Supportive, Thought-Provoking, and Grade-Achievable Philosophy Discussions. The requirements for an effective philosophy discussion include being able to analyze an idea and think critically about an argument from all sides. In addition, students are asked to express themselves with clarity, engage with others in an intelligent manner, and understand the key ethical theories, metaphysics, logic, epistemology, and famous philosophers. For many students, this is one reason why they find it hard to contribute positively to a philosophy discussion topics board; the level of expectation is very high, and there is a need for consistent engagement with the subject matter.