One morning you wake up and head to the kitchen, only to find someone who looks exactly like you sitting at the breakfast table chatting with your parents. You try to explain to your parents that you have been replaced, but your doppelganger insists that you are the imposter. Your doppelganger is like you in every respect, physically and mentally. They have the same memories, even the same personality. How would you demonstrate to your parents that you (and not your doppelganger) are you?
Portland State University professor Brian Elliott posed this thought experiment (adapted from Dostoevsky’s The Double) to the rising junior and senior high school students in Portland State University’s Summer Camp. This thought experiment is part of his lecture on existentialism. The students propose and debunk solutions in the small groups. What would Simone de Beauvoir or Jean Paul Sartre say about what makes you you?
We are one faculty member, Alex Sager, and five Portland State University students (two recently graduated) who in the summer of 2022 co-designed and led a Philosophy Camp. Faculty from the Department of Philosophy joined us as guest lecturers to tackle topics from existentialism, Socrates’ defense of the examined life, indigenous philosophy, critical thinking, protest and civil disobedience, divine command theory, artificial intelligence, and the perennially debated conundrum: “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” High school students receive university-level course credit for Introduction to Philosophy.
Why did we decide to make the summer camp a student/faculty collaboration? The TAs are closer in age and experience to high school students, and because they are also students (or recently graduated), they have more insight and knowledge about students’ interests. They are able to act as liaisons between the high school students and faculty, making the material more approachable and accessible. Furthermore, they serve as role models for what can be achieved in a personal philosophical journey. Finally, service-based and experiential learning are central to PSU’s curriculum and the best way to learn something is often to teach it. Since many of the TAs are interested in teaching philosophy, it’s a first-hand opportunity to participate in all aspects of designing and delivering a course.
TAs proposed units, suggested readings, multimedia materials, activities, and assignments. They also worked one-on-one with students in completing their critical thinking assignments and graded them. Karetha recommended incorporating daily journaling activities oriented towards engaging more personally with the lectures and readings, and cultivating reflection on what was meaningful to them. We owe the incorporation of our most enthusiastically received assignment, a 1-minute Public Service Announcement video to Jadzia (this assignment was designed by former PSU undergraduate Matthew Watts, who is completing his PhD at the University of Miami).
The PSA assignment showcased the student’s intellectual passions and awareness of serious issues facing the world. One group presented a tongue-in-cheek reductio ad absurdum of negative utilitarianism, advocating, as negative utilitarians, for the destruction of the planet. Another group presented a lighthearted video of why it is morally wrong to shame people for wearing t-shirts of bands they don’t listen to. This inspired a vigorous conversation about the ethics of wearing clothes with political messages. Maybe we shouldn’t criticize non-BTS Army members for wearing a BTS t-shirt, but what if the artist is Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha or Tom McDonald?
The camp centered around final projects. Students worked intensively with faculty, TAs, and peers to choose, develop, and present a project grounded in an area of philosophical interest. Topics included cancel culture, postmodern art and totalitarianism, Citizens United and corporate spending in politics, a slam poetry performance on the nature of art, duties toward Central American Refugees, artificial intelligence and the nature of understanding.
The level of critical understanding of modern-day issues and their relation to philosophy was impressive. We were moved by the students’ profound insights as they tangled with questions of ethics and virtue, especially relating to the discussions of death, suffering, and how we interact with other living beings and our planet. Despite varying degrees of exposure to philosophy pre-camp, the level of engagement, willingness to learn, and desire to think carefully about each topic was exhilarating. These students (and young people like them) are going to shape and define future conversations about ethics, morality, laws, justice, punishment, and living a good life. This makes us incredibly hopeful.
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Karetha Dellgrottaglia
Karetha Dellgrottaglia is a senior at Portland State University whose goal is to establish a K-8 school grounded in philosophical inquiry, critical thinking, and child-directed learning.
Hassan Eltelbany
Hassan Eltelbany is a recent graduate from Portland State University in Philosophy and Political Science who is preparing to pursue a PhD in Philosophy with an emphasis in the Philosophy of Law and Language.
Garrett Palmer
Garrett Palmer is a recent graduate from Portland State University who is preparing to pursue a PhD in history in comparative modern political economics and the global history of capitalism while emphasizing the intersection of energy, labor, and the environment.
Jadzia Peterson
Jadzia Peterson is a senior at Portland State University who plans on pursuing a PhD in Philosophy with a general emphasis in metaphysics. Her goal is to become a tenured professor of philosophy and subsequently engage in research and writing.
Alex Sager
Alex Sager is a professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy at Portland State University. He is the author of Against Borders: Why the World Needs Free Movement of People (Rowman and Littlefield International, 2020) and Toward a Cosmopolitan Ethics of Mobility: The Migrant’s-Eye View of the World (Palgrave Pivot, 2018). He also regularly teaches Philosophy for Children and is the founder of the Oregon High School Ethics Bowl.
Zachary Trudo
Zachary Trudo is a computer engineer and postbac at Portland State University who plans to apply to graduate school and pursue a career in Philosophy.
