2024 IB DP Philosophy Practice Paper with Answers

### Possible Philosophical Approaches

**1. Introduction**
- Identify the core philosophical problem raised by the stimulus: the tension between biological/psychological comfort (hedonism/utilitarian contentment) and existential authenticity (the capacity for grief, regret, and longing).
- State a clear thesis: To be human is not merely to experience positive mental states or satisfy basic desires, but to possess a self-conscious freedom that is fundamentally open, restless, and defined by the capacity to envision alternative possibilities (transcendence).

**2. Analysis of the Stimulus**
- Explain the proposal in the stimulus: a chemical intervention that eliminates the discrepancy between desire and reality (eradicating frustration).
- Address the narrator’s hesitation: why might we value "restlessness" and "yearning"? This points to a distinction between mere biological survival/peace and a distinctly human mode of existence characterized by self-reflection and striving.

**3. Philosophical Perspectives and Theories**
- **Robert Nozick’s Experience Machine:** Discuss how Nozick argues that we desire to *do* certain things and *be* a certain way, not just experience the feeling of doing or being them. The drug in the stimulus functions like a mental optimization machine that detaches us from authentic reality.
- **Existentialism (Jean-Paul Sartre & Martin Heidegger):**
- Sartre’s concept of *bad faith* (*mauvaise foi*): By chemically forcing our desires to match our circumstances, we deny our fundamental freedom to transcend our situation (*facticity*).
- Restlessness, angst, and yearning are indicators of our freedom and our awareness of possibility. Eliminating them reduces humans to the level of objects (*en-soi* or being-in-itself).
- **John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism):** Contrast quantitative and qualitative pleasures. Mill's famous assertion that it is "better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied" supports the idea that higher human faculties involve a capacity for dissatisfaction that is preferable to simple contentment.
- **Eastern Philosophies (e.g., Buddhism):** Contrast the drug's mechanical elimination of desire with the Buddhist path of overcoming *Taṇhā* (craving/longing) through mindfulness and wisdom. Address whether artificial peace bypasses the necessary moral and intellectual cultivation that defines human spiritual maturity.

**4. Evaluation and Counter-arguments**
- Is restlessness always a positive human trait? Can chronic grief, trauma, or severe depression degrade human agency to the point where chemical intervention is necessary to *restore* human dignity and agency?
- Evaluate the utilitarian counter-argument: if suffering is minimized and contentment maximized, is it irrational to cling to existential angst?

**5. Conclusion**
- Summarize how the capacity to feel regret and yearn for what is not is central to human creativity, morality, and progress.
- Conclude that being human is an active process of navigating the gap between what is and what could be, rather than passive contentment with what is given.

### Marking Rubric (25 Marks Total)

**Criterion A: Expression (5 marks)**
- **5 marks:** The response is clearly structured, uses precise philosophical terminology consistently, and presents a highly coherent argument.
- **3-4 marks:** The response is well-structured and uses appropriate terminology, though there may be occasional lapses in clarity.
- **1-2 marks:** The response lacks structure and uses vague or inappropriate terminology.

**Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (5 marks)**
- **5 marks:** In-depth knowledge of relevant philosophical concepts (such as existentialism, Nozick's experience machine, or utilitarianism) is demonstrated with highly accurate explanations.
- **3-4 marks:** Good knowledge of relevant concepts is shown, though some explanations may lack depth or contains minor inaccuracies.
- **1-2 marks:** Knowledge is superficial, fragmented, or mostly irrelevant to the core theme.

**Criterion C: Identification and analysis of relevant material (5 marks)**
- **5 marks:** The stimulus is exceptionally well integrated into the essay, with its philosophical implications clearly extracted and analyzed.
- **3-4 marks:** The response connects to the stimulus but treats it somewhat superficially or fails to maintain the link throughout the analysis.
- **1-2 marks:** The response makes little or no reference to the stimulus.

**Criterion D: Development and evaluation (6 marks)**
- **5-6 marks:** Critical evaluation is highly developed, balanced, and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of alternative perspectives (e.g., contrasting existential value with hedonic utility).
- **3-4 marks:** Arguments are developed and some evaluation is present, but it may be one-sided or lack critical depth.
- **1-2 marks:** The essay is purely descriptive with little or no critical evaluation.

**Criterion E: Relevant perspective/personal response (4 marks)**
- **4 marks:** The response explicitly, consistently, and creatively addresses the core question of "what it means to be human" with a compelling, well-argued personal stance.
- **2-3 marks:** The response addresses "what it means to be human" but does so in a formulaic way.
- **1 mark:** The core question is barely addressed or ignored.

The essay should begin by defining the regress problem of justification: if every justified belief requires a reason, and that reason itself requires justification, we are faced with an infinite regress, a circular chain, or an arbitrary stopping point (the Agrippan Trilemma). Foundationalism resolves this by proposing 'basic beliefs' that are self-justifying or non-inferentially justified, such as sensory experiences or self-evident rational truths (e.g., Descartes' 'Cogito'). The essay should analyze the strength of this position, showing how it successfully halts the regress. However, it should also present counterarguments, such as Sellars' 'Myth of the Given' or the challenge of explaining how a non-inferential belief can actually justify another belief. Coherentism should be introduced as a major alternative, where justification is holistic and beliefs are mutually supporting, like a web rather than a pyramid. Critics of coherentism, however, point out the 'isolation objection' (a coherent system can be completely detached from reality). Infinitism can also be discussed as a view that accepts the infinite regress without circularity. Strong responses will evaluate these competing theories and arrive at a reasoned conclusion regarding whether foundationalism is necessary or flawed.

Marks are awarded using the IB Philosophy essay rubric (0-25 marks). 1 to 5 marks: Shows minimal understanding of the question with little to no relevant philosophical content. 6 to 10 marks: Describes foundationalism or the regress problem in a basic, descriptive manner without active evaluation. 11 to 15 marks: Shows some understanding of the dispute between foundationalism and coherentism, offering a clear but limited argument. 16 to 20 marks: Offers a well-structured essay with good analysis of the Agrippan Trilemma, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of both foundationalism and coherentism with appropriate examples. 21 to 25 marks: Shows excellent philosophical insight, critically assessing the nature of justification, addressing counterarguments (e.g., Sellars, Bonjour), and maintaining a highly coherent and structured personal thesis throughout.

The essay should define 'moral luck' as occurring when an agent is treated as an object of moral judgment even though a significant aspect of what they are assessed for depends on factors beyond their control. This directly challenges the 'Control Principle' (we are only morally responsible for what is under our control), which is central to Kantian ethics. The essay should explain Thomas Nagel's four types of moral luck: resultant luck (luck in how things turn out, e.g., two negligent drivers, but only one hits a pedestrian), circumstantial luck (the situations one faces, e.g., citizens in Nazi Germany vs. peaceful countries), constitutive luck (one's character traits, inclinations, and temperament), and causal luck (antecedent circumstances determining actions). The essay should analyze how different ethical frameworks handle this. Kantian deontology rejects moral luck, emphasizing that only the good will has intrinsic, invulnerable value. Utilitarianism, focusing on consequences, might embrace resultant luck but struggles to maintain fair moral praise/blame. The essay should evaluate possible resolutions: either rejecting moral luck by refining our legal/moral practices, accepting that moral responsibility is coherent but deeply limited, or adopting a compatibilist position where responsibility does not require absolute control. Strong essays will critically assess the coherence of the Control Principle in light of these challenges.

Marks are awarded using the IB Philosophy essay rubric (0-25 marks). 1 to 5 marks: Limited understanding of ethics or moral responsibility, with minimal relevance to the concept of luck. 6 to 10 marks: Basic description of moral responsibility or examples of luck, lacking clear philosophical framework or terminology. 11 to 15 marks: Outlines the conflict between moral responsibility and luck, mentioning some key terms or thinkers (e.g., Nagel, Kant). 16 to 20 marks: Provides a clear, analytical structure comparing Kantian and consequentialist views, explaining different types of moral luck, and analyzing their impact on agency. 21 to 25 marks: Demonstrates deep conceptual clarity and sophisticated evaluation of the Control Principle, engaging deeply with the meta-ethical and normative implications of moral luck, while maintaining a clear and convincing thesis.

A successful essay should address the following elements:

1. Analysis of the Text:
- The text defines philosophy dynamically, not as a static body of knowledge but as an active, unsettling process ('dismantling of the houses we have built out of habit').
- It stresses the emotional and psychological dimensions of philosophical inquiry ('uncomfortable confrontation', 'tension', 'perpetual doubt').
- It rejects the view of the philosopher as a detached 'spectator' of objective truths, asserting instead that the philosopher is an active participant undergoing 'self-disruption'.
- It posits that the true value of philosophy lies in personal transformation rather than cognitive mastery or tool-acquisition.

2. Connection to Personal Experience (Doing Philosophy):
- Students should reflect on their experience of engaging in philosophical activity, such as classroom debates, writing essays, reading philosophical treatises, or grappling with ethical dilemmas.
- Students should evaluate whether their experience matches the text's depiction of 'uncomfortable confrontation' or if it has felt more systematic and structured.

3. Comparison (Points of Agreement):
- Students may agree that studying topics like epistemology or existentialism dismantled their long-held, unexamined habits of mind, reflecting the text's 'abyss of assumptions'.
- They might share how the process of dialogue in class disrupted comfortable certainties, fostering a state of 'perpetual doubt'.

4. Contrast (Points of Divergence):
- Students may argue that, contrary to the text's claim, 'doing philosophy' in an academic context does involve 'acquiring a skill' (e.g., logical analysis, construction of clear arguments) and 'mastering a body of knowledge' (e.g., studying historical figures like Descartes or Mill).
- They might note that while the text presents philosophy as a solitary, deeply personal confrontation, their experience of doing philosophy has been profoundly social, collaborative, and communicative (e.g., Socratic seminars).
- They might point out that the institutional setting of an exam-based curriculum places structural constraints on the radical 'self-disruption' described in the text.

5. Synthesis and Conclusion:
- The essay should conclude with a synthesis that evaluates the validity of the text's view in light of their own journey. For instance, they might conclude that while the academic mechanics of learning philosophy involve skill-acquisition, the ultimate *purpose* and *effect* of those skills remains the transformative self-disruption highlighted by the author.

The essay is assessed out of 25 marks according to the following criteria:

Criterion A: Analysis of the text (6 marks)
- 5-6 marks: The student shows a deep and comprehensive understanding of the text, identifying key themes such as self-disruption, the dismantling of habit, and the rejection of philosophy as a passive spectator sport.
- 3-4 marks: The student identifies some key themes from the text but the analysis may be superficial or descriptive.
- 1-2 marks: The student shows limited understanding of the text, merely summarizing or quoting without analysis.

Criterion B: Comparison and contrast (6 marks)
- 5-6 marks: The comparison is balanced, sophisticated, and sustained. The student identifies compelling similarities and differences between the text's view and their own experience of philosophy.
- 3-4 marks: The comparison is present but unbalanced, focusing heavily on either similarities or differences, or lacks depth in linking the text to personal experience.
- 1-2 marks: The comparison is weak, superficial, or tangential.

Criterion C: Personal response and reflection (6 marks)
- 5-6 marks: The student provides a highly reflective, authentic, and philosophically articulate account of their own experience of doing philosophy, linking it directly to the concepts in the text.
- 3-4 marks: The student describes their experience of doing philosophy, but the reflection is less developed or tends toward simple narrative rather than critical self-evaluation.
- 1-2 marks: The account of personal experience is minimal, irrelevant, or missing.

Criterion D: Structure, clarity, and language (7 marks)
- 6-7 marks: The essay is exceptionally well-structured, coherent, and uses precise philosophical terminology. The argument flows logically.
- 4-5 marks: The essay is clear and structured, but may have minor lapses in organization or occasional imprecise vocabulary.
- 2-3 marks: The essay lacks clear structure, making the argument difficult to follow.
- 0-1 marks: The essay is disorganized and lacks clarity.