Welcome, young thinkers, to Han River Jamwon Park! We didn't just meet for a walk; we transformed this lively Seoul landmark into a massive, outdoor Philosophy Lab.
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The goal of The Hunt With Philosophy is simple: to stop seeing the park as just a place for picnics and start seeing it as a commons for reflection. Through collaboration and critical thinking, our mission was to prove that philosophy—the joy of asking big questions—is present in every wave, every shadow, and every discarded object.
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Our team of explorers was challenged to translate the ordinary world into the symbolic—turning a fun day by the river into a profound exercise for the mind
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The Hunt consisted of four quick-fire, creative tasks that forced teams to engage deeply with their surroundings, blending the park's environment with timeless philosophical concepts:
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The Flow and the Change: We stood by the majestic Han River and used its ceaseless flow to answer: "If the water is always moving, is the river ever the same place?" This was a direct, hands-on challenge to wrestle with Heraclitus's idea of change (panta rhei), and required teamwork to sketch the river and record its speed.
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The Purpose of Play: Teams observed the joggers and cyclists using the park's paths. They then debated and recorded their shared answer to: "What is the real purpose of play, and does it need a winner?" This task focused on ethics, value, and social philosophy, encouraging deep collaboration.
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Recycling Bin Reflection: We scrounged the nearest recycling bins for a piece of discarded material. Teams then had to craft a four-line "mini-essay" that gave that object a new, profound meaning. This forced our young philosophers to tackle the concepts of value, waste, and existence—finding profound meaning in the overlooked.
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The Shadow's Identity: Teams had to find a sunny spot and use their own shadows. They were asked: "Is your shadow part of you, and what happens to your 'self' when it disappears?" This task was a playful entry into the ideas of identity, essence, and reality, requiring critical thinking to observe a phenomenon they usually take for granted.
Four Challenges, Four Big Ideas
Each task was a burst of creative play and genuine deep thought. The Philosophy Hunt succeeded in showing our teams that every corner of Jamwon Hangang Park holds a symbolic truth. They transformed a simple walk by the river into a powerful exercise in dialogue, reflection, and collaborative interpretation. They learned that the best adventures aren't about finding treasure, but about finding a great question!