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At the beginning of the year, the Kids Philosophy Slam asked students to consider if global warming posed “the greatest challenge facing humankind” as part of its annual competition. Emerging from the Great American Think-Off, the Philosophy Slam helps students develop critical thinking skills, creates dialogue in schools about ethics and meaning, and moves teachers and students to think more clearly about the role of philosophy in public and private life.
The event asks participants to base their responses on their own experiences as well as research, and to present entries in any format, including music, poetry, and art. Judges name a national winner for each grade level, and invite the the top four high school competitors to debate the year’s topic and contend for the title “the Most Philosophical Student in America.”
The reference to poetry slams–what Scott Woods called “the ultimate democracy of art”– is fitting. The Kids Philosophy Slam turns philosophy into a vibrant, engaging force, inviting students to explore it through visual art and poetry as well as essays and debates. Both find that the humanities are only meaningful when participatory, when moved from academic arcana to personal experience.
. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
At the beginning of the year, the Kids Philosophy Slam asked students to consider if global warming posed “the greatest challenge facing humankind” as part of its annual competition. Emerging from the Great American Think-Off, the Philosophy Slam helps students develop critical thinking skills, creates dialogue in schools about ethics and meaning, and moves teachers and students to think more clearly about the role of philosophy in public and private life.