IPO International Philosophy Olympiad

1. Competition Objectives

The competition aims to promote philosophical education at the secondary school level and enhance high school students’ interest in philosophy. Additionally, it fosters critical, inquisitive, and creative thinking, promotes philosophical reflection on science, art, and social life, and cultivates ethical considerations regarding modern-world challenges. By facilitating intellectual exchanges and personal connections among youth from diverse countries, the competition also seeks to promote a culture of peace.

2. Eligibility

To enter, students must be currently enrolled in high school or, in countries with a December school year-end, have been enrolled the previous year. Even university students can participate if they meet these criteria. Participants must be 20 years old or younger.

3. How To Qualify 

To qualify for the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO), students must participate in a national competition organized by an affiliated national philosophical society or another philosophical organization connected to high school philosophy. In cases where no national society exists or no competition is organized, alternative selection methods can be approved by the IPO Executive Board.

• Step 1: Check for a National IPO Delegation: Determine if your country has a national delegation. If it does, contact the delegation leader directly. If not reachable, email the IPO Executive Board at board.ipo@gmail.com for assistance.

• Step 2: Creating a National Delegation: If your country lacks a delegation, the IPO Executive Board can help establish one. Important considerations include having qualified philosophy teachers, connecting to a local or national philosophical society, and ensuring open access for all high school students.

4. Competition Day 

Students have 4 hours to write a philosophical essay on one of the four topics. The topics are provided in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German, and students must write in a language other than their own. 

5. Criteria of evaluation

• Relevance to the topic
• Philosophical understanding of the topic
• Coherence
• Power of argumentation
• Originality