Our Place in the Universe is a philosophy association founded by and for secondary school students interested in philosophy. Originating as a philosophy club at Episcopal High School and Blair Academy and now spanning across nine countries, our community brings together over 150 young thinkers. We organize regular events such as the Secondary School Philosophy Seminars, held biennially with three sessions each time, alongside writing blogs, offering book recommendations, and recognizing outstanding members with Thinker Awards for their contributions to our philosophical discussions.
Looking ahead, we aspire to expand our reach to connect with more peers and academics worldwide and to attract professionals into our leadership. Our long-term goal is to transform into a platform for the publication of junior thinkers’ works. Given the scarcity of journals for high school students, we hope to establish an online publication that can serve this need. To achieve this, we want to form an editorial board, which will require the recruitment of professionals. More broadly, we aim to focus on interdisciplinary fields within philosophy to make us more inclusive. Additionally, we seek to foster a more inclusive and interdisciplinary discussion. By welcoming professionals from various disciplines, we would be able to provide a richer, more comprehensive discussion environment.
rPlaceUniverse was established with a vision to bridge the gap between academic philosophy and the personal experiences of everyday life. During the often confusing and transformative high school years, young people grapple with feelings of meaninglessness and powerlessness, as well as a gap between textbook knowledge and real-life experiences. This issue was highlighted when one of our co-leaders, while researching a paper on nihilism, found arguments about the stark disconnect between the objective focus of book knowledge and the subjective nature of personal experiences. We observed a similar gap between philosophical logic and the chaotic but insightful and meaningful sentiments of adolescence, leading to a sense of disconnection and inauthenticity among students.
To counter this, our seminars promote the integration of personal experiences with philosophical discussions, fostering meaningful connections that go beyond mere academic study. We encourage discussions that draw on personal encounters with the thoughts of philosophers like Heidegger, Kant, and Plato, aiming to infuse philosophy with life and help teenagers find authentic value in their daily experiences.
Guided by our core mission, last summer we hosted three seminars that bridged philosophical concepts with everyday experiences: a philosophical reading of literature—what is literature and what is philosophy; Schrödinger’s Cat—what can we be sure about; and the Happiness Machine—what is happiness and what is experience. We emphasized sharing thoughts inspired by daily life, then transforming these reflections into structured theories and arguments. For instance, during our seminar on literature, participants explored their personal connections to literature, eventually elevating these individual preferences into broader, universal theories. One participant reflected on how her mundane English classes led to a profound appreciation for literature, expressing that “reading literature surrounds me with a feeling of tender love, as books provide me with the contextualization of universal values.” At rPlaceUniverse, our aim is to transcend the mundane by rooting philosophy in everyday experiences, thereby assigning value to these moments and countering the loss of transcendental values.
Runxin Li
Runxin Li is an emerging scholar with an interest in philosophy and comparative literature, focusing on literary theory, critical theory, and phenomenology. She has participated in SSHI 2023 at Stanford Humanities Institute and Iowa Young Writers Studio 2024. Her academic pursuits explore the intersections of philosophical discourse across subjects and cultures.
