Table of contents
- 4 Tips for Coming Up with Compelling Philosophy Essay Topics
- 15 Modern Philosophy Paper Topics
- 15 Easy Philosophy Essay Topics
- 15 Good Philosophy Essay Topics
- 15 Political Philosophy Essay Topics
- 15 Philosophy Persuasive Essay Topics
- 15 Moral Philosophy Essay Topics
- 15 Philosophy of Science Essay Topics
- 15 Argumentative Philosophy Essay Topics
- 15 Ancient Greek Philosophy Essay Topics
- In Closing
So, you have to choose the topic for your next philosophy essay. It should be easy, right? Right?..
Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve realized that it’s anything but easy. Just coming up with enough ideas can be a tall order, let alone choosing one. You don’t want to write a thousandth essay describing Plato’s Cave Allegory, after all. You want your philosophy essay topic to take on a perspective that hasn’t been explored to death.
If that sums up your predicament well, you’re in the right place. Our philosophy essay writers prepared 100+ topic ideas to help your creative juices flow. Enjoy!
4 Tips for Coming Up with Compelling Philosophy Essay Topics
It might be tempting to take our philosophy paper topics below as-is, but we strongly advise you to use this list as inspiration. Don’t hesitate to tweak our ideas to your liking or brainstorm new ones based on them.
After all, a good philosophy essay topic isn’t just fresh. It should also appeal to your inner philosopher; if the topic bores you, it’ll show in your essay. Plus, a good topic has to relate to the material you’re currently studying.
Still struggle to define your topic even with our list open in your browser? Consider:
- Exploring a specific school of philosophy for potential topics
- Choosing several philosophers to draw inspiration from their works
- Searching for published essays on the concept that interests you
- Taking a general topic and narrowing it down
15 Modern Philosophy Paper Topics
Philosophy may be an ancient field of study, but it doesn’t cease to evolve in the face of present-day phenomena like the internet and late-stage capitalism. Here are 15 topics that modern philosophers among you may be tempted to explore:
- Is knowledge shaped by power? Consider Michel Foucault’s views on the topic.
- Is it a moral obligation to address someone using their preferred pronouns?
- Can there be a universal truth in a post-modernist world?
- Should we let artificial intelligence make moral decisions?
- Is Hannah Arendt’s concept of the banality of evil relevant today? Why or why not?
- How has globalization impacted the individual sense of identity?
- Should we allow bioengineering on humans with technologies like CRISPR?
- Is it possible to define artificial intelligence consciousness, and if so, how?
- Do we have a moral obligation to curb the progress of climate change?
- . Is modern technology provoking a deep sense of alienation?
- . Is it possible to live authentically in a world dominated by social media?
- . How does the internet shape our thoughts and behaviors?
- . Is it ethical to submit AI-generated art to competitions?
- . Is it possible to ever truly know the other person, according to modern philosophers?
- . Should we maintain nation-states in a globalized world?
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15 Easy Philosophy Essay Topics
Don’t have it in you to spend hours digging into source material and crafting a complex argument? Not to worry! We have your back – here are 15 easy philosophy topics you can quickly write an essay on:
- Can money really make you happy?
- Is it possible to make completely rational decisions?
- Are people inherently altruistic or selfish?
- What is the truth? Is it possible to define it?
- Should you follow the law you consider unjust?
- Would you want to live a life without suffering?
- Can philosophy be useful in everyday life?
- How can we distinguish between right and wrong?
- Do you have the moral obligation to tell white lies?
- . Are the mind and body two distinct entities?
- . Is there such a thing as free will?
- . Is there any inherent meaning of life?
- . Is it better to be a nihilist in today’s world?
- . Should you rely on others’ opinions when making decisions?
- . What is self?
15 Good Philosophy Essay Topics
Need a philosophy topic that will make your instructor go “wow” once they see it? We’ve prepared these 15 topic ideas that can make for a compelling read at any academic level:
- Should we hold people responsible for their actions or consider them the product of circumstances?
- Can the greater good justify otherwise immoral actions like mass surveillance or theft?
- Should we sacrifice individual rights in exchange for collective security?
- Does Albert Camus’ concept of the absurd remain relevant in today’s world?
- Does our perception of the world shape the language or vice versa?
- Should we factor in emotions and feelings when deciding whether an action is ethical?
- Does morality depend on the context, or is it universal?
- Is it possible to conduct a just war?
- Is it possible to know anything with absolute certainty?
- . Can humans ever be completely rational, objective, and free from bias?
- . Is the internet good or bad for contemporary society?
- . Can laissez-faire capitalism ever be fair?
- . How is justice different from law?
- . Can we define an objective reality?
- . Can religion and philosophy coexist?
15 Political Philosophy Essay Topics
If you’re studying political philosophy, you know that asking the Big Questions simply won’t cut it. You have to explore concepts like freedoms, rights, social contracts, and more. Here are 15 ideas to get you started:
- Is the concept of social contract a convenient fiction or useful tool?
- What is the point of utopias?
- Is art always political?
- Should we enact political change through pacifist action or violent revolutions?
- Is it possible to replace a capitalist system? If so, how?
- Is laissez-faire capitalism morally good for society?
- Should nation-states provide their citizens with complete freedom?
- Should governments focus on the common good or individual freedom?
- Should you follow the law under any circumstances?
- . Should governments strictly control immigration or embrace it?
- . Can a government be legitimate without the consent of the governed?
- . Which political system would be the fairest for all citizens?
- . Is persecution for hate speech morally justifiable in a society that values free speech?
- . Should private property be a fundamental right in a democracy?
- . Is mass surveillance justifiable in a democratic society?
15 Philosophy Persuasive Essay Topics
Tasked with writing a persuasive essay for your philosophy class? The topic you choose can make or break your grade for it. Here are 15 compelling persuasive essay topic ideas to help you come up with a good one:
- Can free will exist in a deterministic world?
- Can censorship be morally right?
- Should there be any limits to a person’s right to self-determination?
- Should we adopt a universal basic income to solve economic inequality?
- Should we grant animals legal rights?
- Should citizens be granted a legally defined right to happiness?
- Is it possible to achieve equality in a society?
- Do AI advancements pose an existential threat to humanity?
- Can advertising ever be ethical, considering it often involves emotional manipulation?
- . Do we have a moral obligation to help others?
- . What is the best political system?
- . Is color a product of the mind or an inherent property of the object?
- . Is artificial intelligence capable of cognition?
- . Is it possible to achieve pure awareness?
- . Are moral facts possible?
15 Moral Philosophy Essay Topics
If you need to take a deep dive into moral philosophy, you’re in for an interesting exploration of the nature of right and wrong – and what we as humans ought and oughtn’t to do. Here are 15 ideas to kickstart your exploration of the field:
- Is our moral responsibility shaped by circumstances, and if so, how?
- Can morality be objective, or is it always subjective?
- Does moral responsibility have an expiration date?
- Do we have a moral obligation to prioritize others’ well-being over our own?
- Can euthanasia be morally justifiable?
- Do we have a moral obligation to prevent endangered species from extinction?
- Should wealthier states be morally obliged to provide aid to poorer ones?
- Should we judge governmental policies based on moral values?
- Does culture impact moral values, and if so, how?
- . Is it a moral obligation to forgive someone for an act deemed morally wrong?
- . Should we embed moral values into law?
- . Is it always morally wrong to lie?
- . What constitutes an ethical life?
- . Should moral judgment be determined by reason or emotion?
- . Is it possible to conduct warfare in a morally justifiable way?
15 Philosophy of Science Essay Topics
Yes, science can also be explored through the lens of philosophy, from whether scientific research should be bound by ethics to how we can be sure of any findings we discover. Here are 15 topics you might want to ponder:
- Is it possible to fully remove the observer’s bias from scientific research?
- What constitutes knowledge?
- Can knowledge be truly objective?
- How can we distinguish between science and non-science or pseudoscience?
- Should scientific research be subject to ethical norms?
- Can science and religion be compatible?
- Does inductive reasoning always lead to correct conclusions?
- Are there questions that science won’t ever be able to answer?
- How do social values affect science?
- . Should scientists be held accountable for their discoveries?
- . Are clinical trials involving placebo control groups ethical?
- . Should scientific research be limited to avoid potentially destructive inventions?
- . Do science and technology make social progress inevitable?
- . Is scientific thinking an ideology?
- . Can scientific models accurately describe the world in all of its complexity?
15 Argumentative Philosophy Essay Topics
Tasked with crafting a solid argument on a compelling philosophy topic? You’re in for quite a journey. Here are 15 topic ideas that are perfect for building strong, thought-provoking arguments that could make Plato proud:
- Can love be rationally explained?
- Does art have inherent value?
- Is knowledge a justified true belief?
- Is it possible to prove a truth without appealing to assumptions?
- Do universal properties exist?
- What constitutes consciousness?
- Should we grant legal personhood to artificial general intelligence once it is invented?
- Do we remain the same individual throughout life?
- Who should define ethical norms in a society?
- . Is honesty always a virtue?
- . Can a person be free in a society with written laws and unwritten social rules?
- . Should we rely on intuition when making decisions?
- . When does a person achieve their personhood?
- . Is it acceptable to use animals as test subjects in research?
- . How can we determine whether a government policy is just?
15 Ancient Greek Philosophy Essay Topics
Need your essay to focus on the likes of Plato and Aristotle? No problem – here are 15 philosophy essay topics that focus on the body of work of ancient philosophers:
- What would Plato think about your country’s current political system?
- Is it possible to achieve eudaimonia, i.e., a well-lived life, in a globalized world?
- Does the absence of pain and fear constitute the greatest pleasure, as Epicureans posited?
- What role did Plato envision for philosophers in a society? Do you agree with his views?
- How does Plato’s ideal state compare to Aristotle’s views on the matter? Which one is better?
- Is eudaimonia truly the highest human good?
- Do you agree with Aristotle’s four cardinal virtues?
- How do different Ancient Greek philosophers define virtue?
- Do you agree with Pythagoras’s argument for reconciling religious belief and reason?
- . What are the limitations of politics, according to Plato?
- . What is happiness, according to different Ancient Greek schools of thought (epicureans, hedonists, etc.)?
- . What can scientists draw from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave?
- . Did mythology impact Ancient Greek philosophy? If so, how?
- . Can free will be compatible with fate? Compare the views of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics.
- . How can you apply epicureanism to your everyday life?
In Closing
Here they are, our 135 philosophy topics on everything from Plato’s teachings to the philosophy of science. Still can’t settle on a perfect topic? Go ahead and reach out to our philosophy experts, who can take care of your essay from A to Z.
Sources
Essay Topics — School of Historical and Philosophical Studies | Faculty of Arts.” Faculty of Arts, https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/school-of-historical-and-philosophical-studies/discipline-areas/philosophy/philosophy-essay-writing-guide/essay-topics. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
