Which Philosophy?
A famous philosophical statement appears · pick the philosophy or movement it represents. Filter by category (ethics, epistemology, mind…)
About Which Philosophy?
Which Philosophy? presents a famous philosophical statement · "I think, therefore I am.", "Existence precedes essence.", "Act only on principles you could will to be universal laws." · and asks you to pick the philosophy or movement the statement represents from a short list of candidates. After your pick, the reveal shows the philosopher behind the quote and a one-sentence explanation of the position, so each round doubles as a small philosophy lesson.
The pool spans six categories. Ethics (how should we live?), epistemology (what can we know?), metaphysics (what exists?), politics (how should society be organised?), the philosophy of mind (what is consciousness?), and existential questions (what does it mean to exist?). The 30+ statements include canonical lines from Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Beauvoir, Confucius, the Buddha, and others. The standalone page lets you filter to a single category; the labyrinth and Polymath versions draw from the whole pool.
Why pick-the-school rather than pick-the-philosopher. Many statements have been said by more than one thinker (the Stoics and the Epicureans converged on similar advice from different premises; Kant and Mill both arrived at versions of the universalisability test). Asking "which philosophy" rather than "which philosopher" rewards understanding the position, not memorising attribution. The post-round reveal still names the person, so the attribution information is there if you want it.
Difficulty sets the number of choices. Easy rounds give 2-3 candidates · the school is often inferable from a single keyword (the "will to power" line is obviously Nietzschean). Harder rounds give 5-6, including nearby schools that you have to genuinely discriminate (Stoicism vs Epicureanism, Kantian deontology vs Rawlsian liberalism, classical vs existentialist Marxism). Worksheet-supported · the printable sheet shows the same statement-and-choices format with an answer key.
Part of the PlayMemorize family of brain-training games. Runs entirely in your browser, works offline as a Progressive Web App.
FAQ
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Which philosophies are in the pool?
Rationalism, empiricism, Platonism, Aristotelianism, existentialism, absurdism, Nietzschean philosophy, utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, virtue ethics, Stoicism, Epicureanism, social contract theory, Marxism, classical and Rawlsian liberalism, pragmatism, critical rationalism, Cartesian dualism, physicalism, panpsychism, nominalism, idealism, transcendental idealism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, existentialist feminism. The list is meant to grow. -
Can I filter by category?
Yes. The categories are ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, politics, philosophy of mind, and existence. The standalone page exposes a chip-filter to narrow the pool; the labyrinth and Polymath hosts use the full pool by default. -
Where do the explanations come from?
Each entry ships a 1-2 sentence explanation written for the game · concise enough to fit the reveal panel and accurate enough to stand on its own. They are not full encyclopaedia entries; for depth, follow up on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy or the philosopher's primary texts. -
Can I print it as a worksheet?
Yes. Which Philosophy? is worksheet-supported · the printable sheet shows the same statement-and-choices format with an answer key. Build one from /worksheets. -
How does my progress save?
Your best streak is stored locally in your browser; sign in to sync the high score across devices.