Thinking together: The Philosophy Club at UHS
How long should we live? Can machines think? Does luck exist? Should we resurrect extinct species? Can money buy happiness?
These are among the questions that Years 7 & 8 students have been investigating in The Philosophy Club’s workshops. The students have excelled in thinking independently and collaboratively, their animated discussions pulsing with energy and nuance. Inspired by film clips, news reports, concept games and science fiction stories, the students are discovering that philosophical questions have no clear-cut answers, only more or less convincing arguments for different conclusions.
Meanwhile, a group of budding philosophers in Years 9 & 10 have been tackling questions like: Does Instagram own your face? What entitles us to rights? Can hope be earned? Would brain-to-brain interfacing change your identity? And is all our behaviour pre-programmed?
Wrestling with these sorts of questions is philosophy at its most vivid: a living, breathing practice that prompts students to challenge their intuitions and worldviews. Students are enjoying the freedom to experiment with ideas – to propose, evaluate, reject or concede arguments as they see fit. All the while, they remain accountable to each other for the quality of their reasoning.
Rather than gingerly skirting around differences of opinion, students in The Philosophy Club’s workshops are encouraged to embrace disagreement and seek shared understanding, communicating their views with care, empathy and intellectual humility. In the role of workshop facilitator, I help students consider the plurality of their concerns, positions and reasons, and make space for negotiating and reconciling their differences as far as possible.
Free thinking in a supportive environment, respectful criticism, charitable interpretation of other people’s views, a willingness to concede points, a spirit of conviviality: these are the dynamics that generate trust and open up a space for substantive discussion.
I’ve been buoyed by the experience of philosophising with UHS students this term and I’m continually impressed by their maturity as they work together to generate, test and refine their arguments. It’s a genuine meeting of minds, marked by attentiveness and close listening. Witnessing this is a rare treat in the context of a wider world often characterised by polarisation, shallowness and distraction.
I’d like to thank UHS for hosting The Philosophy Club, with special thanks to Veronica Sanders for coordinating the program. And congratulations to the participating students who continue to shine with insight, poise, focus, and a shared commitment to interrogating diverse views. Thinking together with you is a privilege and a pleasure.
Michelle Sowey - Founder and MD, The Philosophy Club
www.ThePhilosophyClub.com.au