{"news":[{"uid":5171,"title":"Essayschreiben lernen: Die Methodensammlung der Philosophie-Olympiade","teasertext":"Nach der Vorrunde ist die Philosophie-Olympiade ein Essaywettbewerb. Im Schuljahr 2025\/2026 hatten unsere Finalist*innen erstmals die Gelegenheit, mit einem individuellen Essaycoaching daf\u00fcr zu trainieren. Die Methodensammlung f\u00fcr die Essaycoaches stellen wir nun \u00f6ffentlich zur Verf\u00fcgung.","short":"Nach der Vorrunde ist die Philosophie-Olympiade ein Essaywettbewerb. Im Schuljahr 2025\/2026 hatten unsere Finalist*innen erstmals die Gelegenheit, mit einem individuellen Essaycoaching daf\u00fcr zu trainieren. Die Methodensammlung f\u00fcr die Essaycoaches stellen wir nun auch den Lehrpersonen \u00f6ffentlich zur Verf\u00fcgung. Wir hoffen, dass Sie sich davon inspirieren lassen, das Schreiben philosophischer Essays im Unterricht zu thematisieren.","body":"

Bis letztes Jahr organisierte die Philosophie-Olympiade keine Vorbereitung auf das Finale. Die Teilnehmenden wurden ermutigt, die Bewertungskriterien und Dokumente mit Tipps zu studieren oder ihre Philosophielehrpersonen um Feedback f\u00fcr fr\u00fchere Essays zu bitten. Im Fr\u00fchling 2026 kam dann spontan die Idee auf, ein Essaycoaching anzubieten. Durch das zunehmende freiwillige Engagement von ehemaligen Teilnehmenden und Studierenden f\u00fcr die Philosophie-Olympiade waren die Kapazit\u00e4ten vorhanden, um jedem Finalisten, jeder Finalistin einen Coach zuzuteilen. <\/p>\r\n

Doch ist das Essayschreiben \u00fcberhaupt etwas, das man lernen kann? Wenn ja \u2013 wie? In der nach dem Essaycoaching durchgef\u00fchrten Umfrage wurden die Teilnehmenden dazu angeregt, \u00fcber diese Fragen nachzudenken. Sie differenzierten in ihren Antworten zwischen einzelnen Bestandteilen des Essayschreibens, beispielsweise das Formulieren stichhaltiger Argumente formulieren oder das Strukturieren eines Texts. Essayschreiben erschien so als Mosaik verschiedener Kompetenzen, die mit modularen \u00dcbungen gezielt verbessert werden k\u00f6nnten, je nach den individuellen St\u00e4rken und Schw\u00e4chen der Lernenden.<\/p>\r\n

Die vorliegende Methodensammlung ist ein Versuch, den ehrenamtlichen Essaycoaches einige Ideen f\u00fcr die Arbeit mit den Teilnehmenden zu Verf\u00fcgung zu stellen. Viele der Methoden k\u00f6nnten aber auch im Philosophieunterricht eingesetzt werden, wenn die Sch\u00fcler*innen das Schreiben philosophischer Texte erlernen sollen. Die Sammlung erhebt keinen Anspruch auf Vollst\u00e4ndigkeit. Sie ist als Ausgangspunkt f\u00fcr ein wachsendes, kollaboratives Dokument gedacht. Sie haben eine eigene Idee, die Sie mit Ihren Kolleg*innen teilen m\u00f6chten? Fordern Sie Bearbeitungszugriff f\u00fcr das Dokument an und erg\u00e4nzen Sie die Tabelle:<\/p>\r\n

Zur Methodensammlung<\/a><\/p>\r\n

\u00dcber die Autorin: <\/strong>Lara Gafner ist die Pr\u00e4sidentin der Schweizer Philosophie-Olympiade, befindet sich in der Ausbildung zur Philosophielehrperson und unterrichtet im kommenden Schuljahr am Gymnasium Thun. Die vorliegende Version der Methodensammlung entstand f\u00fcr eine Arbeit im Rahmen des Fachdidaktik-Kurses an der PH Bern.<\/p>","datetime":1784292900,"datetimeend":0,"newstype":1,"newstypetext":null,"links":"","subjects":["Suggerimenti"],"image":["https:\/\/philosophy.olympiad.ch\/fileadmin\/_processed_\/9\/d\/csm_55135366874_3367730335_b_218218f5cd.jpg"],"link":"https:\/\/philosophy.olympiad.ch\/it\/news\/news\/essayschreiben-lernen-die-methodensammlung-der-philosophie-olympiade","category":[{"uid":1,"title":"Filosofia"},{"uid":4,"title":"Associazione"}]},{"uid":5165,"title":"Welche Rolle spielt Vertrauen in der Wissenschaft?","teasertext":"What does it take to work as a scientist? Many people would name characteristics \r\nlike curiosity, intelligence, or rationality. According to philosopher John Hardwig, trust is also an essential part of scientific work. Ana from the Philosophy Olympiad explains why.","short":"What does it take to work as a scientist? Many people would name characteristics \r\nlike curiosity, intelligence, or rationality. According to philosopher John Hardwig, trust is also an essential part of scientific work. Ana from the Philosophy Olympiad explains why.","body":"

The central goal of science is to gain knowledge. Scientists generally assume to be capable of achieving this goal within their respective disciplines. In philosophy, knowledge is often defined as a justified true belief. Based on this definition, scientific findings must not only be true but also justified in order to be considered knowledge.<\/p>\r\n

To say that knowledge must be justified leaves open the question of what counts as good justification. In science, however, trust is not normally considered good justification. Instead, the idea of epistemic autonomy is held up as an ideal: those who think for themselves and critically question things are acting in an exemplary manner. Those who, on the other hand, blindly trust others are considered irrational. At the same time, however, modern science cannot function without teamwork, which seems to require trust among scientists. <\/p>\r\n

The philosopher John Hardwig argues in his Paper The role of trust in science <\/strong><\/i>that trust in others is a necessary condition for knowledge in modern science. <\/p>\r\n

About the Author: <\/strong>Ana Maria Abril won a silver medal in the 2023 Philosophy Olympiad finals. She is now studying philosophy and mathematics in Bern and volunteers for the Philosophy Olympiad.<\/p>\r\n

Analysis of the Structure of Modern Science<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

Hardwig begins his argument with an analysis of the structure of modern science. This structure is fundamentally collegial. Scientists work based on the results of previous scientists. In addition, they work in large groups, some of which are internationally organized. One reason for this collaboration is that collecting and analyzing data, or conducting certain experiments, is sometimes so time-consuming or complex that it cannot be carried out by a single person. <\/p>\r\n

Epistemological Problem<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

According to Hardwig, this gives rise to an epistemological problem, that is, a philosophical problem concerning knowledge and its conditions. If scientific results are to be considered knowledge, then they must be justified. In large research groups, however, no single person possesses the complete justification for the collective results. Many scientific results therefore do not appear to be (fully) justified and can, strictly not be regarded as knowledge. Nevertheless, we wish to refer to the results of this research as knowledge.<\/p>\r\n

The Function of Testimony<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

Harwig sees the importance of testimony in this lack of justification. In epistemology, testimony generally refers to the transmission of beliefs from one person to another. Hardwig\u2019s idea is that justification can be shared through testimony. Researchers in a research group can share justification, and thus knowledge, with one another through testimony. This gives every participating researcher, even if indirectly, access to the justification for the results produced by their joint research. Thus, only when researchers accept the testimony of other researchers can they call the results of their joint research \u201cknowledge.\u201d <\/p>\r\n

How Testimony Relates to Trust<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

According to Hardwig, this testimony is closely linked to trust: Person B\u2019s testimony that p can only serve as justification for Person A to believe p if Person A trusts B. Testimony thus presupposes trust if it is to be justificatory. <\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

An expert is giving a lecture. According to Hardwig, we will only accept his testimony as a justification for believing something if we trust him. (Photo: Philosophy Olympiad)<\/i><\/p>\r\n

Personal trust<\/h2>\r\n

Hardwig further analyzes the concept of trust and provides an account of when a person is considered trustworthy (honesty, competence, conscientiousness, \u2026). It is important to note that Hardwig\u2019s analysis, even though he does not use the term himself, refers to trust in people (personal trust). <\/p>\r\n

Annual theme \u201cLook up!\u201d:<\/strong> Who do we look up to? What do we see, when we look up \u2014 maybe using a telescope at the new Astronomy Olympiad? Just as a ship can use the stars to navigate, role models can help us find our path. In 2026 we meet inspiring people and those inspired by them. We present talent promotion practices worth looking up to. And we gaze at the sky. Subscribe to the newsletter <\/u><\/a>or follow us on Instagram<\/u><\/a> so you don\u2019t miss anything!<\/p>\r\n

Hardwigs Conclusion<\/h2>\r\n

On this basis, Hardwig concludes that in modern science, personal trust is a necessary condition for knowledge. His argument can be summarized as follows: <\/p>\r\n

Premise 1: In modern science, testimony is a necessary condition for scientific         knowledge. <\/p>\r\n

Premise 2: Testimony presupposes trust.<\/p>\r\n

Conclusion: In modern science, trust is a necessary condition for scientific knowledge<\/p>\r\n

Criticism of Hardwig<\/h2>\r\n

Hardwig\u2019s analysis of the role of trust in science is limited exclusively to trust in people. One possible criticism of this is that it is insufficient to explain how scientific knowledge is possible in modern science. As Hardwig himself notes, scientists also work in international research groups. In such settings, scientists do not necessarily know one another personally. Thus, the kind of trusting relationship necessary to accept the testimony of other scientists cannot exist between them. <\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/figure>\r\n

A philosophical text always invites its readers to reflect on their own views about its content and consider possible criticisms. (Photo: Philosophy Olympiad)<\/i><\/p>\r\n

Institutional Trust<\/h2>\r\n

The following example illustrates that in situations where there is no personal relationship between the researchers involved, another form of trust, institutional trust, can take on the role of personal trust. This example is intended to make the thesis intuitively understandable. Institutional trust refers to trust in structures such as universities, private research institutions, peer reviews, and meta-analyses.<\/p>\r\n

Leonie, the conscientious Scientist<\/h2>\r\n

Leonie, a conscientious scientist, is reading a newly published scientific study that she could use as the basis for her own research. She has no personal relationship with the study\u2019s authors. Before using the study\u2019s results in her own research, she, conscientious as she is, first examines the study\u2019s content and checks whether it is internally consistent. She also verifies how it aligns with the knowledge she already possesses. Leonie also takes into account who conducted the study and at which institution it was published. If she concludes that she can use the study\u2019s results in her own research, this decision is not based on personal trust. She does not primarily trust the study\u2019s authors, but rather the institutions and research programs within which the study was conducted.<\/p>\r\n

What now?<\/h2>\r\n

This example does not yet provide a truly convincing argument for institutional trust. At this point, you are invited to think further. Consider these questions for example: What exactly does trust in institutions mean (as opposed to trust in persons)? When is an institution trustworthy? And how exactly does institutional trust justify the sharing of justification?<\/p>\r\n

Does this make you think?<\/strong> If you're interested in questions like these, you can participate in the preliminary round of the Philosophy Olympiad from September 1 through October 4<\/a>.<\/p>","datetime":1783935720,"datetimeend":0,"newstype":1,"newstypetext":null,"links":"","subjects":["Sapere"],"image":["https:\/\/philosophy.olympiad.ch\/fileadmin\/_processed_\/2\/4\/csm__CCH9159_da4b7ec546.jpg"],"link":"https:\/\/philosophy.olympiad.ch\/it\/news\/news\/welche-rolle-spielt-vertrauen-in-der-wissenschaft","category":[{"uid":1,"title":"Filosofia"},{"uid":4,"title":"Associazione"},{"uid":5,"title":"Startseite"}]},{"uid":5125,"title":"Why intergenerational mentoring is so important","teasertext":"On the news portal of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, Lara Gafner talks about her experiences at the Philosophy Olympiad and with the Swiss Study Foundation.","short":"","body":"","datetime":1781697600,"datetimeend":0,"newstype":1,"newstypetext":null,"links":"https:\/\/e2-news.ch\/en\/news\/why-intergenerational-mentoring-is-so-important","subjects":["Amici","Viaggiare","Volontariato"],"image":["https:\/\/philosophy.olympiad.ch\/fileadmin\/_processed_\/f\/0\/csm_Screenshot_2026-06-17_175505_7b01107d79.png"],"link":"https:\/\/philosophy.olympiad.ch\/it\/news\/news\/why-intergenerational-mentoring-is-so-important","category":[{"uid":1,"title":"Filosofia"},{"uid":4,"title":"Associazione"},{"uid":5,"title":"Startseite"}]},{"uid":5081,"title":"Philosophieren in Polen","teasertext":"Vom 14. bis 17. Mai fand in Warschau die 34. Internationale Philosophie-Olympiade f\u00fcr Sch\u00fclerinnen und Sch\u00fcler statt. 56 L\u00e4nder waren vertreten. Die Teilnehmenden diskutierten, schrieben Essays, gewannen Medaillen und erkundeten die Stadt. Zwei Schweizerinnen und eine Liechtensteinerin waren dabei.","short":"Vom 14. bis 17. Mai fand in Warschau die 34. Internationale Philosophie-Olympiade (IPO) f\u00fcr Sch\u00fclerinnen und Sch\u00fcler statt. 56 L\u00e4nder waren vertreten - so viele wie noch nie zuvor. Die Teilnehmenden diskutierten, schrieben Essays, gewannen Medaillen und erkundeten die Stadt. Zwei Schweizerinnen und eine Liechtensteinerin waren dabei:","body":"