British English · C1 · Unit 22
Big ideas
Big ideas
By the end you can
- Discuss an abstract idea like freedom or happiness
- Build a complex argument step by step
- Understand a philosophical text
Words and phrases
| British English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| what constitutes | what makes up, what counts as | What constitutes a good life? |
| it's debatable | people could argue about it | It's debatable whether money buys happiness. |
| for the sake of argument | just to explore the idea | Let's say, for the sake of argument, that money doesn't matter. |
| it follows that | logically, then | If that's true, it follows that nobody is truly free. |
| by definition | because of what the word means | Freedom, by definition, includes the freedom to fail. |
| take it as a given | accept it without arguing | We take it as a given that freedom is good. |
| subjective | based on personal feelings | Happiness is entirely subjective. |
| a paradox | something that seems to contradict itself | That's a paradox, isn't it? |
| the meaning of life | what life is for | We stayed up until three talking about the meaning of life. |
| a slippery slope | a small step that leads to worse things | Banning it is a slippery slope. |
| in the grand scheme of things | when you consider everything | In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter much. |
| the greater good | what is best for the most people | Can lying ever serve the greater good? |
Then talk it through
A late-night conversation about what makes a good life. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.