QLD State Philosothon 2017 dates:
Senior (Years 7-12) 6 May, UQ St Lucia campus
Junior (Years 5-6), TBA, Cavendish Road State High School
The Philosothon is a program designed to develop the ability of students to critically analyse ideas and concepts, improve skills in argumentation and to collaboratively explore philosophical issues.
The Philosothon has developed a very significant national profile over the last few years both nationally and internationally. This is your school’s chance to be involved in a major event directly linked to improving educational outcomes. www.philosothon.org
Facilitators will include professional philosophers from the University of Queensland and current teachers in Philosophy and Reason.
Senior Division Information
Coordinator Peter Ellerton peter.ellerton@uq.edu.au
Senior Teams
The Senior Divisions (Years 7-12) of the 2016 Queensland Philosothon are scheduled for:
Saturday 6 May
9:00 am – 2:30 pm
University of Queensland (St Lucia)
Michie Building (West end of Forgan Smith)
Each school should aim to provide competitors in the age groups below. Ideally 4 students (1 team) should be nominated in each team for Div A and Div B. Several teams from a school may be accommodated in each division, but pleased check with the coordinator first.
Division A (Years 10-12) Division B (Years 7-9)
Reserves may compete in the place of a competitor provided the facilitators are informed.
Program ( morning tea and lunch are provided on the day)
9:15 – 9:45 Registration
9:45 – 10:00 Welcome and outline of the day
10:00 – 10:30 Community of Inquiry 1 (practice)
10:30 – 10:45 Morning tea
10:45 – 11:30 Community of Inquiry 2
11:30 – 12:15 Community of Inquiry 3
12:15 – 12:45 Lunch
12:45 – 1:30 Community of Inquiry 4
1:30 – 2:00 Campus Tours
2:00 – 2:30 Presentations and closing
Registration information
All student teams are to be accompanied by a teacher from the school. Meet at the Michie building (Building 9) as indicated by the black arrow.
No materials are required. However, topics will be released to participating schools prior to the Philosothon and students can review their notes regarding the topics prior to commencing the Communities of Inquiry.
Cost: $22 per student. Payment is possible on the day, though registration through the attached form is essential. Details of electronic payment will be made available on registration.
Queensland Philosothon 2017 Topics
(Four topics for each division will be chosen on the day)
Division A (Years 10-12)
TBA
PAST TOPICS:
2016 Philosothon Topics
Division A (Years 10-12)
Topic | Guiding questions |
Could machines be moral? | Why would a machine need to be moral? What role might a thinking machine have in our society? How could we give machines morals? Would they develop their own morals? |
Happiness is not necessary for a good life. | What do we mean by happiness? Is happiness over-rated? What is the relationship between happiness and living a good life? What could it mean to live a good life? |
We are who we choose to be. | What makes us what we are? Can we choose our personality? How can we grow from the people we currently are? Are our past experiences more important in shaping us than our desired for the future? Does ‘identity’ refer only to an individual? |
“Liberty consists in doing what one desires” John Stuart Mill | Is freedom just about lack of constraints? Would I be happier if I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to? How could our individual freedoms affect others? |
“The unexamined life is not worth living” Socrates | Is thinking about our life more important than just living it? What things about our lives could we ‘examine’, and why would we bother? How can we evaluate the worth of our lives? |
Division B (Years 7-9)
Topic | Guiding questions |
Could thinking machines know the difference between right and wrong? | Why would a machine need to be moral? What role might a thinking machine have in our society? How could we give machines morals? Would they develop their own morals? |
Happiness is the most important thing in life. | What do we mean by happiness? Can we choose to be happy? What other things in life could be more important than being happy? Is our individual happiness more important than the happiness of others? |
I couldn’t be myself without other people. | What would we be like if we did not know other people? If we know the same people as someone else, does that make us more alike? Do we choose our friends or find them? |
The best kind of world would be one where I could do whatever I wanted. | What does it mean to be free? What does ‘whatever I wanted’ mean? How could our individual freedoms affect others? |
A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”
Mahatma Ghandi |
What does it mean to be a ‘great’ society? What kinds of weaknesses could we mean? Who should look after weaker members? What would happen if we didn’t look after them? |
2015 Philosothon Topics
(Four topics for each division will be chosen on the day)
Division A (Years 10-12)
Topic | Guiding questions |
Should moral issues be decided by experts or by the general population? | Do moral issues require special training?Is morality defined by popular understanding?What role does reason have in morality? |
Mercy is essential for justice. | Should the punishment fit the crime?What is the role of punishment?Should punishment always be onerous?Does capital punishment have a role? |
Rights are for rich people. | Are we more outraged by injustices against people who are like us than against those who are not?Where do rights come from?Who makes sure our rights are respected? |
We care more for our pets than for some people, and that’s OK. | Are all people more important than all animals?Do we need to care about everyone?Is it healthy to care for an animal as much as a person? |
Our identity is as much a virtual construct as a physical one. | Who are you? Are you the same on social media as in real life?Is social media just an extension of real life interactions, or is it something different?Would you be the same person without social media?What could social media, or electronic interactions, become? |
Division B (Years 7-9)
Topic | Guiding questions |
Science is more important than philosophy to the future of humanity. | Are things are more important than ideas?Are advances in technology the best way to measure progress?Have we solved the most important philosophical questions? |
Who should decide what is right and wrong? | Are the ‘experts’ the best to judge what is right and wrong, or should it be the general public?Are some cultures ‘wiser’ than other cultures?What does it mean to say that something is right or wrong? |
We should always respect the elderly. | Are we all wiser when older?Do all older people know more than all younger people?Do we get better in all important aspects as we age? |
We care more for our pets than for some people, and that’s OK. | Are all people more important than all animals?Do we need to care about everyone?Is it healthy to care for an animal as much as a person? |
Is it possible to live a good life without being happy? | What does it mean to be happy?Why is being happy important?What other things might be more important than being happy? |
2014 Philosothon Topics and supporting links
Senior Divisions (Years 8-12)
(Four topics for each division will be chosen on the day)
Division A (Years 10-12)
Topic 1: Are we more than genes and environment?
Michio Kaku on Physics and human will
Susan Blackmore: ‘The Myth of Free Will’
Free Will and the Genome Project
Topic 2: There must be a God / There can’t be a God
NYTimes article on the argument against God
Topic 3: Is society more than just a bunch on individuals acting for themselves?
Famous quote by Margaret Thatcher
Topic 4: Can humans only progress through science?
Some discussions at Debate.org
Science and the human condition
Topic 5: Do we just make up what human rights are?
UN – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Division B (Years 8-9)
Topic 1: Are we responsible for the well-being people of in other countries?
Famine, Affluence and Morality, by Peter Singer
An introduction to Ayn Rand’s Objectivism
Topic 2: Should freedom of speech be limited?
When should you not be free to speak?
Topic 3: Does it matter what gender I am?
ABC podcast – Women in Underdeveloped Countries
Topic 4: Is reason more important than emotions?
How closely is reason related to emotion? IB essay title.
Decisions are emotional, not logical
Topic 5: If humans can have rights, should other animals?