Miao ’19 Places Third in Philosophical Essay Contest

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Springs student Tenniel Miao ’19 was awarded a third-place prize in the national 2017-18 Plato High School Essay Contest for his thought-provoking essay, “A Contextual Theory of Truth.”

Miao, passionate about philosophy since the tenth grade, spends much of his time outside of class studying epistemology, or the theory of knowledge. While reflecting on centuries-old writing from his favorite philosophers, he began to develop his own original theories.

“Numerous ideas hovered across my mind, eagerly searching for a vent of expression,” he says. “When I saw the philosophy writing contest, I decided to participate without hesitation.”

The prompt for the 2017-18 Plato Contest, open to all U.S. high school students and judged by a panel of high school and college philosophy teachers, was to answer the questions “What is truth?” and “What makes a claim true or false?” in 2,000 words or less.

Miao’s winning essay addressed the definition of truth as it relates to a “conceivable world.” He explains, “When we encounter vague concepts such as truth, knowledge, and freedom in our ordinary lives, we can just take the dictionary definitions for granted, but in philosophy, we must evaluate them carefully. My definition is simultaneously intuitive, unambiguous, and practical.”

As part of his third-place prize, Miao received a $100 check. His essay will also be published in Issue 18 of Questions: Philosophy for Young People, the official journal of Plato, an organization which promotes the teaching of philosophy in K-12 classrooms across the country.

Congratulations, Tenniel!
Back
190 Woodward Drive, Indian Springs, Alabama 35124
Phone: 205.988.3350
Indian Springs School, an independent school recognized nationally as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.