[This is a translation from German.]
Citius, altius, fortius
Report from the XXXI International Philosophy Olympiad
Jesko Veenema
The International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO) is a non-governmental annual event that took place for the 31st time from 11 to 14 May 2023. 104 students from 49 countries around the world gathered at the International Olympic Academy (IOA), located in Olympia, Greece, not far from the ancient site of the Olympic Games. True to this year’s motto “A Life In Fair Competition”, they were to philosophise with each other as well as against each other – the latter in the form of an essay that had to be typed up within 4 hours.
Together with Oskar Wienecke, I was there to represent Germany and meet young thinkers from all over the world.
11.05.23
Arrival day. Buses pick up the participants from Athens airport at different times. Already there and during the journey to Olympia I got into conversation with the others. Still a little overwhelmed by the journey and the crowds, it takes a while until I am ready to talk, but then the conversation quickly picks up speed. Unexpectedly quickly, one gets used to English as the lingua franca.
At the IOA, we are assigned accommodation and given a badge with our name, country and status (in my case student). I unload my luggage in my room, which I share with another participant. I can already take a look around the grounds. The accommodation is arranged in semicircles and several tiers at the top of a slope around a shady palm grove. Buses stop in front of it. A path leads down to the dining hall, which also has a bar and numerous seating areas. Behind it, in turn, is an athletics facility. Other sports facilities, including a swimming pool and a tennis court, can be glimpsed behind. To the side, a path leads to the elevated conference centre. There, after an exchange-filled dinner, the opening ceremony takes place. The teachers are already seated here in round rows when the student representatives are called up by country. Speaker follows speaker, including the chairman of the national organising committee, Prof. Paroussis, the chairman of the international umbrella organisation of philosophical societies, the mayor of Olympia, a Harvard professor of Greek studies and Hans Lenk, the only professor of philosophy who is also an Olympic champion (in rowing).
12.05.23
Exam day: Prepared laptops are waiting for us in the conference centre. Here we now have 4 hours to write our essays. 4 philosophical quotations are handed out to us. I am quickly decided. What matters in this decision is not the amount of prior knowledge, but the interest in the subject matter and its difficulty. I can concentrate well and am satisfied.
For diversion, after lunch we walked through the ruins of ancient Olympia, where the sporting spirit of antiquity still blows. We were also given a guided tour of the original stadium, now overgrown with grass, and of the nearby museum; in between, always talking about this and that. Back home, we heard two lectures: “Fairness in Competition” by Miha Andrič and “Fairness, Gender, and Intersectionality” by Evgenia Mylonaki, professor at the University of Patras. Afterwards, it was time for dinner, which I ate in an intense discussion about relativistic physics. Finally, we students were allowed time in the evening (and night) to celebrate our coming together and talk. I withdrew for a moment of quiet, then rejoined the others. For a long time we stand and sit together.
Before falling asleep, I think back to the morning and have a feeling that will repeat itself on the following days: that it was a long time ago. Because so much happens in such a short time, so many impressions and conversations, that one day feels like a week.
13.05.23
In the morning we drive to the Temple of Apollo in Bassae, which lies high above the surrounding countryside on a mountain. On site, Sergio Imparato, professor of political philosophy, talks to us about fairness in relation to innate talents. He asks us to share our opinions on various thought experiments. We discover that the whole area is more complicated than we thought.
Afterwards we drive to a historic hotel and now conference and exhibition centre in Olympia to listen to two exciting lectures on scepticism and Pyrrhonism; the speakers are professors at the University of Athens. After dinner, the talks go on into the night again. There are some very special characters here, and there is never a shortage of things to talk about. It is the last evening together and we make the most of the remaining time.
14.05.23
Decision day. The last ceremony begins with a talk by Dr. Imparato about natural gifts and the obligation that comes with them. Again, numerous greetings follow. Then the prizes are announced. All those who have been shortlisted in the multi-stage essay evaluation process but have not won a medal, are honourably mentioned. Individually, the students come on stage and receive well-deserved applause. Then the medals in the three colours are awarded; this year there are 2 gold, 3 silver and 8 bronze medals. I am awarded a bronze medal and Oskar even achieved a silver medal, which means we have represented Germany in a worthy manner; only the Finns achieved a better result in the overall national performance. The ceremony is concluded by a general handshake and congratulations, and a large community photo is taken in front of the conference centre.
The hour of farewell approaches and preparations are made for departure. The buses leave for Athens at different times, and we have to say goodbye to many of those we have got to know very well in such a short time and have also become fond of; not without the resolution to hear from each other, perhaps to see each other again.
The IPO was a great event that would not have been possible without the support of numerous national foundations – in Germany the Josef Pieper Foundation – international sponsorship, the help of volunteers, the commitment of teachers, professors, and officials. We would like to thank them all for the many enriching experiences we were able to gather in just a few days. We are left not only with memories, but also contacts for the future. It was an incredible opportunity to talk and learn with and from interesting people from all over the world.