The 350 students from eight educational centers in Lanzarote will attend the preparatory conference aimed at students and teachers of 3rd and 4th year of ESO and Bachillerato from the various educational centers in the Canary Islands. Under the motto 'What is leisure?', the 'XI Philosophical Olympiad of the Canary Islands' begins its journey with a talk that will take place on December 1, at 10.30 am, in the Assembly Hall of the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
This project, which aims to "promote" in students a "critical and reflective attitude" towards the problems of today's society. The preparatory conference, which held its first session on November 24 in the Aula Magna of the Guajara Building of the University of La Laguna, will be chaired by the island director of Education of Lanzarote, María del Carmen Pellón and the vice-dean of the Philosophy Section of the Faculty of Humanities of the ULL, Margarita Vázquez, who will be accompanied by academic staff.
A contest with "Olympic spirit"
This event is organized by the 'Philosophical Olympiad Association of the Canary Islands', which in turn is integrated into the 'Spanish Network of Philosophy' (REF). Its main activity is a contest in which the ability of ESO and Bachillerato students to substantiate ideas and argue coherently their own points of view on a topic, which in this course is 'What is leisure?' is rewarded.
The Olympiad takes place in four modalities ranging from traditional exercises such as dissertations or the discussion of dilemmas, to speeches more adjusted to the 21st century, such as the philosophical use of photography and video. In all of them, the constructive and responsible dialogue or the defense of free thought, framed in the values of the Olympic spirit, stands out.
The philosophical dissertation, aimed at high school students, consists of writing an essay for 90 minutes, around a question raised in relation to the theme of the competition. In the moral dilemma, students in 3rd and 4th year of ESO must perform a written analysis, which must conclude with a reasoned answer to the dilemma posed.
In the case of photography and video, both 3rd and 4th year ESO and Bachillerato students may participate. It will consist of reflecting in photographs or in a video a certain philosophical idea linked to the theme chosen in the call.
In the last edition of this contest, 54 centers from all over the Canary Islands were registered, with a high participation in each of the tests: nine centers from three islands with 16 moral dilemmas; 27 from three islands in philosophical dissertation, with a total of 47 dissertations; about 44 images from 15 centers in philosophical photography Esther Terrón; and 7 centers with a total of 11 works in philosophical video.
Registration for the 'XI Philosophical Olympiad of the Canary Islands' remains open until December 21 and the final that will decide the regional winners who will participate in the national test representing the islands, will take place on March 15. The 'XI Philosophical Olympiad of Spain' will be held in Bilbao on April 19 and 20, 2024.
