The fourth annual inter-school Philosothon took place on Tuesday 24 January 2017. Eight senior schools took part, each fielding a team of 11 pupils spanning all year groups. This year, the schools taking part alongside Bristol Grammar School were Wells Cathedral School, Bristol Free School, Taunton School, Wellington School, Monkton Combe School, Exeter College and King’s College.
The teams were encouraged to investigate ethical and other philosophical questions in the context of ‘communities of inquiry’. The aim is to promote a sense of community by developing a shared understanding of values and purposes in a spirit of cooperation. It also develops skills in inquiry-based learning, ethical reasoning and a search for meaning through dialogue about open questions and contestable concepts.
The four rounds this year all reflected a general theme, “should I live for others or for myself?” and generated much healthy debate and mature engagement from all participants. Although the promotion of discussion and cooperative debate is one of the aims, there is also an element of competition, with the BGS team deemed to be this year’s winners, narrowly beating hosts King’s College. Well done to the BGS team on a great evening of philosophy and debate.