Perse pupils set philosophical challenge after ‘zombie takeover’

Rebuilding society in the wake of a zombie apocalypse was the tough assignment handed to Year 8 Perse pupils to mark World Philosophy Day.

Sixth Form philosophy students became the undead as they wandered into a seemingly regular ‘curriculum overview’ assembly in the Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre.

As such, the premise quickly unfolded that, following the release of a virus, Year 8 were the only survivors of a global zombie takeover. Using political and ethical philosophy as a guide, their task was to find a way for humans to flourish once more.

With the help of the ‘zombies’, pupils worked in small groups to formulate their plans, reflecting on a number of different aspects of how society could work.

They considered how they would structure their societies, how resources would be allocated and what things would be valued as part of a ‘good life’ under a new regime, using the ideas of a wide range of thinkers, from Buddha to John Stuart Mill, to reach their conclusions. Groups then presented their visions, with some even designing flags and creating national anthems.

Philosophy, ethics and religion teacher Henry Craig, who co-ordinated the event, said: “We wanted Year 8 to use philosophical ideas to think about how they would build a new society, so a ‘zombie apocalypse’ provided a creative way to start things off.

“However, our ‘philosophical zombies’ then helped groups come to good decisions with their plans. They helped show how important it to use the knowledge of philosophers past and present.

“The pupils developed a lot of other skills from taking part, from reasoning and evaluation to leadership, communication and collaboration, and also had a lot of fun.”