An evening of thoughtful philosophical debate
On the evening of Wednesday 11th February, a group of Notre Dame students from Years 9–12 took part in Latymer Upper School’s Philosothon debating competition. Representing our school were Charlotte B, Alice H and Isabella Hogben from Year 9 as well as Georgina B from Year 10, Salma V from Year 11 and Clara H, Alexa F, Willow R and Esme S from Year 12.
A Philosothon is a collaborative philosophical discussion where students of different ages work together to explore complex ideas and ethical questions. Rather than arguing competitively, participants aim to build on one another’s thinking to reach thoughtful, well-reasoned conclusions. Students are scored not only for the clarity and quality of their contributions, but also for how effectively they encourage others to join the discussion.
Schools attending the event included City of London School for Girls, North London Collegiate School, Sacred Heart High School, St Paul’s Girls and Boys, and the West London Free School.
The judging panel featured leading academics:
- Professor Elanor Knox, Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London
- Dr David Preston, Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway
- Dr Max Khan Hayward, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sheffield
Throughout the evening, students tackled a series of challenging questions such as:
- If an animal genuinely wants to be eaten, does that make it morally acceptable to eat it?
- Does observing something change what it is?
- If a teleporter destroys your original body and creates an identical one somewhere else, do you survive the process?
Why not try discussing these with your family over dinner during the Half Term break? Mrs Fowler and Mrs Best would love to hear what you think!
All our Notre Dame students debated with confidence, intelligence and eloquence. Miss Mason and Mrs Best were extremely proud of their thoughtful contributions. We look forward to hosting our own Philosothon at Notre Dame in the Summer Term.
And finally a few philosophical quotations to mull over…
Plato
“Philosophy begins in wonder.”
René Descartes
“It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.”
Voltaire
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”
