Conversations / Philosophy
Philosophy Conversation Questions for Adult ESL Classes
Use these 20 discussion questions about Philosophy to run a full speaking lesson with adult learners (C1–C2). Each part opens with a vocabulary warm-up, every question is labelled with the thinking skill it practises, and each part fills roughly thirty minutes of class time on its own.
Reviewed by Brando Oxley · 14 Aug 2026
Part 1
Happiness, Choices, and a Good Life
Focus: discussing everyday philosophical questions about happiness, success, choices, values, and what makes life meaningful
In one minute, think of two things that make people happy, two difficult choices people make, two important values, and one common life problem.
DEFINE
What does a good life mean to you?
REFLECT
What things usually make people genuinely happy rather than happy only for a short time?
COMPARE
Which is more important for a good life: comfort or having interesting experiences? Explain your view.
DISCUSS
Can someone be successful without being happy? Give an example.
PRIORITIZE
Which matters more to you when making an important decision: logic, feelings, or advice from other people?
IMAGINE
If you could know exactly what your life would be like ten years from now, would you want to know? Explain why.
EVALUATE
Is it better to have a few strong beliefs or to change your opinions easily when you receive new information?
DISCUSS
Do difficult experiences sometimes make life more meaningful? Explain your opinion.
REFLECT
How much responsibility do people have for creating their own happiness?
DEFINE
What does success mean to you, and how is your definition different from other people's?
Part 2
Right, Wrong, and Difficult Decisions
Focus: exploring fairness, responsibility, honesty, freedom, rules, and situations where there may not be one simple correct answer
Choose one word from each category: Person: friend, parent, boss, stranger; Action: help, lie, refuse, forgive; Situation: mistake, promise, argument, emergency; Feeling: guilty, angry, confused, relieved. Use your four words to describe a short situation in two or three sentences.
DISCUSS
How do you usually decide whether something is right or wrong?
EVALUATE
Is it ever acceptable to tell a lie in order to protect someone's feelings? Explain your view.
COMPARE
Which is more important: treating everyone equally or giving extra help to people who need it?
REFLECT
Should people always keep a promise, or are there situations when breaking one is reasonable?
DISCUSS
Do people deserve a second chance after making a serious mistake? Under what circumstances?
IMAGINE
If obeying a rule would clearly hurt someone, would it ever be reasonable to break the rule? Explain.
BALANCE
How should society balance personal freedom with rules that protect other people?
EVALUATE
Is a good action still good if someone only does it because they expect a reward?
REFLECT
Can two people disagree strongly about an issue and both have reasonable arguments?
ADVISE
What advice would you give someone who must make a difficult decision with no perfect choice?