11th March 2026, By Dr Jones & Sixth Form attendees
A group of Sixth form students travelled to Oxford to attend this one day conference for some ‘philosophy in action.’ It was a packed day that introduced key philosophers, logical debates, the questioning of assumptions, and testing of ideas. It was definitely an academically challenging and stimulating day.
The lecture on the Foundation of Philosophy explored the ideologies of Plato. One of the key takeaways was his explanation of the nature of the soul; an immortal form of ‘self’ that transcends a physical body. It is something that must be protected and cared for and can avoid corruption through the moral ideal that it is better to suffer injustice than to inflict harm on others, this being life’s purpose.
The talk on how the brain responds to music given by Dr Chris O’Neill was particularly fascinating as it covered 9 different main points. We discovered that the brain has over 1000 trillion synapses and over 24 parts of the brain are used when playing a musical instrument. I found it very interesting to learn how the brains of people who play a musical instrument are larger, faster and better connected. – Imogen (Year 13)
Another interesting idea was that the soul exists as an explanation for ‘being’. Plato believed in the concept of reincarnation, in which the knowledge you carry from one incarnation is forgotten and cannot be inherently passed on to the next. This idea is defended though the explanation that souls can recollect of the things learned in a past life through education. He supported this notion with various analogies such as ‘the cave’ and ‘the chariot’; however, notably with mathematics, demonstrating how a boy with no formal education could double the area of a square with no prior instruction. I found this especially fascinating, as it suggests that the laws of mathematics are eternal, unchanging, and can only be discovered rather than created. – Nicky (Year 12)
Another intriguing talk we listened to was “What is courage?” by Julia Arliss. She discussed Aristotle’s views on courage, as a skill that is not innate but must be practised, be rational and a deliberate choice made in the face of fear. He believed that courage was a middle way on a spectrum between rashness and cowardice and for an act to be courageous and it had to be for noble purposes. I found discussing the case studies and the application of Aristotle’s views, on Greta Thumberg’s infamous speech at the UN conference, for example, and whether individuals displayed courage, particularly interesting. – Claudia (Yr 13)
Mike Grenier’s lecture on ‘Slow Education: Why Thinking Well Still Matters’ offered an interactive exploration of the significance and art of slow thinking. In a fast-paced world, constantly bombarded with information and ideas, our brains process countless incoming details rapidly without deep thought or reflection. Grenier rightly points out our tendency towards “lazy quick thinking,” which is a common occurrence. We often prefer waiting for answers rather than thinking things through ourselves due to a desperate need for speed. This lecture gave us a chance to pause and reflect on our thinking. What I found helpful, is that writing in a journal every now and then can really help us focus our minds, slow things down, and look at our thought patterns. This, in turn, can lead to new ideas and opportunities. – Zoe (Year 12)
