High School Philosophy Archives

Seeing Patriotism: Exploring National Identity Through Contemporary Art

Ariel Sykes | October 2, 2026

Ariel Sykes is PLATO’s Associate Director. As educators guide students through conversations around civics, history, and national identity for the 250th anniversary of the United States, finding meaningful entry points can feel daunting. How do we move beyond empty platitudes and decorations on school bulletin boards? What would it look like to ask young people … Seeing Patriotism: Exploring National Identity Through Contemporary Art

Guest Blog Post on Philosophy and the Covid-19 Pandemic

Jana Mohr Lone | July 24, 2020

Lexi Pelzer, a high school student who volunteered for our Center this past year, was a student at Overlake High School and is now a rising sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy. She asked if she could write a guest post for this blog, and I thought that the theme of her post, which describes how … Guest Blog Post on Philosophy and the Covid-19 Pandemic

Summer philosophy seminar for high school teachers

Jana Mohr Lone | December 19, 2013

For the first time this summer, there will be a teaching and learning seminar for high school teachers at the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT) Conference. The seminar will be funded by the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO), the American Philosophical Association (APA), and AAPT. The AAPT Conference is a well-regarded biennial family-friendly event … Summer philosophy seminar for high school teachers

Comments from Memphis High School Students

Jana Mohr Lone | October 28, 2009

I had a conversation recently with a colleague about the difference it makes, in his view, when students who have had philosophy in high school enroll in his undergraduate philosophy classes. He said that he almost always recognizes students who have studied philosophy in high school — he observes deeper thinking about the questions explored … Comments from Memphis High School Students

High School Philosophy Classes

Jana Mohr Lone | September 8, 2009

There is lots of exciting work in philosophy going on in high school classrooms around the country! Here are two public high school philosophy classes about which I’ve recently learned: In Memphis, Michael Burroughs, a graduate student in philosophy at the University of Memphis, is teaching a philosophy class at Booker T. Washington High School. … High School Philosophy Classes

25 Philosophers

Jana Mohr Lone | June 24, 2009

This is a nice, accessible resource for high school students: http://onlinecollegedegree.org/2009/05/04/25-timeless-insightful-philosophers-for-your-personal-development/. It lists 25 philosophers, from Confucius through Descartes and Kant to Mary Midgley and Foucault, and gives a short synoposis about each of them.

What Does It All Mean?

Jana Mohr Lone | January 18, 2009

I love Thomas Nagel’s short 1987 book What Does It All Mean? It’s a really accessible introduction to philosophy for high school students and up, and it captures much of what drew me to philosophy in the first place. The book focuses on some of the philosophical problems that, as Nagel notes, “reflective human minds … What Does It All Mean?