Questions: Philosophy for Young People

About the Journal

Questions is unique because it publishes the work of K-12 students interested in philosophical issues, including stories, essays, poems, photographs, and drawings. The journal also publishes articles by scholars and teachers, including lesson plans, thought experiments, transcripts of philosophy discussions, book reviews, and more.

Read the current issue, #24, on the theme of “Conflict and Cooperation,” here.


For more information about Questions, including access to all issues with additional functions, please visit the Philosophy Documentation Center.

Upcoming Issue Submissions

QUESTIONS ISSUE #25: THE UNKNOWN

The theme for this year’s issue is “The Unknown,” exploring fundamental questions of uncertainty and discovery and how they influence our understanding of past, present, and future. From speculating about the future to navigating new experiences in the present, the unknown is always present. This uncertainty asks us to reflect on what we can know and what remains out of reach. How do we navigate the unknown in our personal lives, in our relationships, and in our understanding of the world? How does the unknown shape our thoughts about the future?

We invite submissions from K-12 students and their teachers, in the form of visual art, short-form essays and poetry, multimedia projects, lesson plans, and open-form reflections.

Submissions may explore, but are not limited to, the following questions:

  • To what extent is the future unknown? How do we cope with an uncertain future?
  • How does uncertainty about the future shape our personal decisions and larger societal choices?
  • What can we learn from history when parts of the past remain unknown or uncertain?
  • How does the unknown shape our relationships with others? Is it possible to fully understand someone else, or is part of them always hidden?
  • How important is it to step into the unknown? Is being comfortable or exploring the unknown more important?
  • Can we ever be comfortable with not knowing everything? What role does curiosity play in our approach to the unknown?
  • What challenges arise for ethics if we cannot know for certain if a decision is right or wrong? Does it matter if we do know all the consequences of our actions?
  • What role does mystery play in living a fulfilling life? 
  • Can we make sense of the past when we don’t have all the facts?
  • What are the limits of knowledge, and how do we deal with those limits?

GENERAL INFORMATION 

For those unfamiliar with past issues, Questions features short articles, discussions, drawings, critiques, poetry, and other writings by philosophy students of all ages. The journal is published annually by the Philosophy Documentation Center. It is our goal to engage children in advanced philosophical thinking through related and common works of art.  

All issues are comprised of unsolicited submissions from educators and students. As part of our anonymous review selection, we consider all submissions for correctness, accuracy, and quality of thought given the writer’s age.


WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:  

Questions is looking for a variety of content written by various age groups in order to document different phases of philosophical inquiry. Questions accepts:

  • Short Articles
  • Discussions
  • Drawings
  • Critiques
  • Poetry
  • Lesson Plans
  • Children’s Classroom Experiences/ Reactions to Philosophy
  • Book reviews
  • Other Thought Provoking Ideas

Submit Here

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

  1. While we are always accepting submissions, the deadline for each issue is April 30.

  2. Please use the form in this tab to submit.

  3. Written submissions should be sent in Word or Rich Text File formats (.doc/.docx or .rtf) and please include a paragraph about yourself: your name, age, school, and the town/state/country in which you live.

  4. Please cite and format scholarly articles according to the guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style; use endnotes rather than footnotes.

  5. Send images, whether photographs, drawings, paintings, etc., as uncompressed image files with at least a 300 dpi resolution.

  6. If you are a publisher and would like to send us a book to review, please mail the book to the address on our Contact Us.

Images—whether photographs, drawings, paintings—should be sent as JPEGS (with at least 300 dpi resolution). Written submissions should be sent in Word or Rich Text File formats (as doc, docx, or .rtf). Scholarly articles should confirm to the Chicago Manual of Style for textual and citation manners; please use endnotes rather than footnotes.

Be sure to include contact information with your submissions. A copyright release is needed for publication.









    See requirements for this file in the submission guidelines!

    By checking the box above, you are hereby giving full copyright release on your submission to the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO)

    Questions Editorial Board

    Stone Addington and Ariel Sykes, Editors-in-Chief

    Alexandra Chang

    Mitch Conway

    Corey R. Horn

    Jana Mohr Lone, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

    Stephen Miller

    Christine Salama

    Tucker Sechrest

    Gabiya Tonkunas

    Wendy Turgeon, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus