Immanuel Kant Essay Competition

Calling all high school and college students in the United States! In honor of Immanuel Kant's 300th birthday, the Goethe-Institut invites you to participate in our essay contest "Sapere Aude – Dare to Know through Reason."

This motto, tied to Kant and the Age of Enlightenment, urges us to break free from ignorance and think independently. The competition aims to encourage the next generation to explore the relevance of the Enlightenment in today's context by considering how Kant's idea of "Sapere Aude" can help us make wise and ethically informed decisions in modern society.

Not sure how to include this in your classroom? Having difficulties choosing an essay topic? Join our September workshop series to learn how to integrate the topic into your classroom and brainstorm ideas that ensure your essay reflects your critical thinking and creativity while adhering to academic integrity. 
   

Prizes will be awarded to the top three high school and top three college student essay submissions. In both categories, the prizes are the following:

• First place: Scholarship for a language course at the Goethe-Institut in Germany and an Immanuel Kant themed prize package
• Second and third place: Scholarship for an online German language course by the GoetheInstitut USA and an Immanuel Kant themed prize package
• All students who enter the competition will receive a certificate of participation

Participants can choose one of the following topics:

1. Kant's ethics in modern society: how can the categorical imperative guide us in navigating current ethical challenges?
2. Epistemology in the era of information: How are Kant's ideas about knowledge and perception relevant in times of information overload and "fake news"?
3. Aesthetics and art today: What relevance do Kant's aesthetics have for today's understanding and appreciation of art?
4. Sustainable freedom: How can we use Kant's concepts of freedom and autonomy to develop a sustainable relationship with the environment and shape our individual freedoms in harmony with the needs of the planet?

• Target group: High school students and university students in the USA
• Essay length: between 1500 and 2000 words
• Language: German or English
• Submission deadline: October 3, 2024 via the essay submission form 

Decisions made by the jury are final. Legal recourse is excluded. 

By participating in this essay competition, you agree to use AI tools like language models responsibly. You should only utilize them for brainstorming, research, and drafting and must acknowledge and cite any AI-generated content. Furthermore, you commit to academic integrity by avoiding plagiarism and ensuring that your work reflects your own critical thinking and creativity and cites all sources used. Violating this honor code may result in disqualification from the competition.

Essays will be judged on the following criteria:

• Originality (5 points)
• Depth of philosophical analysis (5 points)
• Relevance and timeliness (5 points)
• Structure and clarity of arguments (5 points)
• Linguistic quality (5 points)

• Katharina Kraus, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland
• William Layher, German teacher, Ladue School District in Ladue, Missouri
• Desmond Jagmohan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of California in Berkeley, California

For more information and contextualization of Immanuel Kant and the Enlightenment, please reference the following resources: Kant Today by Gegenüber (the Goethe Institut's North American digital magazine)
 

"Sapere Aude", or "Dare to Know through Reason" is understood to be a call for personal courage and integrity in the pursuit of knowledge. In this spirit, we invite you to join the conversation to critically examine the influence of the Enlightenment in our world today.