• Week 1: Pages 1–90 (Introduction to philosophy, Sophie’s first letters)
• Week 2: Pages 91–180 (Greek philosophers, Middle Ages)
• Week 3: Pages 181–270 (Renaissance, Baroque, Descartes, Enlightenment)
• Week 4: Pages 271–360 (Romanticism, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marx, Darwin)
• Week 5: Pages 361–450 (Freud, modern philosophy, Sophie’s reality unravels)
• Week 6: Pages 451–End (Final revelations, conclusion)

Week 1: Introduction & Ancient Philosophy

 Reading:

• Preface & “The Garden of Eden”
• “The Top Hat” & “The Myths”
• “The Natural Philosophers”

 Writing Assignments:

1. Personal Reflection: What do you think philosophy is? How does Sophie’s first encounter with philosophy compare to your own experiences with big questions?
2. Creative Writing: Write a dialogue between Sophie and an ancient philosopher (Thales, Heraclitus, or Democritus) where they discuss the nature of reality.

 Discussion Questions:

• Why does Sophie receive mysterious letters?
• How do myths shape our understanding of the world?
• How did early philosophers move from myth to reason?

Week 2: Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle

 Reading:

• “Democritus” & “Fate”
• “Socrates” & “Athens”
• “Plato” & “The Major’s Cabin”
• “Aristotle”

 Writing Assignments:

1. Philosophical Dialogue: Write an imaginary conversation between Plato and Aristotle debating their views on reality and knowledge.
2. Analytical Essay: Compare Socrates' method of questioning (the Socratic method) to a conversation or lesson in your own life. Have you ever asked or been asked a series of questions that led you to think differently or discover something new? Describe the experience and analyze how it compares to Socrates' approach.

 Discussion Questions:

• How did Socrates challenge Athenian society?
• How does Plato’s Theory of Forms influence how we think about reality?
• How does Aristotle’s empirical approach differ from Plato’s?

Week 3: Middle Ages to the Renaissance

 Reading:

• “Hellenism” & “The Postcards”
• “Two Cultures” & “The Middle Ages”
• “The Renaissance” & “The Baroque”

 Writing Assignments:

1. Historical Letter: Write a letter from a medieval monk explaining why philosophy should align with religion.
2. Compare & Contrast: How does Renaissance humanism differ from medieval philosophy?

 Discussion Questions:

• How did Greek philosophy merge with religious thought?
• Why was the Renaissance a turning point for philosophy?
• How does the Baroque worldview reflect the tension between faith and reason?

Week 4: The Enlightenment & Romanticism

 Reading:

• “Descartes” & “Spinoza”
• “Locke” & “Hume”
• “Berkeley” & “The Enlightenment”
• “Kant”

 Writing Assignments:

1. Philosophy in Action: Choose a modern issue (AI, freedom of speech, etc.) and analyze it using ideas from Locke, Hume, or Kant.
2. Personal Reflection: Do you agree more with rationalists (Descartes) or empiricists (Hume)? Explain why.

 Discussion Questions:

• How does Descartes’ cogito ergo sum influence modern thought?
• Why does Hume challenge the idea of cause and effect?
• How does Kant attempt to bridge rationalism and empiricism?

Week 5: 19th & 20th Century Philosophy

 Reading:

• “Romanticism” & “Hegel”
• “Kierkegaard” & “Marx”
• “Darwin” & “Freud”
• “Our Own Time”

 Writing Assignments:

1. Philosophy & Society: How do Marx’s ideas about class struggle apply today?
2. Psychoanalysis & You: Write about a personal habit using Freud’s theories of the id, ego, and superego.

 Discussion Questions:

• How does Romanticism contrast with the Enlightenment?
• Why does Marx believe history is shaped by class struggle?
• How does Freud’s view of the unconscious mind challenge previous philosophical ideas?
• Week 6: The Nature of Reality & Final Reflections

•  Reading:

  • “The Big Bang” & “The Garden Party”
  • “Sophie’s World” (final chapters)

   Final Writing Assignments:

  1. Final Reflection: What is the most important philosophical idea you’ve learned? How has your thinking changed?
  2. Alternate Ending: Rewrite the final chapter with a different twist—what if Sophie actually exists in Albert’s world?

   Discussion Questions:

  • What is reality? How does Sophie’s World challenge our perception of existence?
  • Does the book itself function like a philosophical experiment?

1. Philosophical
2. Metaphysical
3. Epistemology
4. Rationalism
5. Empiricism
6. Dialectic
7. Skepticism
8. Existential
9. Determinism
10. Inductive
11. Deductive
12. Aesthetic
13. Dogmatic
14. Pantheism
15. Materialism
16. Mysticism
17. Allegory
18. Ontology
19. Cynicism
20. Nihilism
21. Transcendence
22. Subjective
23. Objective
24. Anthropomorphic
25. Paradox
26. Cosmology
27. Hellenistic
28. Utopian
29. Esoteric
30. Immutable