Bissinger Philosophical Essay Competition

The Bissinger Philosophical Essay Competition is named for Mildred Bissinger, a Washington State University graduate who generously bequeathed funds to the Philosophy Department and to other departments in the University.

First held in the fall of 2000, the contest annually awards a cash prize of $500 for the best essay by a Washington State University undergraduate student on a topic chosen by the philosophy faculty.

Criteria for selection include thematic focus, skill in argumentation, clarity, originality, and precision and style in writing. Evidence of familiarity with traditional or contemporary philosophical thinking pertinent to the question may be a plus but is not always necessary. Decisions are made by a blind review conducted by the Scholarship Committee of the Department of Philosophy.

Questions about the competition may be addressed to the Department of Philosophy, 335-8611 or philo@wsu.edu.

The competition is sponsored by the Department of Philosophy to encourage philosophical thought and excellence of writing at Washington State University. The competition is open to any undergraduate student at Washington State University who has taken, or is currently enrolled in, at least one philosophy course.

Entries are limited to 1,000 words and should be typed, double-spaced, with student's name, WSU ID number, address, and telephone number (or e-mail address) on a cover page but not on the text itself, so as to allow for blind reviewing.

Due: March 28, 2008

Eighth Annual Bissinger Philosophical Essay Competition
Cash prize of $500

for the best essay by a WSU undergraduate
student addressing the question:

In An Introduction to Metaphysics, the German philosopher Martin Heidegger argues that religion, since it presumes to have absolute answers to the "ultimate" questions of existence and the cosmos, is fundamentally at odds with philosophy.  Do you agree that a philosopher cannot be religious?

The competition is sponsored by the Department of Philosophy to encourage philosophical thought and excellence of writing at Washington State University. The competition is open to any undergraduate student at WSU who has taken, or is currently enrolled in, at least one philosophy course.

Entries are limited to one thousand words and should be typed, double-spaced, with student's name, WSU ID number, address and telephone number (or e-mail address) on a cover page but not on the text itself, so as to allow for blind reviewing.

Criteria for selection include thematic focus, skill in argumentation, clarity, originality, and precision and style in writing. Evidence of familiarity with traditional or contemporary philosophical thinking pertinent to the question may be a plus but is not always necessary. Decisions will be made by the Scholarship Committee of the Department of Philosophy, which reserves the right to award no prize if in any year no entries are judged to be of sufficient merit.

Entries are due in the Department of Philosophy, Bryan Hall 316, by March 28th, with the winner announced shortly after that. Questions about the competition itself may be addressed to the Department of Philosophy, 335-8611 or philo@wsu.edu.