Philosophy Slam
The Philosophy Slam is a public competition for the best philosophical thought.
The concept of the Philosophy Slam was developed by Gerhard Hofweber in 2008. The focus is on the idea of bringing philosophical thinking onto the stage. Thinking as an event should be made tangible for an audience. In this way, the fascination of philosophical thinking can be conveyed when it is authentically and substantively striving for truth. The Philosophy Slam creates a non-academic public space for philosophy. From the beginning it was important to free philosophy from academic constraints, but not from its substance. The Philosophy Slam gives a stage to everyone who thinks seriously and passionately and has the courage to publicly stand for their convictions.
Eligibility criteria
In order to guarantee the quality of the texts presented and thus the level of the event, the text of the talk or an abstract of it must be submitted to the organizer before the event. A topic is not given. The selection of the contributions is made by the jurors. The decisive criterion is not an academic qualification, but a recognizable “struggle for a thought”.
The event
Based on the poetry slam , the individual participants compete , one of the entertainment factors of the event. Each lecture can last a maximum of 10 minutes and is then assessed by a three-person jury.
After the last lecture, the jury members first determine, by acclamation, the audience then which contribution they think is best. Voting can also be done with ballot papers. There are usually two winners of the Philosophy Slam; however, a contribution can also be awarded the jury and audience award.
The jury
The jury consists of three university lecturers with a doctorate or habilitation in a philosophical and social science subject, ideally two philosophers and one member of a related subject.
The winner's bonus
Both the audience and the jury winner will each receive a hemlock cup without content. This alludes to the figure of Socrates, who is considered to be the embodiment of the ideal-typical philosopher.
history
The first Philosophy Slam was implemented by Gerhard Hofweber together with a group of students in July 2008 in Augsburg. Until the spring of 2012, two philosophy slams were held in Augsburg each year with up to 300 spectators. The event was supported by various bodies of the University of Augsburg and officially sponsored by the Office for Pop Culture of the City of Augsburg's Cultural Office. The Philosophy Slam was part of the Brecht Festival twice.
Since March 2014, Dr. Hofweber together with Pia Zachmann under the title “White Dwarfs” Philosophy Slams in the original version in various cities in German-speaking countries.
The Philosophy Slam in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
The idea of the Philosophy Slam was taken up by various other organizers - also in Austria and Switzerland. Most of them were students from various universities. The concept was partially modified and adapted to our own ideas. I.a. Philosophy Slams took place in the following cities: Kassel , Tübingen , Munich , Halle , Frankfurt am Main , Bonn and Berlin , as well as Vienna , Graz , Salzburg and Innsbruck . A Philosophy Slam has already taken place in Zurich .
The Kids Philosophy Slam in the USA
The Kids Philosophy Slam is a national competition in the USA that has existed for several years. It is his intention to inspire children to deal with real-life questions and to give space to their creative potential in a philosophical forum. Participation takes place by submitting an essay, a picture, a poem or a musical composition in which they express their personal experiences with regard to the philosophical question set by the commission.
The Kids Philosophy Slam is aimed at children of different grade levels. The conditions of participation differ depending on the age group: the older the participants, the greater the requirements for the work to be submitted. A commission of philosophers, educators and parents assess the work on the basis of the following criteria: strength of the philosophical argument, originality and creativity, clarity, basis of the essay in personal experience, spelling and grammar.
The winner receives the title "Most Philosophical Student in America".
The German Philosophy Slam has only adopted the name and character of the competition from the American concept.
Web links
- Philosophy Slam
- Dr. Hofweber Institute
- The Philosophy Slam in Kassel
- The Kids Philosophy Slam in the USA
- For the 2nd Philosophy Slam in Tübingen