Philosothon competition
Philosothon competition
On Monday 10 February, despite the rain and ominous clouds, our spirits were not dampened as Miss Graham led us to Latymer Upper School to participate in the annual Philosothon – an evening of fascinating and thought-provoking philosophical debate with like-minded philosophers from other schools.Having been welcomed by the Head of Latymer Upper School, we split off into different groups with students from other schools, eager to commence the philosophical debate! In each of the four rounds we explored a new and complex idea, ranging from democracy to metaphysics, challenging our own assumptions and personal beliefs. I found that what made it such an enjoyable and insightful experience was that, unlike so many competitions, we were not put against each other or constantly trying to outdo others in our group. Instead, we worked together, constantly building upon each others’ ideas to further our own awareness and gain a more profound, shared understanding of questions at the heart of society and human knowledge – including whether a banana taped to a wall is, in fact, art! As the evening concluded, prizes were announced. Our team came second overall, narrowly missing out to Latymer, whilst Vanessa (VII) managed to claim victory for SPGS by winning the Y12 category. It is no exaggeration that this single evening has greatly influenced my perspective on so many issues and made me realise that philosophical debate is just as important and powerful now as it has ever been and will continue to be so in the future. Thank you so much to Miss Graham and the philosophy department for this incredible opportunity.
Jemima (V)
