind-body problem unsolvable?

Plato Essay Topics

Studying Plato’s works? Here are 20 topics to get you started:

1. Can we rely on Plato’s dialogues to know Socrates’s philosophical image?
2. How did Pythagoras impact Plato’s philosophy?
3. What was Plato’s stance on religion and science?
4. What was Plato’s theory of the soul?
5. How can you apply Plato’s theory of the Forms in your daily life?
6. Can Plato’s definition of humanity be considered valid today?
7. Was Plato’s idea of a utopian republic totalitarian?
8. Is Plato’s idea of the good valid in an absurdist world?
9. Is the modern theory of justified true belief as knowledge equivalent to Plato’s?
10. What would Plato think of the impact of social media on human connection?
11. According to Plato, is democracy the best political system possible?
12. What was Plato’s view of justice?
13. What does Plato’s theory of the soul tell us about the nature of human behavior?
14. How does Plato’s cave allegory challenge our definition of reality?
15. How did Plato’s views influence Western philosophy?
16. What is the relationship between happiness and justice, according to Plato?
17. According to Plato, is it possible to know anything with absolute certainty?
18. Can Plato’s definition of good be compatible with determinism?
19. According to Plato, does art have a place in an ideal state?
20. Does Plato’s ideal state go against the social contract theory?

Philosophy of Science Essay Topics

Ready to take a look at science through philosopher’s eyes? Here are 20 topics to fire up your neurons:

1. How do we distinguish between science and non-science?
2. What constitutes a good scientific explanation?
3. Is it rational to make predictions about unobserved things based on observations?
4. Can we rely on observations as an objective truth?
5. How do the scientist’s perception and cognition impact their conclusions?
6. What is the purpose of science?
7. Are there any questions that science can’t answer using empirical evidence?
8. Is pattern identification in science a subjective human interpretation?
9. Should scientists be bound by ethics?
10. What epistemic values should guide scientific research?
11. Do scientists have to remain accountable for their findings?
12. Who should decide which areas science should explore?
13. Is it possible to make science completely unbiased?
14. Who should scientific research benefit?
15. Can technology be thought of as a neutral entity under technological determinism?
16. What place does intuition have in scientific research?
17. Does reductionism remove real complexities in favor of easy-to-grasp generalizations?
18. Can science accurately describe reality?
19. What is a fact?
20. Does scientific research require empirical evidence?

Philosophy Discussion Topics

If you’re after thought-provoking philosophy topics, the following 20 prompts are a good place to start:

1. Can one live without maxims?
2. Is tacit knowledge more important than codified or explicit knowledge?
3. Is free will a pseudo-problem?
4. Is ethical consumption possible in late-stage capitalism?
5. Can the common good justify the use of violence?
6. Can a machine display general intelligence?
7. Can a machine experience emotions?
8. What is the difference between determinism and fatalism?
9. Can atomism be relevant today?
10. Does the emergence of AI require a new set of moral values?
11. Can beauty be an objective quality?
12. Are humans collectivist or individualist by nature?
13. How does gendered language impact our perception of self?
14. What are the key differences between dualist and monist arguments in the mind-body problem?
15. Is there such a thing as objective morality?
16. Is it possible to balance individual rights with the common good?
17. Should moral judgments be based on reason or emotion?
18. Should we give legal rights to inanimate objects and places (e.g., rivers)?
19. Do we have a moral obligation to pay taxes?
20. What should be the ultimate goal in life?

Philosophy Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

Tasked with a compare and contrast essay for your philosophy class? Here are 20 topic ideas to ponder:

1. How do different types of moral luck represent responsibility and voluntarism?
2. Which approach to the mind-body problem is the most convincing one?
3. What are the externalist and internalist views of motivation?
4. How can externalism and internalism be applied to the mind-body problem?
5. How do realism and anti-realism approach the philosophy of space and time?
6. How do causation, thermodynamics, and laws solutions to the problem of the direction of time compare?
7. What are the similarities and differences between Plato’s and Aristotle’s views of the nature of reality?
8. How do Confucianism and Taoism compare in their views of human nature?
9. What are the similarities between Weber’s and Marx’s view of capitalism?
10. According to Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, what role does suffering play in life?
11. How does the postmodernist definition of art differ from the modernist and classist ones?
12. What is the difference between naturalized and objectivist epistemology?
13. How does moral realism differ from moral relativism?
14. Is objectivism compatible with relativism?
15. Can anarchism coexist with social democracy?
16. How does anarchism differ from libertarianism?
17. Do meta-ethics, metaphysics, and meta-philosophy serve the same purpose?
18. What is the difference between utilitarianism and negative utilitarianism?
19. How do Greek stoics’ views on free will compare to those of incompatibilists?
20. What are the differences between causal, logical, and theological determinism?

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In Conclusion

Here they are, 260 philosophy essay topics on everything from the Big Questions and philosophy of science to contrast-and-compare essay ideas. But before you jump into writing a philosophy paper, though, make sure that the topic you choose matches your expected level of proficiency in the field – and, of course, your interests!