As Plutarch once proclaimed, "Philosophy is the art of living."
In today's age, it is easy to get lost in the weeds.
We're drowning in content, news, gossip, and clutter. Sometimes, we forget to take a step back, and think.
What if we were to step into the mind of a philosopher? To pose big questions about the world and rethink what we read?
Philosophical thinking can be found in the ordinary and the familiar, not just the new and profound.
All the while, philosophy delights in the unknown:
In posing questions that might not have immediate or clear answers, but are worth asking for the sake of curiosity!
As children, we are natural philosophers, asking daunting questions about seemingly self-evident subjects:
Why is the sky blue?
Why do we have to listen to our parents?
What is friendship?
Why is there something rather than nothing?
Dialexicon is a project to revive these questions, by giving youth a space to express their philosophical ideas.
Humans are great at creating tools. But philosophy teaches us when and how to use those tools in just and beneficial ways.
Political philosophy shows us how to organize ourselves.
Ethics guides us in how we ought to treat one another.
Metaphysics teaches us to question the universe.
Existentialism brings us to question our place in it.
Beyond that, thinking like a philosopher trains you to be a problem-solver, a persuasive orator, and a critical thinker.
Dialexicon is the first step on that journey, beginning with youth.
1. To fill the chasm of philosophy opportunities and resources for high school students.
2. To share the voices and philosophical opinions of youth with a global audience.
3. To provide a forum for youth to discuss philosophy with other engaged youth.
4. To distill complex philosophical ideas to be approachable for youth.
Dialexicon seeks to close a gap in access to philosophy opportunities and resources for youth, offering a platform tailored to middle and high school students who love philosophy.
If you're a new visitor, welcome to Dialexicon.
P.S. If you would like to get involved with Dialexicon, please reach out to dialexiconjournal@gmail.com.
Thank you to our sponsors: The Canadian Philosophical Association, The Philosophy Foundation, and University of Toronto's Department of Philosophy. And to all our adjudicators who volunteered to read countless papers for the journal.
A special thanks to Jeffrey Senese, Petra Dreiser, and Miha Andric for making the inaugaral volume of Dialexicon possible.
Building this website has involved using several images of paintings, including:
Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The School of Athens by Raphael, Victoria & Albert Museum, Parody of Zhuangzi's Dream of Butterflies by Chōbunsai Eishi, The British Museum, Saint Paul Writing His Epistles by Valentin de Boulogne, The Museum of Fine Arts, and The Philosophers by Master of the Judgment of Solomon, Hotel Sandelin Museum.
And most importantly, thank you to all of the high school students around the world who have written for Dialexicon or who have engaged with our materials in any way. Without you all, Dialexicon would only be a concept.
- The Dialexicon Team (Elizabeth, Saurish, Emily, and George)