Meeting of Minds Churchie was pleased to host the Australasian Philosothon in September, which attracted schools from around the nation to engage in a competition exploring challenging philosophical questions.
The Australasian Philosothon is the national-level competition for schools that have progressed through state and regional levels. Over three days, teams focused on enduring philosophical questions through a process called Community of Inquiry. Questions included ‘Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?’, ‘What is justice?’ and ‘Can science answer moral questions?’
To be successful, student philosophers needed to demonstrate critical and creative thinking and an ability to communicate with clarity and to work collaboratively. Churchie has been a finalist in all but one of the six past Philosothons and the School was proud to achieve a third place this year, with Scotch College first and Hale School second. The Churchie team comprised Charles Chandler Mitchell, Henry Friend, Nicholas Hughes, Noah Duval, Cameron Scott-Mackenzie, Lachlan Marchant, Thomas Nicolson and Finnegan Kelly (pictured l-r). Having students study philosophy and ethics is something that Churchie values highly. Grant Smith, Churchie’s Head of Gifted Education (Aquila), states, 'We are strongly committed to the program because it develops a curiosity about the world in which we live.' 'By engaging with the big philosophical questions, students develop essential critical thinking skills and learn to communicate clearly and positively,' Grant said.
Headmaster Dr Campbell, the Churchie team and Mr Grant Smith
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The Philosothon is operated by the Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations (FAPSA), a non-profit organisation to promote the study of philosophy in schools.