Hwa Chong Invitational Philosophy Olympiad

Most people would have, at some point in time, asked themselves: “what is the meaning of life?” Although seemingly light-hearted, this oft-asked question is one of the most important contensions in philosophy, for meaning is fundamentally what it means to be human. But how do we obtain meaning in life? What is the most viable source of meaning? We hope that delegates can draw from various schools of thought in their discussion of this existential question that has kept centuries of philosophers engaged.

Descartes once said, “there is a great difference between the mind and the body, inasmuch as the body is by its very nature always divisible, while the mind is utterly indivisible.” Is the mind really separate from the body? How do they interact? In navigating this topic, we hope that participants can unpack these fundamental questions posed by the Mind-Body problem and consider the functions of the mind in relation to the external world, while taking modern manifestations of this problem into consideration.

Curious about the world? Finding yourself unsatiated with what’s taught in the books? Wanting an intellectual breakthrough?

HCCRI is back for its second edition! HCIPO is an annual, student-run competition which brings together pre-university students in Singapore together in the spirit of discourse and dialogue, as well as presenting an academic challenge to participants. With the theme being “The Perennial Pursuit”, we hope to see participants rejoice in the intellectual audacity that the conference prides itself for, and be bold in their quest for knowledge.

HCIPO 2020 will, for the first time, be held across two days: 18 January and 1 February 2020. Invitations have been sent out to all junior colleges. Interested students may approach their KI/TOK teachers to sign up. Registration deadline is 28 November, 2019.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Hi participants! Just a reminder that there are only 3 days left until the deadline for the submission of your group's written proposal! Hang in there!

Last but not least, we would like to introduce Professor Qu Hsueh Ming, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore.

Professor Qu received his Ph.D. from New York University, and completed his undergraduate and B.Phil. at Oxford University. His research interest is Early Modern, primarily the scholarship of David Hume; he also has interests in Kant, Ethics, and Metaphysics. In this, as in all his other endeavors, he asks you to forgive him his failings, for he is only Humean after all.

Today, we're introducing Professor Matthew Hammerton, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Singapore Management University.

Matthew Hammerton is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Singapore Management University and received his PhD from the Australian National University. He specializes in moral philosophy and topics he works on include: well-being, meaning in life, the structure of moral theories, consequentialism, and Buddhist ethics.

Today, we're introducing Professor Matthew D. Walker, Associate Professor at Yale-NUS College.

Dr Walker received a B.A. from Amherst College and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Yale University. The primary focus of his research is Aristotle’s ethical theory, especially in Aristotle’s views on the place of contemplation in the happy life, and in understanding these views against the background of Aristotle’s biological naturalism. He explores some of these issues in Aristotle on the Uses of Contemplation (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

Besides ancient Greek philosophy, his interests include broader historical, topical, and cross-cultural issues in virtue ethics.

Today, we would like to introduce Professor Loy Hui Chieh, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore.

Dr Loy obtained his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. His main research focus is in early Chinese philosophy and his dissertation was on the moral philosophy of the Mohists, the chief philosophical rivals of the Confucians in the Classical Period of ancient China.

He also has interests in ancient Ancient Greek Philosophy, Early Modern and Contemporary Ethics and Political Philosophy. He is currently on the editorial board for Chinese Comparative Philosophy for Philosophy Compass.