Announcing the APO Philosophy Essay Contest
for 2020!
The American Philosophy Open (APO) is the
official USA arm of the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO), which will be
celebrated this year in Lisbon, Portugal. The two APO winners will go with the
leaders of the APO to the 28th IPO, which will be celebrated this year in Lisbon, Portugal May 21-24. There will be 50
countries represented this year.
 |
| The 2019 APO winners at the 27th IPO in Rome, Italy |
This contest has in two stages. Stage 1 is an English language qualifying essay for stage 2, which is an essay that must be written in either French, German or Spanish.
Participants in the APO 2020 must:
• be high school students in the USA
• read philosophy in school with a teacher in a class, an independent study session or in a club, for example
• be highly proficient (post-AP level or equivalent) writing in French, German or Spanish
• read philosophy in school with a teacher in a class, an independent study session or in a club, for example
• be highly proficient (post-AP level or equivalent) writing in French, German or Spanish
There will be two stages
Stage 1:
Submit an 800-word max. essay in English on
one of the two topics posted exclusively here on the APO website. This essay must be submitted
by no later than February 10, 2020 to PhilosophyAPO@gmail.com. The English essay will determine
semi-finalist status. You will be notified by February 19th. Then one of your teachers and a school administrator must send us a letter vouching for you and granting
you time away from school to participate in the IPO in May in Lisbon, Portugal. The likely dates the winners would need to be away from school to participate in the events of the 28th IPO, including travel dates, will be May 19th (an evening travel date to Lisbon) to 25th (an afternoon or evening arrival date at home). Letters must be sent to Joseph A. Murphy, Philosophy & Ethics Department Chair at Dwight-Englewood School, 315 E. Palisade Ave., Englewood, NJ 07631 or by email to PhilosophyAPO@gmail.com (if you email it, please write "APO and IPO" in the subject line. If you want or need to fax it, the number is 201-569-0047) and will be due no later than March 2nd. Receipt of these letters will determine finalist status.
Stage 2:
Finalists
must compete in a 4-hour on-line timed essay writing contest in French, German
or Spanish on a philosophy topic selected from topics posted on the APO
website. There will be two dates from which you may choose to write your essay
on-line;Primary Contest Date: March 7, 2020 | Alternate Contest Date: March 8, 2020
Details will be sent to the finalists.
-----oOo-----
Costs:
Nothing to participate in the APO contest. At the IPO in Lisbon the APO winners will have all meals and lodging paid-in-full. The two winners will have to pay their own travel to Lisbon. We encourage you to seek sponsorship for this.
Benefits:Nothing to participate in the APO contest. At the IPO in Lisbon the APO winners will have all meals and lodging paid-in-full. The two winners will have to pay their own travel to Lisbon. We encourage you to seek sponsorship for this.
The APO is sponsored by the American Philosophical Association and is the USA branch of the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO). The IPO is sponsored by UNESCO and FISP: Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie and, therefore, the major philosophical societies of the world. It is a major honor for you, your school and your community.
-----oOo-----
Here now are the TOPICS for the English Language Qualifying Essay
Here are the
topics for Stage 1 of the 2020 essay contest. The two topics are published here
and nowhere else, as it says in the 2020 brochure and on our Facebook page. For Stage 1, a student
contestant must submit an English essay of no more than 800 words via email
that responds to one of the two philosophy topics below.
Topic 1:
"In his new book, The History of Philosophy, the philosopher A. C. Grayling writes, "Logic -- the science of valid and sound reasoning -- is the general instrument of philosophy, as mathematics is in science." Please explain your understanding of this quotation.
Topic 1:
"In his new book, The History of Philosophy, the philosopher A. C. Grayling writes, "Logic -- the science of valid and sound reasoning -- is the general instrument of philosophy, as mathematics is in science." Please explain your understanding of this quotation.
Topic 2:
“There are various ethical theories that have been developed in the past three millennia. You may have studied some of them in philosophy or in an ethics course. Please explain why you think one of them more reliably describes what makes an action right or a person good.
-----oOo-----
You may want to consult our guide to writing philosophy essays called, How To Write a Philosophy Essay, A Guide for IPO Contestants that you can find at the following URL: http://www.philosophy-olympiad.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IPO_Essay_Guide.pdf
Again, the APO
website is www.precollegephilosophy.blogspot.com
Email: PhilosophyAPO@gmail.com Put“APO and IPO”in the subject line.
Mailing Address:
Joseph A. Murphy
Philosophy & Ethics Department Chair
Dwight-Englewood School
315 East Palisade Avenue
Englewood, NJ 07631
Phone: 201-227-3265
Fax: 201-569-0047
Email: PhilosophyAPO@gmail.com Put“APO and IPO”in the subject line.
Mailing Address:
Joseph A. Murphy
Philosophy & Ethics Department Chair
Dwight-Englewood School
315 East Palisade Avenue
Englewood, NJ 07631
Phone: 201-227-3265
Fax: 201-569-0047
Good luck!
