A growing number of students at East Three Secondary School are coming to understand that if they think, they exist ... or do they?

Deep questions like this and many others are being asked in the school's philosophy program.

Covering the basics of academic philosophy, students learn to ask tough questions about morality, politics, freedoms and existence.

"It was interesting to realize I knew so little about things," said program graduate Brooke Dalton. "My favourite part was probably the creation of the universe. There were so many different arguments and every argument also had a 'gotcha' moment.

"The creation of the universe is probably something that will be argued about until the end of time."

The philosophy program has been a regular selection for senior high students nearly a decade. Students debate and learn about logical fallacies as well as how to construct a solid, defensible argument in a debate.

Students also examine ethics and engage in thought experiments of how certain rights or moralities would play out in reality.

"To try and figure out whether something is right or wrong, we would ask what would happen if everybody did this?" said instructor Dan Heilbrunn. "Would this make a good universal rule?"

Students learn to question their own nature, whether they are their mind, their body or both. They then examine the question from both sides of the argument.

For Dalton, the experience was enlightening.

"You can just ask continuous questions, even if those questions don't have answers," she said. "I would definitely recommend it."

Heilbrunn said the program was an excellent way for students to broaden their perspective and help inform important life decisions by being able to examine problems from multiple angles.

He added the underlying goal of philosophy is to open the door to lifelong learning.

"I hope I left the students with way more questions than answers," said Heilbrunn.