Ten-year-old Tegan Harrs, like many of her peers at Kahakai Elementary School, often gets questions from teachers. But one question for which the answer could not be easily found in the classroom piqued her interest, sparked a search and resulted in an award-winning essay.
What is the meaning of life? The question of what one should care about and why and what living is for was the topic of the Kids Philosophy Slam, an annual academic competition designed to make philosophy fun and accessible to students in kindergarten through 12th grade nationwide. It also helps promote critical thinking skills and encourage more dialogue between students and adults.
Out of all the fourth graders who entered, Harrs placed second — an accomplishment that “really surprised” her. Tuesday morning, Harrs explained she never anticipated winning, especially after reading last year’s entries on another topic, which “seemed way better.” Her primary reason for participating was her enjoyment of philosophy and how “it allows you to think outside of the box.”
“I have never done anything like this before. This is big and I’m really proud of how I did,” Harrs said. “I just want to thank my parents and my grandma for encouraging me a lot. I also want to say thanks to Mr. Bhargava, who is an awesome teacher.”
Vikram Bhargava, a Teach for America teacher who is no longer at Kahakai Elementary, introduced Harrs to the slam. He said she was the only student willing to enter and put in the work. He was impressed by her tenacity — she refined the essay several times. He also admired how Harrs never got discouraged by their discussions, which were “heavy with critique and counterpointing.”
“Not once did she get bogged down or frustrated by the process,” Bhargava said. “She really embraced the topic. At times, I found myself inspired. She came up with answers and counterpoints I hadn’t considered. I also had the privilege of watching her communication skills grow. Not only has she become a talented writer, but she’s also a great public speaker who can engage and motivate others.”
Because of Harrs, a philosophy and debate club was formed at the school. Its members, mostly 9- and 10-year-old students, met during lunch or recesses, passionately sharing their ideas and views, Bhargava said.
While writing her essay for the slam, Harrs said she came to the conclusion early on that there wasn’t one answer for the question.
“The meaning of life is the existence of plants, animals and humans. Our existence is not determined by our life’s duration, but it’s the quality of our present existence,” Harrs wrote. “Questions related to the meaning of life have never been solved by theologians and philosophers nor probably never will be solved to everyone’s satisfaction; so for now, each of us must decide the answer for ourselves. It doesn’t mean that there is no right answer; instead, it simply means that it hasn’t yet been solved.”
A central focus of her essay is fairness, an idea Harrs said she got after hearing several of her peers complain about how so-and-so wasn’t fair.
“I consider a fair life as one where you have worked for, or earned, the things you have. Equality is not the same as fairness. Equality means everyone would get the same things,” she said. “For example, if you worked hard and were awarded bonus points on a quiz, everyone else would get the bonus points too — without necessarily having worked for it. Although the meaning of life may not have been solved with certainty, I think the meaning of life involves fairness.”