john locke psychology essay competition

Everything You Should Know about the John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition

By Jin Chow

Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education

2 minute read

We first wrote about the world-famous John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition in our list of 20 writing contests for high school students . This contest is a unique opportunity to refine your argumentation skills on fascinating and challenging topics that aren’t explored in the classroom.

The Oxford philosopher, medical doctor, political scientist, and economist John Locke was a big believer in challenging old habits of the mind. In that spirit, the JLI started this contest to challenge students to be more adventurous in their thinking.

While not quite as prestigious as getting published in The Concord Review , winning the grand prize or placing in one of the 7 categories of the JLI Essay Competition can get your college application noticed by top schools like Princeton, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Awards include $2,000 scholarships (for category winners) and a $10,000 scholarship for the grand prize. (The scholarships can be applied to the JLI’s Summer Schools at Oxford, Princeton, or Washington D.C., or to its Gap Year programs in Oxford, Guatemala, or Washington, D.C.)

But winning isn’t necessarily the best thing about it. Simply entering the contest and writing your essay will give you a profound learning experience like no other. Add to that the fact that your entry will be read and possibly commented on by some of the top minds at Oxford and Princeton and it’s free to enter the competition . The real question is: why wouldn’t you enter? Here’s a guide to get you started on your essay contest entry.

Eligibility

The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is open to any student anywhere in the world , ages 15-18. Students 14 or under are eligible for the Junior prize.

JLI Essay Competition Topics

The essay questions change from year to year. You can choose from 7 different categories (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law). Within each category, there are 3 intriguing questions you can pick from. When you’re debating which question to write about, here’s a tip. Choose whichever question excites, upsets, or gives you any kind of strong emotional response. If you’re passionate about a topic, it will come through in your research and your writing. If you have any lived experience on the subject, that also helps.

re are some sample questions the 2023 contest for each of the seven JLI essay subject categories and the Junior Prize (the questions change each year):

Philosophy : Is tax theft?

Politics : Do the results of elections express the will of the people?

Economics : What would happen if we banned billionaires?

History : Which has a bigger effect on history: the plans of the powerful or their mistakes?

Psychology : Can happiness be measured?

Theology : What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?

Law : Are there too many laws?

Junior Prize : What, if anything, do your parents owe you?

John Locke Writing Contest Requirements

Your essay must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration) and must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category. No footnotes are allowed, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes.

Timeline and Deadlines

January - New essay questions are released

April 1st - Registration opens

May 31st - Registration deadline

June 30th - Essay submission deadline

We highly recommend you check the JLI website as soon as the new questions are released in January and start researching and writing as soon as you can after choosing your topic. You must register for the contest by the end of May. The deadline for the essay submission itself is at the end of June, but we also recommend that you submit it earlier in case any problems arise. If you start right away in January, you can have a few months to work on your essay.

John Locke Institute Essay Competition Judging Criteria

While the JLI says that their grading system is proprietary, they do also give you this helpful paragraph that describes what they are looking for: “Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material , the competent use of evidence , quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind . Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful. Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible. ” (We’ve bolded important words to keep in mind.)

You can also join the JLI mailing list (scroll to the bottom of that page) to get contest updates and to learn more about what makes for a winning essay.

Research and Essay Writing Tactics

Give yourself a baseline. First, just write down all your thoughts on the subject without doing any research. What are your gut-level opinions? What about this particular question intrigued you the most? What are some counter-arguments you can think of right away? What you are trying to do here is identify holes in your knowledge or understanding of the subject. What you don’t know or are unsure about can guide your research. Be sure to find evidence to support all the things you think you already know.

Create a reading/watching list of related books, interviews, articles, podcasts, documentaries, etc. that relate to your topic. Find references that both support and argue against your argument. Choose the most highly reputable sources you can find. You may need to seek out and speak to experts to help you locate the best sources. Read and take notes. Address those questions and holes in the knowledge you identified earlier. Also, continue to read widely and think about your topic as you observe the world from day to day. Sometimes unrelated news stories, literature, film, songs, and visual art can give you an unexpected insight into your essay question. Remember that c is a learning experience and that you are not going to have a rock-solid argument all at once.

Read past winning essays . These will give you a sense of the criteria judges are using to select winning work. These essays are meant to convince the judges of a very specific stance. The argument must be clear and must include evidence to support it. You will note that winning entries tend to get straight to the point, show an impressive depth of knowledge on the subject with citations to reputable sources, flow with excellent reasoning, and use precise language. They don’t include flowery digressions. Save that for a different type of writing.

Proof your work with a teacher or mentor if possible . Even though your argument needs to be wholly your own, it certainly helps to bounce ideas around with someone who cares about the topic. A teacher or mentor can help you explore different options if you get stuck and point you toward new resources. They can offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses. Working with a teacher or mentor is important for another reason. When you submit your entry, you will be required to provide the email address of an “academic referee” who is familiar with your work. This should be a teacher or mentor who is not related to you.

Research and Prepare for your Competition or Fair

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion. Together, you work to create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. Our highly-specialized mentors can help guide you to feel even more prepared for an upcoming fair or competion. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!

Upcoming Summer 2024 Application Deadline is April 14, 2024.

Click here to apply.

The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition

Humanities and social sciences students often lack the opportunities to compete at the global level and demonstrate their expertise. Competitions like ISEF, Science Talent Search, and MIT Think are generally reserved for students in fields like biology, physics, and chemistry.

At Lumiere, many of our talented non-STEM students, who have a flair for writing are looking for ways to flex their skills. In this piece, we’ll go over one such competition - the John Locke Essay Competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how we guide students to win essay contests like this, check out our main page .

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The essay competition is one of the various programs conducted by the John Locke Institute (JLI) every year apart from their summer and gap year courses. To understand the philosophy behind this competition, it’ll help if we take a quick detour to know more about the institute that conducts it.

Founded in 2011, JLI is an educational organization that runs summer and gap year courses in the humanities and social sciences for high school students. These courses are primarily taught by academics from Oxford and Princeton along with some other universities. The organization was founded by Martin Cox. Our Lumiere founder, Stephen, has met Martin and had a very positive experience. Martin clearly cares about academic rigor.

The institute's core belief is that the ability to evaluate the merit of information and develop articulate sound judgments is more important than merely consuming information. The essay competition is an extension of the institute - pushing students to reason through complex questions in seven subject areas namely Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

The organization also seems to have a strong record of admissions of alumni to the top colleges in the US and UK. For instance, between 2011 and 2022, over half of John Locke alumni have gone on to one of eight colleges: Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

How prestigious is the John Locke Contest?

The John Locke Contest is a rigorous and selective writing competition in the social sciences and humanities. While it is not as selective as the Concord Review and has a much broader range of students who can receive prizes, it is still considered a highly competitive program.

Winning a John Locke essay contest will have clear benefits for you in your application process to universities and would reflect well on your application. On the other hand, a shortlist or a commendation might not have a huge impact given that it is awarded to many students (more on this later).

What is the eligibility for the contest?

Students, of any country, who are 18 years old or younger before the date of submission can submit. They also have a junior category for students who are fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline.

Who SHOULD consider this competition?

We recommend this competition for students who are interested in social sciences and humanities, in particular philosophy, politics, and economics. It is also a good fit for students who enjoy writing, want to dive deep into critical reasoning, and have some flair in their writing approach (more on that below).

While STEM students can of course compete, they will have to approach the topics through a social science lens. For example, in 2021, one of the prompts in the division of philosophy was, ‘Are there subjects about which we should not even ask questions?’ Here, students of biology can comfortably write about topics revolving around cloning, gene alteration, etc, however, they will have to make sure that they are able to ground this in the theoretical background of scientific ethics and ethical philosophy in general.

Additional logistics

Each essay should address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration).

If you are using an in-text-based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

You can submit as many essays as you want in any and all categories. (We recommend aiming for only one given how time-consuming it can be to come up with a single good-quality submission)

Important dates

Prompts for the 2023 competition will be released in January 2023. Your submission will be due around 6 months later in June. Shortlisted candidates will be notified in mid-July which will be followed by the final award ceremony in September.

How much does it cost to take part?

What do you win?

A scholarship that will offset the cost of attending a course at the JLI. The amount will vary between $2000 and $10,000 based on whether you are a grand prize winner (best essay across all categories) or a subject category winner. (JLI programs are steeply-priced and even getting a prize in your category would not cover the entire cost of your program. While the website does not mention the cost of the upcoming summer program, a different website mentions it to be 3,000 GBP or 3600 USD)

If you were shortlisted, most probably, you will also receive a commendation certificate and an invitation to attend an academic ceremony at Oxford. However, even here, you will have to foot the bill for attending the conference, which can be a significant one if you are an international student.

How do you submit your entry?

You submit your entry through the website portal that will show up once the prompts for the next competition are up in January! You have to submit your essay in pdf format where the title of the pdf attachment should read SURNAME, First Name, Category, and Question Number (e.g. POPHAM, Alexander, Psychology, Q2).

What are the essay prompts like?

We have three insights here.

Firstly, true to the spirit of the enlightenment thinker it is named after, most of the prompts have a philosophical bent and cover ethical, social, and political themes. In line with JLI’s general philosophy, they force you to think hard and deeply about the topics they cover. Consider a few examples to understand this better:

“Are you more moral than most people you know? How do you know? Should you strive to be more moral? Why or why not?” - Philosophy, 2021

“What are the most important economic effects - good and bad - of forced redistribution? How should this inform government policy?” - Economics, 2020

“Why did the Jesus of Nazareth reserve his strongest condemnation for the self-righteous?” - Theology, 2021

“Should we judge those from the past by the standards of today? How will historians in the future judge us?” - History, 2021

Secondly, at Lumiere, our analysis is that most of these prompts are ‘deceptively rigorous’ because the complexity of the topic reveals itself gradually. The topics do not give you a lot to work with and it is only when you delve deeper into one that you realize the extent to which you need to research/read more. In some of the topics, you are compelled to define the limits of the prompt yourself and in turn, the scope of your essay. This can be a challenging exercise. Allow me to illustrate this with an example of the 2019 philosophy prompt.

“Aristotelian virtue ethics achieved something of a resurgence in the twentieth century. Was this progress or retrogression?”

Here you are supposed to develop your own method for determining what exactly constitutes progress in ethical thought. This in turn involves familiarizing yourself with existing benchmarks of measurement and developing your own method if required. This is a significant intellectual exercise.

Finally, a lot of the topics are on issues of contemporary relevance and especially on issues that are contentious . For instance, in 2019, one of the prompts for economics was about the benefits and costs of immigration whereas the 2020 essay prompt for theology was about whether Islam is a religion of peace . As we explain later, your ‘opinion’ here can be as ‘outrageous’ as you want it to be as long as you are able to back it up with reasonable arguments. Remember, the JLI website clearly declares itself to be, ‘ not a safe space, but a courteous one ’.

How competitive is the JLI Essay Competition?

In 2021, the competition received 4000 entries from 101 countries. Given that there is only one prize winner from each category, this makes this a very competitive opportunity. However, because categories have a different number of applicants, some categories are more competitive than others. One strategy to win could be to focus on fields with fewer submissions like Theology.

There are also a relatively significant number of students who receive commendations called “high commendation.” In the psychology field, for example, about 80 students received a commendation in 2022. At the same time, keep in mind that the number of students shortlisted and invited to Oxford for an academic conference is fairly high and varies by subject. For instance, Theology had around 50 people shortlisted in 2021 whereas Economics had 238 . We, at Lumiere, estimate that approximately 10% of entries of each category make it to the shortlisting stage.

How will your essay be judged?

The essays will be judged on your understanding of the discipline, quality of argumentation and evidence, and writing style. Let’s look at excerpts from various winning essays to see what this looks like in practice.

Level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material: Differentiating your essay from casual musing requires you to demonstrate knowledge of your discipline. One way to do that is by establishing familiarity with relevant literature and integrating it well into their essay. The winning essay of the 2020 Psychology Prize is a good example of how to do this: “People not only interpret facts in a self-serving way when it comes to their health and well-being; research also demonstrates that we engage in motivated reasoning if the facts challenge our personal beliefs, and essentially, our moral valuation and present understanding of the world. For example, Ditto and Liu showed a link between people’s assessment of facts and their moral convictions” By talking about motivated reasoning in the broader literature, the author can show they are well-versed in the important developments in the field.

Competent use of evidence: In your essay, there are different ways to use evidence effectively. One such way involves backing your argument with results from previous studies . The 2020 Third Place essay in economics shows us what this looks like in practice: “Moreover, this can even be extended to PTSD, where an investigation carried out by Italian doctor G. P. Fichera, led to the conclusion that 13% of the sampling units were likely to have this condition. Initiating economic analysis here, this illustrates that the cost of embarking on this unlawful activity, given the monumental repercussions if caught, is not equal to the costs to society...” The study by G.P. Fichera is used to strengthen the author’s claim on the social costs of crime and give it more weight.

Structure, writing style, and persuasive force: A good argument that is persuasive rarely involves merely backing your claim with good evidence and reasoning. Delivering it in an impactful way is also very important. Let’s see how the winner of the 2020 Law Prize does this: “Slavery still exists, but now it applies to women and its name in prostitution”, wrote Victor Hugo in Les Misérables. Hugo’s portrayal of Fantine under the archetype of a fallen woman forced into prostitution by the most unfortunate of circumstances cannot be more jarringly different from the empowerment-seeking sex workers seen today, highlighting the wide-ranging nuances associated with commercial sex and its implications on the women in the trade. Yet, would Hugo have supported a law prohibiting the selling of sex for the protection of Fantine’s rights?” The use of Victor Hugo in the first line of the essay gives it a literary flair and enhances the impact of the delivery of the argument. Similarly, the rhetorical question, in the end, adds to the literary dimension of the argument. Weaving literary and argumentative skills in a single essay is commendable and something that the institute also recognizes.

Quality of argumentation: Finally, the quality of your argument depends on capturing the various elements mentioned above seamlessly . The third place in theology (2020) does this elegantly while describing bin-Laden’s faulty and selective use of religious verses to commit violence: “He engages in the decontextualization and truncation of Qur'anic verses to manipulate and convince, which dissociates the fatwas from bonafide Islam. For example, in his 1996 fatwa, he quotes the Sword verse but deliberately omits the aforementioned half of the Ayat that calls for mercy. bin-Laden’s intention is not interpretive veracity, but the indoctrination of his followers.” The author’s claim is that bin-Laden lacks religious integrity and thus should not be taken seriously, especially given the content of his messages. To strengthen his argument, he uses actual incidents to dissect this display of faulty reasoning.

These excerpts are great examples of the kind of work you should keep in mind when writing your own draft.

6 Winning Tips from Lumiere

Focus on your essay structure and flow: If logic and argumentation are your guns in this competition, a smooth flow is your bullet. What does a smooth flow mean? It means that the reader should be able to follow your chain of reasoning with ease. This is especially true for essays that explore abstract themes. Let’s see this in detail with the example of a winning philosophy essay. “However, if society were the moral standard, an individual is subjected to circumstantial moral luck concerning whether the rules of the society are good or evil (e.g., 2019 Geneva vs. 1939 Munich). On the other hand, contracts cannot be the standard because people are ignorant of their being under a moral contractual obligation, when, unlike law, it is impossible to be under a contract without being aware. Thus, given the shortcomings of other alternatives, human virtue is the ideal moral norm.” To establish human virtue as the ideal norm, the author points out limitations in society and contracts, leaving out human virtue as the ideal one. Even if you are not familiar with philosophy, you might still be able to follow the reasoning here. This is a great example of the kind of clarity and logical coherence that you should strive for.

Ground your arguments in a solid theoretical framework : Your essay requires you to have well-developed arguments. However, these arguments need to be grounded in academic theory to give them substance and differentiate them from casual opinions. Let me illustrate this with an example of the essay that won second place in the politics category in 2020. “Normatively, the moral authority of governments can be justified on a purely associative basis: citizens have an inherent obligation to obey the state they were born into. As Dworkin argued, “Political association, like family or friendship and other forms of association more local and intimate, is itself pregnant of obligation” (Dworkin). Similar to a family unit where children owe duties to their parents by virtue of being born into that family regardless of their consent, citizens acquire obligations to obey political authority by virtue of being born into a state.” Here, the author is trying to make a point about the nature of political obligation. However, the core of his argument is not the strength of his own reasoning, but the ability to back his reasoning with prior literature. By quoting Dworkin, he includes important scholars of western political thought to give more weight to his arguments. It also displays thorough research on the part of the author to acquire the necessary intellectual tools to write this paper.

The methodology is more important than the conclusion: The 2020 history winners came to opposite conclusions in their essays on whether a strong state hampers or encourages economic growth. While one of them argued that political strength hinders growth when compared to laissez-faire, the other argues that the state is a prerequisite for economic growth . This reflects JLI’s commitment to your reasoning and substantiation instead of the ultimate opinion. The lesson: Don’t be afraid to be bold! Just make sure you are able to back it up.

Establish your framework well: A paragraph (or two) that is able to succinctly describe your methodology, core arguments, and the reasoning behind them displays academic sophistication. A case in point is the introduction of 2019’s Philosophy winner: “To answer the question, we need to construct a method that measures progress in philosophy. I seek to achieve this by asserting that, in philosophy, a certain degree of falsification is achievable. Utilizing philosophical inquiry and thought experiments, we can rationally assess the logical validity of theories and assign “true” and “false” status to philosophical thoughts. With this in mind, I propose to employ the fourth process of the Popperian model of progress…Utilizing these two conditions, I contend that Aristotelian virtue ethics was progress from Kantian ethics and utilitarianism.” Having a framework like this early on gives you a blueprint for what is in the essay and makes it easier for the reader to follow the reasoning. It also helps you as a writer since distilling down your core argument into a paragraph ensures that the first principles of your essay are well established.

Read essays of previous winners: Do this and you will start seeing some patterns in the winning essays. In economics, this might be the ability to present a multidimensional argument and substantiating it with data-backed research. In theology, this might be your critical analysis of religious texts .

Find a mentor: Philosophical logic and argumentation are rarely taught at the high school level. Guidance from an external mentor can fill this academic void by pointing out logical inconsistencies in your arguments and giving critical feedback on your essay. Another important benefit of having a mentor is that it will help you in understanding the heavy literature that is often a key part of the writing/research process in this competition. As we have already seen above, having a strong theoretical framework is crucial in this competition. A mentor can make this process smoother.

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re looking for a mentor to do an essay contest like John Locke or want to build your own independent research paper, then consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program . Last year over 2100 students applied for about 500 spots in the program. You can find the application form here.

You can see our admission results here for our students.

Manas is a publication strategy associate at Lumiere Education. He studied public policy and interactive media at NYU and has experience in education consulting.

Jesus loves you!

Feeling overwhelmed with academic demands? Don't worry, I've got you covered! I just found a website that provides assistance with research papers. From topic https://www.phdresearchproposal.org/ selection to formatting, they offer comprehensive support throughout the writing process. Say goodbye to academic stress!

Our Services

College Admissions Counseling

UK University Admissions Counseling

EU University Admissions Counseling

College Athletic Recruitment

Crimson Rise: College Prep for Middle Schoolers

Indigo Research: Online Research Opportunities for High Schoolers

Delta Institute: Work Experience Programs For High Schoolers

Graduate School Admissions Counseling

Private Boarding & Day School Admissions

Online Tutoring

Essay Review

Financial Aid & Merit Scholarships

Our Leaders and Counselors

Our Student Success

Crimson Student Alumni

Our Reviews

Our Scholarships

Careers at Crimson

University Profiles

US College Admissions Calculator

GPA Calculator

Practice Standardized Tests

SAT Practice Test

ACT Practice Tests

Personal Essay Topic Generator

eBooks and Infographics

Crimson YouTube Channel

Summer Apply - Best Summer Programs

Top of the Class Podcast

ACCEPTED! Book by Jamie Beaton

Crimson Global Academy

+1 (646) 419-3178

A Complete Guide To ✨The John Locke Essay Competition✨

Join our exclusive info session if want to find out more about the john locke competition and what it takes to enter an award-winning essay. session 1: 5 pm (gmt-0) feb 24th session 2: 3 am (gmt-0) feb 25th, are you ready to make a mark in the prestigious john locke essay competition.

Join us for an exclusive information session that unveils the secrets to success in this renowned competition.

During this enlightening info session, you will:

📚 Discover what the John Locke Essay Competition is all about and why it's a golden opportunity for aspiring writers.

🎓 Uncover the winning strategies and techniques to ace the competition and stand out from the crowd.

🌐 Engage with experts who have excelled in the competition and get valuable tips on crafting an impressive essay.

🤝 Q&A…and so much more!

The John Locke Essay Competition is your gateway to excellence, and we invite you to a special information session to guide you on the path to success!

Register today, and receive a special GIFT for attending the webinar!

Fill in your details below to sign up for the event.

I agree to the privacy policy

I want to receive study pathways, free resources and admissions guidance from Crimson Education Group.

Who should join?

Ambitious students

who aims for top universities

Session 1: 5 PM (GMT-0) Feb 24th

Session 2: 3 AM (GMT-0) Feb 25th

Online via Zoom

(aka anywhere!)

Meet the Speaker

Benjamin Goldstein

A Fulbright Scholar, a graduate of Oxford, Columbia, and Cambridge
A former head coach for the Concord Review history journal
Has personally overseen essay submissions by many past John Locke winners
Extensively working with hundreds of students over the past five years tutoring students in historical research and writing skills

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The John Locke essay competition is a famous, worldwide essay competition. Winners and honorably mentioned individuals in this competition have gone on to Oxford, Princeton, and other Ivy Leagues.

Even getting an honorable mention, not to mention achieving a top 3 spot in the competition, is an incredible addition to your admissions profile, recognized by admissions officers from Harvard to Stanford and beyond as one of the most prestigious achievements possible for a high school student!

Crimson Students’ Success

Every year we celebrate our students’ outstanding results in this highly competitive essay competition. Working with their dedicated mentors, they submit work that has already been shortlisted with numerous student recipients of the major prize(s).

From Law to Economics to History, our students have been shortlisted across numerous categories with a special mention for junior prize winners (Crimson Rise students!) from across the US, Asia, and all over the world.

In 2023, a 35% Global Shortlist Rate in comparison to the global average of < 10% was achieved after taking our most recent John Locke Essay Competition Masterclass!

Ready to join?

Sharpening your writing skills and boosting your chances of success in the john locke essay competition.

John Locke Global Essay Competition (Standard Prize & Junior Prize)

Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford. The judges will choose their favourite essay from each subject category and an overall 'best essay' across seven subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

The Institute awards two separate prizes:

For the standard prize a prize is awarded for the best essay in each category.
For the Junior Prize there is only one winner.

The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior Prize, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute program and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. The prize-giving ceremony takes place in Oxford, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome, subject to capacity constraints.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or gap year courses.

Location(s)

Entries are due no later than June 30

Cost/Compensation

Eligibility requirements.

Students must be 18 or younger
Entries are open to candidates from every country

Application or Entry Requirements

Registration is required, which one can do here.
Essays should address only one of the questions in a chosen subject category but students may submit more than one essay so long as they are in different categories.
Essays must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration).
Essays should be submitted in pdf format, through the website.

Notifications of Decisions

Short-listed contestants announced: July
Junior Prize announced: August
Economics Prize announced: September
Politics Prize and Law Prize announced: September
Philosophy Prize and Theology Prize announced: September
Psychology Prize announced: October

Financial Aid Details

Other dates to keep in mind.

Essay questions released: February

Have other questions?

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. We work to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous. Through our various programs - residential courses, revision seminars, essay competitions, and special events - we inspire students to aim high and we equip them with the skills they need in order to achieve their goals.

2024 John Locke Essay Competition Prompts: The Incredible, Transformative Power of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition

We’ve written about the John Locke Institute Essay Competition (JLIEC) before , discussing the basics of the competition, and how it can improve your chances of college admissions, and shared the success of Ivy-Way students shortlisted for the Junior and regular Essay Competition. In general, the goal of the JLIEC is to encourage “independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style.” For the uninitiated, here’s the breakdown of the basic information:

You can get the latest information and deadlines, submission guidelines, and questions for each subject directly from the JLI’s website .

Given that the JLIEC prompts for 2024 just came out on February 13, 2024, we thought we would revisit the topic in the form of Q&A. We’ve tried not to cover the same ground we’ve covered before so please take a look at our previous post if you still have questions.

Should you consider writing an essay for the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?

If you have any interest in the liberal arts (humanities or social science), especially one of the seven subject categories of the competition (Economics, History, Law, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, and Theology), Ivy-Way counselors often recommend our students to submit an essay to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition . It’s also a great opportunity for anyone who has even a passing interest in writing.

Why? Regardless of whether you receive a commendation, the process of responding to one of the essay prompts will deepen your understanding of the subject and give you practice in writing a research-based argumentative essay (a common college assignment). Besides, the prompts are interesting; you’ll be sure to learn something that’s useful for you personally, and when you are applying to colleges, you may . Most of the students we’ve guided through the process have reported that it was an incredible, transformative experience . They felt like they became better writers and more critical thinkers as a result.

What are the prompts like?

All of the prompts have something of a philosophical bent (not just the philosophy prompts). They challenge you to apply concepts from different fields to analyze contemporary and hypothetical scenarios. Take a look at this sample from the 2023 prompts to see what we mean:

“A government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. Suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank? What would be the advantages and/or disadvantages?” Economics-1
“In what sense are you the same person today that you were when you were ten?” Philosophy-2
“Which characteristics distinguish successful movements for social change from unsuccessful ones?” History-3
“If China becomes the leading superpower, what would that mean for the people who live there? What would it mean for everyone else?” Politics-2

What are the prompts for 2024?

What is the optimal global population?
Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?
Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?
Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?
Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?
Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?
When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?
In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?
Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?
Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?
Do girls have a right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?
Should I be held responsible for what I believe?
Is there such a thing as too much democracy?
Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?
When is compliance complicity?
According to a study by four British universities, for each 16-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by 35% for a man but decreases by 40% for a woman. Why?
There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?
What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?
“I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?
Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?
Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

Junior Prize

Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?
Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?
Is there life after death?
How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise?
When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?
Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies?

How do you get started?

First, you’ll want to start by researching the topic and critically evaluating different viewpoints before constructing your own argument. The prompts don’t give you much to work with. In most cases, you’ll have to define some terms and set the limits of the scope of the argument you want to make. You’ll need to use evidence to support your plans, and students often find a writing research mentor at Ivy-Way to help them choose the best prompt and brainstorm the evidence.

Taking the economics prompt above–about government funding through money creation rather than taxation–as an example, you could start with an overview of monetary policy and the role of central banks in managing a country’s money supply. Then you need to present both advantages and disadvantages: the benefits of economic stimulus by avoiding direct taxation against the long-term risks of inflation and potential laws of confidence in the currency. You could use historical examples and economic theories to support your analysis.

Second, you’ll also need to consider potential counter-arguments. Using the philosophy prompt above about the continuity of the self, you might argue that personal identity persists over time through the continuity of consciousness. You are the same person as you were at ten because of your continuous psychological experiences, memories, and sense of self that you can trace back to your younger self. The counterargument is that personal identity is not fixed due to physical changes. Consider the Ship of Theseus argument applied to the human body: cells, tissues, and organs rejuvenate periodically and over a 7 to 10-year period your entire body has completely regenerated. The person you are today differs significantly from who you were at ten due to physical development and biological processes. Dramatic physical changes challenge the notion of a singular, unchanging identity.

Finally, you must ensure your essay is coherent, well-structured, and persuasive. From start to finish the entire task is somewhat complex and probably best done with some help from an experienced advisor.

Where can you find past essay winners?

One of the best ways to prepare to write your own essay is to read past winning essays and use them as “mentor texts” (as the NY Times editors refer to them). Mentor texts are “pieces of literature that you…can return to and reread for many different purposes. They are texts to be studied and imitated…” (the National Writing Project ). The point of mentor texts is to learn the craft your own essay by discovering the moves the writers make and how they effectively make your own argument.

You can find a selection of past essay winners on JLI’s website . There are eight winning essays on that page, from first to third prize from 2021 to 2023, including 2023’s grand prize winner. That’s a fairly limited collection of essays. Here are some other winning essays you can use as mentor texts:

Economics – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “What is the socially efficient level of crime?”

Law – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “Does a law that prohibits the selling of sex protect or infringe women’s rights?”

History – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “How is the modern world different from previous periods of history and why did it come into existence when and where it did?”

Theology – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “Many people have committed acts, execrated and deplored by others, in obedience to sincerely held beliefs. Can we reasonably ask anyone to do better than simply to obey his own conscience?”

Philosophy – 2020 Grand Prize . Prompt: “Is intuition to philosophy as observation is to science?”

Politics – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “American citizens give away more than $300 billion each year in charitable donations. Only a tiny fraction of this (less than 0.001%) is donated to federal, state, and local governments. Politicians claim that they spend taxpayers’ money efficiently, to accomplish the most good with the budgets at their disposal. But if this were true wouldn’t governments be able to compete more successfully with private charities? What are the implications of your answer?”

Psychology – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “Isn’t all reasoning (outside mathematics and formal logic) motivated reasoning?”

Junior Category – 2020 First Prize . Prompt: “Who should own your data? The companies with which you agree to share your data, everybody, just you, or nobody?”

What are some tips for crafting a successful essay?

Read the question/prompt carefully. Make sure you understand what the question is asking and that you address all parts of it.
Demonstrate familiarity with relevant theories. Others have written about the question at hand. Find some authors (through research, of course) that you find particularly convincing or unconvincing.
Figure out what you want to argue and write a thesis. You are writing to convince the reader. Keep that reader in mind throughout.
Use evidence effectively. You’ll need to show how you arrived at your claim from the evidence you examined. Evidence may include quotations, paraphrasing, data, graphs, or primary sources. It’s not enough just to state some evidence: you’ll need to analyze it and explicitly connect it to your claim.
Think of alternative answers to your question and anticipate objections. Offering and analyzing evidence that supports your thesis isn’t enough. You need to consider the arguments that readers can raise to challenge your thesis and explain why your argument is stronger than the alternatives.
Make sure your essay has a clear logical flow. When you have strong clear paragraphs, you guide the reader through your argument by showing how each point fits to your thesis.
End with a conclusion. The form of the conclusion varies depending on the nature of the essay you’ve written. But in general, you should conclude by stating “what” you have said, explaining the “so what” (why the reader should care), and end with the “now what,” some insight or new way to understand the question that results from reading your essay.

Take a look at Lumiere’s excellent article for additional tips along with illustrative examples. Their writing tips include: focusing on essay structure, grounding arguments in theory, being bold in conclusions, and seeking mentorship for guidance in logic and argumentation.

How competitive is it? To what extent can the JLIEC boost my chances of college admissions?

It’s fairly competitive. Each year 1,000s of entries are submitted from over 100 countries. About 10% of essays for each category are shortlisted and considered for a prize. Shortlisted candidates are also invited to Oxford for the award ceremony. There are three prizes for each of the seven categories one of which is chosen as the overall best essay, so 21 prizes not counting the junior category winners.

That being said, some subjects are more popular and receive more submissions. In 21, Theology had about 50 people on the shortlist while Economics had over 200 . So one strategy might be to submit for a category that has fewer entries. However, given how long it takes to research and write one of these essays (weeks at least), you might be better off just choosing a topic that genuinely interests you.

Recent winners of the grand prize have gone to essays in Philosophy (2023), Economics (2022), Law (2021), Philosophy (2020), and Economics (2019).

As to how much of a boost it gives your college application, it will certainly demonstrate your abilities to conduct research, engage with complex ideas, and articulate a well-reasoned argument. All of these are considered valuable by admissions officers at elite universities. Over half of the John Locke alumni enrolled in just eight universities: Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

Final Thoughts

The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is a great opportunity for you to practice your research and writing skills and gain some insight into a subject that you’re interested in. It also has the potential to help you develop as a critical thinker and demonstrate your curiosity and creativity. And, of course, it will make your college application stronger.

If you’re looking for a mentor for the John Locke competition or want to do your own independent research, consider applying to Ivy-Way’s Research Mentor Program.

Harvard College Writing Center, “Strategies for Essay Writing”

Manas Pant, “The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition,” Lumiere Education.

Dr. R.J. is a writer, editor, teacher, and academic coach & consultant. He's a devotee of speculative fiction, especially stories involving spaceships, robots, time travel, and/or laser swords. He currently works at Ivy-Way Academy helping students achieve their full academic potential.

John Locke Essay Competition Guide

This manual is for high school students who want to enter the John Locke Essay Competition but are unsure of where to begin.

Do you want to improve your chances of getting into a top-tier university? Schedule your consultation with Tokyo Academics today!

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The John Locke Institute, a non-profit institution of higher learning with offices in Oxford, UK, hosts the John Locke Essay Competition. The John Locke Institute employs professors from prominent institutions like Oxford, Princeton, Brown, and Buckingham University.

Young people are urged by the John Locke Institute to develop the qualities of great authors, including independence of thought, breadth of knowledge, clarity of reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasiveness. Students are pushed to investigate a variety of issues outside the scope of their academic program.

Participants may be students from any country and institution. The tournament has two levels: a high school level for students between the ages of 15 and 18 and a junior prize level for middle school children between the ages of 14 and 13.

What subjects will be covered throughout the competition?

Less than 2000 words must be used in the argumentative essay that students must submit. Philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law are the major themes of the competitions.

The questions for the John Locke Essay Competition for 2021 are:

Q1. What is the likelihood of the multiverse? Would it make a difference if we discovered the theory was correct (somehow)?

Q2. Do we ultimately bear responsibility for our decisions if our capacities and preferences—which in turn are products of our genetic make-up and the environment in which we happen to live—are the causes of our actions?

Q3. Is it right to use the power of the law to extort money from individuals in order to pay philosophers to engage in philosophical discourse?

Q4. If ever, when may actions involving only willing adults be morally wrong?

Q1. Should political donations be permitted?

Q2. If anything, what do wealthy countries owe developing ones?

Q3. Do you believe in the concept of a common good?

Q4. Is it true that a good citizen is also a decent person? Do decent people make good citizens by default?

Q1. Blessing or curse: Bitcoin?

Q2. What’s wrong with the housing market, specifically? How can this be fixed?

Q3. Should Amazon increase employee pay? What would happen if they upped every employee’s pay by 20% right away?

Q4. Is the land value tax proposed by Henry George just, effective, both, or neither?

Q1. Did the British empire have any positive aspects?

Q2. Does China have an imperial past?

Q3. Has Western civilization been slipping away?

Q4. Do events create leaders, or do leaders create events?

Q1. Do humans become nastier over time?

Q2. Is there a psychological difference between males and women? Is it important?

Q3. Are there any mental illnesses that don’t end up being physical?

Q4. Is it rational to despise someone for their opinions?

Q1. Why would God be so vague?

Q2: “A primitive human’s conception of a tremendous entity is the God of the Bible and the Koran… However, a really ultimate deity would not behave in such a way.” Is it a holy book with evidence of divine authorship?

Q3. And your faith is worthless if Christ has not been risen, according to question three. Is it possible to be a Christian without acknowledging Jesus’ extraordinary resurrection?

Q4. Is faith anything more than an unsure belief based on scant evidence?

Q1. Does prison work?

Q2. “People who serve on juries are uninformed, prejudiced, and not shrewd enough to escape jury duty.” Should Trial by Jury be eliminated?

Q3. Should “hate crimes” receive harsher penalties than similar crimes with different motivations?

Q4: How do justice and the law relate to one another?

JUNIOR award (for age 14 and younger)

Q1. Which existential peril are people underestimating?

Q2. What age should be required for consent for permanent sex reassignment surgery?

Q3. How valuable were the lockdowns?

Q4: What does it mean to be equal to others?

Q5. If there were a 100% inheritance tax, what would happen?

Q6. Which era and location would you visit on your next vacation if you could go back in time? How would you get ready for your journey? What difficulties would you encounter over the first 24 hours and how would you handle them?

Q7. Should it be okay to give away some products but prohibited to sell others?

Which student skills are evaluated by the John Locke Essay Competition?

Basic knowledge of ideas and principles in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, or the law
Mastery of fundamental writing structures and expertise in argumentative essay writing
Autonomous thought, logical analysis techniques, and written persuasion

What is the argumentative essay’s basic organization?

An argumentative essay differs from other sorts in that it needs to have a simple, understandable structure, as well as a strong point of view and supporting evidence. We’ll use an essay from the John Locke Essay Competition in 2020 that won first place in the junior category as an example. The prompt was “Who should own your data? Whichever businesses you choose to share your data with, everyone, just you, or nobody?” You can access the essay’s link here .

An effective argumentative essay should have the following format:

Introductory paragraph:

This paragraph should give a general overview of the subject under debate and provide background information relevant to your argument.

Today, we produce unfathomable amounts of data, leading the OECD to call data a “key pillar of 21st-century growth.”[1] Legislators, politicians and the popular press have increasingly called for ownership of data.[2]

Describe the discussion’s focus and provide background data on data ownership.

Ownership is generally defined as “full and complete control with recognised legal rights,” with legal discretion for the rightsholder to exploit, change, destroy, possess, exclude others from and transfer their property.[3] An ownership right for personal data does not currently exist in the legal statutes of any industrialized country.[4] Property laws intentionally exclude personal data from subject matter definitions and newly introduced regulatory frameworks do not specify data ownership.[5] [6]

Give a broad definition of the topic. The definition of ownership and the issue of data ownership that is not addressed by the ownership rule are covered by the author in this paragraph.

The thesis statement:

Here, students should state their position and the supporting evidence they will use to support it. The major arguments that will be covered in the body paragraphs should be introduced in the thesis statement, which should be a succinct exposition of your main point.

In 1893, Sir William Blackstone noted the human fascination with ownership, saying we desire “sole and despotic dominion … in total exclusion of rights of other individuals in the universe.”[7] In this case, that fascination detracts from the problems and solutions surrounding personal data today. An ownership right should not be created for data. To illustrate this, I shall explore the implications of assigning a data ownership right to corporations, everybody, individuals and then discuss why data should not be owned at all.

Give your opinion on the subject and the first supporting piece of evidence. In response to the question of who should own the data, the author said that data shouldn’t be held by businesses, people, or anybody else, as he detailed later in the body paragraph.

Body paragraph:

A body paragraph explains the primary arguments supporting your thesis. If you want to focus on three primary ideas, only one notion should be included in each body paragraph. To increase credibility and win readers’ trust, you can back up your arguments using examples, research, studies, statistics, and any other data. You can also raise competing arguments in the body paragraphs and explain why you disagree with them. The main goal of the argument is to express your viewpoint, justify the reader’s acceptance of it, and support any contrary claims with solid evidence.

The student offered four primary justifications in the winning essay for why businesses, people, and everyone else shouldn’t own data. He also talked about the effects of these entities owning the data.

Conclusion :

In conclusion, you should restate your thesis and summarize your points. The hardest part of writing a conclusion is making it personal by inserting an anecdote or a personal experience that relates to the subject.

Today, policy makers must strike a balance between individual rights and extracting societal benefits of data. It is the subject of age-old philosophical debate; whether to prioritize a categorical imperative of privacy at the expense of utilitarian societal progress. Assigning data ownership to a single party means choosing a side, one side will inevitably lose out – sacrificing progress or privacy. Thankfully, reality does not reflect this simplistic trade-off. Ergo, legislators must continue to push for a sector-specific rights-based regulatory framework to complement existing efforts and forgo the need to legislate through assigning data ownership. Therefore, I believe, data should remain as is, res nullius – “property of no one.”

This is an excellent example of a conclusion because the author reiterates his original thesis—that data shouldn’t be held by anyone—as well as what would happen if you gave people control of their data.

What are the John Locke Essay Competition’s awards?

Each subject category winner will get a scholarship for any John Locke Institute program worth $2000 (US dollars) as part of their prize.
The author of the overall winning essay will receive a scholarship of $10,000 (USD) to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or gap year programs.
The essays will be posted online by the Institute.
Networking possibilities with judges and other John Locke Institute professors.

Each year, hundreds of students compete in the prestigious John Locke Essay Competition. If you plan to be part of them, we highly recommend you find out more about our Essay Counseling program by clicking here . We have specialized tutors who can help you write a compelling essay. Schedule your free trial now !

Graders Needed for Essay Competition

The John Locke Institute is seeking final-year undergraduate and graduate students who might be interested in becoming graders of our Essay Competition for appropriate remuneration.

The globally renowned John Locke Institute annual essay competition covers topics in the categories of Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Theology, and Psychology. Free to enter, the competition attracts entries from students of 14 to 18 years old from all over the world. Since its launch, it has been growing apace. Last year, we received about 7,400 entries from students with the widest possible range of socioeconomic backgrounds from over 100 countries.

For most participants, the competition provides their first opportunity to research, write and have graded a university-style essay that makes an original argument. The experience motivates many of them to raise their sights to institutions of learning of the highest quality – such as the Ivy League in the USA, and Oxbridge in the UK – that they would otherwise have not considered.

Submitted essays are graded in the first instance by academically talented graduates and final-year undergraduates, before the very best of them are sent to Professors in the relevant disciplines for final marking and the selection of prize-winners.

The three questions in the Economics category for which we are looking for graders are as follows.

Q1 . A government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. Suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank? What would be the advantages and/or disadvantages?

Q2 . In his thought experiment, the Iowa Car Crop, David Friedman tries to show that growing wheat is, in an important sense, just another ‘technology’ we can use for manufacturing cars, and in some circumstances a much more efficient one.

If international trade is thus a way of using less valuable inputs to produce more valuable outputs, why would governments impose trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas, thereby forcing producers to be more wasteful and less efficient?

Q3 . What would happen if we banned billionaires?

The grading work will be intense, interesting and satisfying, and begin on July 1, to be completed in about two weeks . Graders have flexibility regarding their hours and speed at which they work.

Essays are up to 2000 words long and need only be given a numerical grade. We will pay $2 per essay and require a commitment to grade 500 essays (or more only if the grader wishes to do more). A grader who has hit his or her stride should be able to make at least $25 an hour.

Further details and examples of previous years’ questions can be viewed on our website .

Interested final-year undergraduate and graduate students should email [email protected] to declare their interest and obtain further details.

1022 International Affairs Building (IAB)

Mail Code 3308

420 West 118th Street

New York, NY 10027

+1 (603) 932 7897

[email protected].

John Locke Essay Competition Prep

Grade 6-12 international or domestic students studying in the U.S or overseas

John Locke Essay Competition

One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)

Class Introduction

The John Locke Essay Competition Prep course has 8 different sections: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, law and junior prize tailored to student’s needs. Each session will assist students with writing an essay in response to one question in the list provided by the Institute.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics of great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. Students are challenged to explore various questions beyond their school’s curriculum. Previous years, our students were successfully shortlisted, earned High Commendation awards, Third Prizes and Grand Prizes in John Locke Essay Competition.

This course is designed to help high school students hone their writing skills and prepare for the prestigious John Locke Essay Competition. The competition challenges students to think critically and write a compelling essay on a topic related to philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Throughout this course, students will learn how to analyze and evaluate complex philosophical and political ideas, develop their research and writing skills, and craft a well-supported and well-written argumentative essay.

Our experienced teachers will guide students through brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, and revising their essays. They will provide personalized feedback and suggestions to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. By the end of the course, students will have the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to produce a high-quality essay that meets the John Locke Essay Competition requirements. They will also be better equipped to engage with complex philosophical and political ideas and articulate their thoughts effectively in writing.

John Locke Essay Competition Prep Program

Receive personalized feedback and suggestions to improve their writing and critical thinking skills.
Gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to produce a high-quality essay.
Be better prepared for the John Locke Essay Competition and other similar academic pursuits.
Understand and analyze complex ideas effectively.

Class Sessions

Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email.

Need to prepare?

To best prepare for this program, we recommend reading:

Complete Guide to John Locke Essay Competition 2024

2024 Spring Group Classes: Open for Registration

National Spanish Exam Preparation

National Mythology Exam Preparation

Building A Photography Portfolio

Latin Level 2

Advanced Academic Writing

Shakespeare Literature

National Personal Finance Challenge

National Roman Civilization Exam Preparation Program

National Economics Challenge Prep

Intro to Investment – Focus on Crypto Currency

Aralia Education is an innovative online education platform for ambitious middle and high school students worldwide. Aralia’s instructors propel students forward by helping them build a strong foundation in traditional academic courses. They also actively engage and guide students in exploring personal interests beyond their school curriculum. With this holistic approach, Aralia ensures its students are well-prepared for college and equipped for success in their future careers.

College Accelerator Program
Comprehensive Introduction to High School
Academic Empowerment Program
Test Preparation Bootcamp
Private Lessons
Student Awards
Competitions

Give us a call: +1 (603) 932 7897

Email us: [email protected]

Add us on WhatsApp:

Spring & Summer 2024 Admissions Open Now. Sign up for upcoming live information sessions here .

Discourse, debate, and analysis

Cambridge re:think essay competition 2024.

Competition Opens: 15th January, 2024

Essay Submission Deadline: 10th May, 2024 Result Announcement: 20th June, 2024 Award Ceremony and Dinner at the University of Cambridge: 30th July, 2024

We welcome talented high school students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Entry to the competition is free.

About the Competition

The spirit of the Re:think essay competition is to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The competition covers a diverse array of subjects, from historical and present issues to speculative future scenarios. Participants are invited to engage deeply with these topics, critically analysing their various facets and implications. It promotes intellectual exploration and encourages participants to challenge established norms and beliefs, presenting opportunities to envision alternative futures, consider the consequences of new technologies, and reevaluate longstanding traditions.

Ultimately, our aim is to create a platform for students and scholars to share their perspectives on pressing issues of the past and future, with the hope of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s competition aims to underscore the importance of discourse, debate, and critical analysis in addressing complex societal issues in nine areas, including:

Religion and Politics

Political science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, biotechonology.

Artificial Intelligence

Neuroengineering

2024 essay prompts.

This year, the essay prompts are contributed by distinguished professors from Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT.

Essay Guidelines and Judging Criteria

Review general guidelines, format guidelines, eligibility, judging criteria.

Awards and Award Ceremony

Award winners will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony and Dinner hosted at the King’s College, University of Cambridge. The Dinner is free of charge for select award recipients.

Registration and Submission

Advisory Committee and Judging Panel

The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition is guided by an esteemed Advisory Committee comprising distinguished academics and experts from elite universities worldwide. These committee members, drawn from prestigious institutions, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT, bring diverse expertise in various disciplines.

They play a pivotal role in shaping the competition, contributing their insights to curate the themes and framework. Their collective knowledge and scholarly guidance ensure the competition’s relevance, academic rigour, and intellectual depth, setting the stage for aspiring minds to engage with thought-provoking topics and ideas.

We are honoured to invite the following distinguished professors to contribute to this year’s competition.

The judging panel of the competition comprises leading researchers and professors from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, engaging in a strictly double blind review process.

Keynote Speeches by 8 Nobel Laureates

We are beyond excited to announce that multiple Nobel laureates have confirmed to attend and speak at this year’s ceremony on 30th July, 2024 .

They will each be delivering a keynote speech to the attendees. Some of them distinguished speakers will speak virtually, while others will attend and present in person and attend the Reception at Cambridge.

Why has religion remained a force in a secular world?

Professor Commentary:

Arguably, the developed world has become more secular in the last century or so. The influence of Christianity, e.g. has diminished and people’s life worlds are less shaped by faith and allegiance to Churches. Conversely, arguments have persisted that hold that we live in a post-secular world. After all, religion – be it in terms of faith, transcendence, or meaning – may be seen as an alternative to a disenchanted world ruled by entirely profane criteria such as economic rationality, progressivism, or science. Is the revival of religion a pale reminder of a by-gone past or does it provide sources of hope for the future?

‘Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Jürgen Habermas (European Journal of Philosophy, 2006)

In this paper, philosopher Jürgen Habermas discusses the limits of church-state separation, emphasizing the significant contribution of religion to public discourse when translated into publicly accessible reasons.

‘Public Religions in the Modern World’ by José Casanova (University Of Chicago Press, 1994)

Sociologist José Casanova explores the global emergence of public religion, analyzing case studies from Catholicism and Protestantism in Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the USA, challenging traditional theories of secularization.

‘The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Judith Butler, Jürgen Habermas, Charles Taylor, and Cornel West (Edited by Eduardo Mendieta and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Columbia University Press, 2011)

This collection features dialogues by prominent intellectuals on the role of religion in the public sphere, examining various approaches and their impacts on cultural, social, and political debates.

‘Rethinking Secularism’ by Craig Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Jonathan VanAntwerpen (Oxford University Press, 2011)

An interdisciplinary examination of secularism, this book challenges traditional views, highlighting the complex relationship between religion and secularism in contemporary global politics.

‘God is Back: How the Global Rise of Faith is Changing the World’ by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge (Penguin, 2010)

Micklethwait and Wooldridge argue for the coexistence of religion and modernity, suggesting that religious beliefs can contribute to a more open, tolerant, and peaceful modern world.

‘Multiculturalism’ by Tariq Modood (Polity Press, 2013)

Sociologist Tariq Modood emphasizes the importance of multiculturalism in integrating diverse identities, particularly in post-immigration contexts, and its role in shaping democratic citizenship.

‘God’s Agents: Biblical Publicity in Contemporary England’ by Matthew Engelke (University of California Press, 2013)

In this ethnographic study, Matthew Engelke explores how a group in England seeks to expand the role of religion in the public sphere, challenging perceptions of religion in post-secular England.

Ccir Essay Competition Prompt Contributed By Dr Mashail Malik

Gene therapy is a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem. Is gene therapy better than traditional medicines? What are the pros and cons of using gene therapy as a medicine? Is gene therapy justifiable?

Especially after Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, gene therapy is getting more and more interesting approach to cure. That’s why that could be interesting to think about. I believe that students will enjoy and learn a lot while they are investigating this topic.

Ccir Essay Competition Prompt Contributed By Dr Mamiko Yajima

The Hall at King’s College, Cambridge

The Hall was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s and is considered one of the most magnificent halls of its era. The first High Table dinner in the Hall was held in February 1828, and ever since then, the splendid Hall has been where members of the college eat and where formal dinners have been held for centuries.

The Award Ceremony and Dinner will be held in the Hall in the evening of 30th July, 2024.

Stretching out down to the River Cam, the Back Lawn has one of the most iconic backdrop of King’s College Chapel.

The early evening reception will be hosted on the Back Lawn with the iconic Chapel in the background (weather permitting).

King’s College Chapel

With construction started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build, King’s College Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture.

Attendees are also granted complimentary access to the King’s College Chapel before and during the event.

Confirmed Nobel Laureates

Dr Thomas R. Cech

The nobel prize in chemistry 1989 , for the discovery of catalytic properties of rna.

Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. Cech discovered that RNA could itself cut strands of RNA, suggesting that life might have started as RNA. He found that RNA can not only transmit instructions, but also that it can speed up the necessary reactions.

He also studied telomeres, and his lab discovered an enzyme, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), which is part of the process of restoring telomeres after they are shortened during cell division.

As president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he promoted science education, and he teaches an undergraduate chemistry course at the University of Colorado

Sir Richard J. Roberts

The nobel prize in medicine 1993 .

F or the discovery of split genes

During 1969–1972, Sir Richard J. Roberts did postdoctoral research at Harvard University before moving to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he was hired by James Dewey Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and a fellow Nobel laureate. In this period he also visited the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the first time, working alongside Fred Sanger. In 1977, he published his discovery of RNA splicing. In 1992, he moved to New England Biolabs. The following year, he shared a Nobel Prize with his former colleague at Cold Spring Harbor Phillip Allen Sharp.

His discovery of the alternative splicing of genes, in particular, has had a profound impact on the study and applications of molecular biology. The realisation that individual genes could exist as separate, disconnected segments within longer strands of DNA first arose in his 1977 study of adenovirus, one of the viruses responsible for causing the common cold. Robert’s research in this field resulted in a fundamental shift in our understanding of genetics, and has led to the discovery of split genes in higher organisms, including human beings.

Dr Aaron Ciechanover

The nobel prize in chemistry 2004 .

F or the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation

Aaron Ciechanover is one of Israel’s first Nobel Laureates in science, earning his Nobel Prize in 2004 for his work in ubiquitination. He is honored for playing a central role in the history of Israel and in the history of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Dr Ciechanover is currently a Technion Distinguished Research Professor in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute at the Technion. He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Russian Academy of Sciences and is a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 2008, he was a visiting Distinguished Chair Professor at NCKU, Taiwan. As part of Shenzhen’s 13th Five-Year Plan funding research in emerging technologies and opening “Nobel laureate research labs”, in 2018 he opened the Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen campus.

Dr Robert Lefkowitz

The nobel prize in chemistry 2012 .

F or the discovery of G protein-coupled receptors

Robert Joseph Lefkowitz is an American physician (internist and cardiologist) and biochemist. He is best known for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family G protein-coupled receptors, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Brian Kobilka. He is currently an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as well as a James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Duke University.

Dr Lefkowitz made a remarkable contribution in the mid-1980s when he and his colleagues cloned the gene first for the β-adrenergic receptor, and then rapidly thereafter, for a total of 8 adrenergic receptors (receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline). This led to the seminal discovery that all GPCRs (which include the β-adrenergic receptor) have a very similar molecular structure. The structure is defined by an amino acid sequence which weaves its way back and forth across the plasma membrane seven times. Today we know that about 1,000 receptors in the human body belong to this same family. The importance of this is that all of these receptors use the same basic mechanisms so that pharmaceutical researchers now understand how to effectively target the largest receptor family in the human body. Today, as many as 30 to 50 percent of all prescription drugs are designed to “fit” like keys into the similarly structured locks of Dr Lefkowitz’ receptors—everything from anti-histamines to ulcer drugs to beta blockers that help relieve hypertension, angina and coronary disease.

Dr Lefkowitz is among the most highly cited researchers in the fields of biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical medicine according to Thomson-ISI.

Dr Joachim Frank

The nobel prize in chemistry 2017 .

F or developing cryo-electron microscopy

Joachim Frank is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson. He also made significant contributions to structure and function of the ribosome from bacteria and eukaryotes.

In 1975, Dr Frank was offered a position of senior research scientist in the Division of Laboratories and Research (now Wadsworth Center), New York State Department of Health,where he started working on single-particle approaches in electron microscopy. In 1985 he was appointed associate and then (1986) full professor at the newly formed Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University at Albany, State University of New York. In 1987 and 1994, he went on sabbaticals in Europe, one to work with Richard Henderson, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Medical Research Council in Cambridge and the other as a Humboldt Research Award winner with Kenneth C. Holmes, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. In 1998, Dr Frank was appointed investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Since 2003 he was also lecturer at Columbia University, and he joined Columbia University in 2008 as professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of biological sciences.

Dr Barry C. Barish

The nobel prize in physics 2017 .

For the decisive contributions to the detection of gravitational waves

Dr Barry Clark Barish is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.

In 2017, Barish was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”. He said, “I didn’t know if I would succeed. I was afraid I would fail, but because I tried, I had a breakthrough.”

In 2018, he joined the faculty at University of California, Riverside, becoming the university’s second Nobel Prize winner on the faculty.

In the fall of 2023, he joined Stony Brook University as the inaugural President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics.

In 2023, Dr Barish was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Biden in a White House ceremony.

Dr Harvey J. Alter

The nobel prize in medicine 2020 .

For the discovery of Hepatitis C virus

Dr Harvey J. Alter is an American medical researcher, virologist, physician and Nobel Prize laureate, who is best known for his work that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Alter is the former chief of the infectious disease section and the associate director for research of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. In the mid-1970s, Alter and his research team demonstrated that most post-transfusion hepatitis cases were not due to hepatitis A or hepatitis B viruses. Working independently, Alter and Edward Tabor, a scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, proved through transmission studies in chimpanzees that a new form of hepatitis, initially called “non-A, non-B hepatitis” caused the infections, and that the causative agent was probably a virus. This work eventually led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus in 1988, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020 along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice.

Dr Alter has received recognition for the research leading to the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferred to civilians in United States government public health service, and the 2000 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research.

Dr Ardem Patapoutian

The nobel prize in medicine 2021 .

For discovering how pressure is translated into nerve impulses

Dr Ardem Patapoutian is an Lebanese-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate of Armenian descent. He is known for his work in characterising the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Dr Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with David Julius.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate in the Re:think essay competition?

The Re:think Essay competition is meant to serve as fertile ground for honing writing skills, fostering critical thinking, and refining communication abilities. Winning or participating in reputable contests can lead to recognition, awards, scholarships, or even publication opportunities, elevating your academic profile for college applications and future endeavours. Moreover, these competitions facilitate intellectual growth by encouraging exploration of diverse topics, while also providing networking opportunities and exposure to peers, educators, and professionals. Beyond accolades, they instil confidence, prepare for higher education demands, and often allow you to contribute meaningfully to societal conversations or causes, making an impact with your ideas.

Who is eligible to enter the Re:think essay competition?

As long as you’re currently attending high school, regardless of your location or background, you’re eligible to participate. We welcome students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Is there any entry fee for the competition?

There is no entry fee for the competition. Waiving the entry fee for our essay competition demonstrates CCIR’s dedication to equity. CCIR believes everyone should have an equal chance to participate and showcase their talents, regardless of financial circumstances. Removing this barrier ensures a diverse pool of participants and emphasises merit and creativity over economic capacity, fostering a fair and inclusive environment for all contributors.

Subscribe for Competition Updates

If you are interested to receive latest information and updates of this year’s competition, please sign up here.

An examination of modern faith and our human nature to want to look beyond scientific fact has earned a Westminster pupil a podium place in a prestigious global essay competition

Selected from hundreds of entries to the Theology category of the 2022 John Locke Institute Essay Competition, Chloe (PP, Sixth Form) was awarded third place for her essay, Is Faith Anything Other than Uncertain Belief on Incomplete Evidence? , a study of the emergence of new interpretations of faith in the early twenty-first century. In considering the New Atheist stance that theological beliefs cannot be supported by logical or empirical evidence and are, therefore, meaningless, Chloe explores why such an approach to faith could be deemed as reductionist to a religious believer. She concludes by suggesting that human nature implores us to find meaning beyond simple scientific explanation and, for many, religious faith is essential in providing the foundations to do so.

The John Locke Institute’s annual, global essay competition invites young scholars to show their depth of knowledge and persuasiveness of writing across seven different subjects: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology and law, and gives a chance for work to be read and assessed by experts from the University of Oxford . This year more than 8,000 students entered from across the globe. In the Theology category, Chloe was placed behind only students from Australia and the USA, and across all seven categories just three UK students were placed within the top three.

As a shortlisted essayist, Chloe was invited to attend three days of lectures to debate issues surrounding theology, law and economics at the John Locke Institute, Oxford.

Twitter Post

The defence of faith beyond scientific reasoning explored by Westminster pupil in award-winning essay Selected from hundreds of entries to the Theology category of the 2022 @JohnLockeInst Essay Competition, Chloe (PP, Sixth Form) was awarded third place. https://t.co/aQVDmKPPyv pic.twitter.com/CWPSAK3tNS — Westminster School (@wschool) October 6, 2022

Chloe said of winning third prize: “The news came as a shock to me. I had read the essays of previous winners on the website, all of which were incredible, and I never dreamed that I would be able to produce anything of that level. During the awards ceremony, whilst the judges were announcing the names of people who had received a commendation for their essays, I was shivering all over because I thought they had forgotten about me. I’m still in disbelief.

“As someone who grew up in a largely secular background, I had always wanted to know more about the different and diverse worldviews across the globe. Writing to address a question that required in-depth knowledge about religion thus helped me further my understanding of individual religious communities. Putting academics aside, however, I was aware that the topic I had been exploring was extremely poignant and personal, which made writing it all the more meaningful.

“It took me around a month to research and write the essay. Initially, I had spent a week on my first draft, but afterwards I completely redrafted a second version of the essay where I changed my entire stance.”

Instagram Post

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Westminster School, London (@westminstergram__)

New humans and artificial thought imagined in pupils’ winning university essays

Academic Life

Westminster Francophiles win national debating competition

The School celebrates pupils who have shown dedication to the co-curriculum

Co-Curriculum

Find out when your child is able to join the School using the personalised age checker and timeline.

Westminster School gratefully welcomes donations to support fundraising efforts across the School community.

About Westminster
Policies and Reports
Job Vacancies
News Archive
School Fees
International Applicants

School Life

The Curriculum
The Co-Curriculum
Exam Results and HE
Watch Westminster

Quick Links

Intranet Logins
Legal and Privacy
Old Westminsters
Westminster Under School

Start typing and press enter to search

Coronavirus
Covid-19 In-depth
Navigate Bermuda
RG Fantasy League
Classifieds
Drive For Change
Terms of Service

BHS students win honours in global essay competition

Sienna Spurling learnt about embryonic stem cell research in biology class at the Bermuda High School.

The 14-year-old was intrigued by the controversy. Embryonic stem cells are the building blocks of the body and can become any kind of cell. Scientists want to use them to research a range of diseases but harvesting them kills the embryo.

“There is a global debate with so many different views political, religious, and scientific,” she said. “It is very similar to the abortion debate in that there are opposing pro-life and pro-choice camps.”

Two thousand words on the topic won her a distinction in the prestigious John Locke Institute 2023 Global Essay Competition , based in Oxford, England.

Her classmate, Joy Yammine, also received a distinction in the Under-15 category; 13-year-old Aditi Varwandkar was shortlisted.

Each year 19,000 students from around the world enter the competition; 100 are shortlisted. Three winners are chosen; the top 15 per cent receive distinctions.

Essays were judged on the writer’s understanding of the relevant material, the use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force.

The contest was named for the English philosopher John Locke and asks students 18 and under to ponder questions such as why John Locke is considered the father of liberalism; why safety is more important than fun; and if you had $10 billion, how would you use it to make the world better.

Sienna and Joy wrote in response to the question, what is something important that people are often wrong about?

Joy took a philosophical angle, making her essay about happiness.

“It is something I have been interested in for a while,” she said. “My essay was about how people pursue happiness. Often happiness is looked at as a destination, when it is really a journey. It is not a tangible feeling. You do not know if you have reached happiness.”

The 14-year-old looked at the correlation between money and happiness.

“Beyond the point where all your basic needs are met and you are comfortable with food and shelter, there is no correlation with happiness,” she said. “Money does not make you any more happy.

“In my conclusion, I said that if you want to pursue happiness over a long period of time, you first need to find fulfilment, and contentment.”

Aditi tackled the question what, if anything, do parents owe their children?

“My take on it was that a parent owes their child the best life possible and the tools to succeed in life,” she said.

The teenager discussed central things that children need, such as food, water, clothing, and love. She felt they also needed practice for the real world and tools such as education.

“All children deserve a parent but not all parents deserve a child,” Aditi said. “It’s just about making sure that you’re in the position where you can give your child that better life.”

Their prize was a weekend seminar at Oxford University and admission to a prizegiving reception and gala dinner there.

The girls were scheduled to be in England for the weekend of September 16, but Hurricane Lee intervened, brushing past Bermuda with high waves and power cuts.

“Our flights were pushed back,” said Sienna. “Joy and I arrived a day late.”

That meant they missed the gala dinner and workshops arranged for the Saturday morning.

“At least we got to go to most of the seminars and the main award ceremony on Saturday evening at the Sheldonian Theatre,” Joy said. “That was really great.”

The awards ceremony was very formal.

“They don’t make you walk across the stage to receive your certificate [but] they call your name,” Sienna said. “It is very exciting to see so many people from around the world.”

It was her second time attending after she was shortlisted last year for an essay on taxes.

“We were told we were in the room where students take exams,” Sienna said. “There was a giant clock on the wall. The instructor told us that if we went to Oxford this would be one of the most stressful places for us.”

Seminar topics covered everything from essay writing, to tips on the United Kingdom university application process, to application to Oxford and Cambridge. The winning students also shared their essays.

“Getting into Oxford or Cambridge is not my main goal but that was very interesting,” Sienna said. “There were lots of people at the awards ceremony. It was good that BHS could be represented.”

Students took part in the competition with the help of BHS global politics and history teacher Amy Dingley-Jones.

“I’ve directed students to the John Locke essay prize for the last eight or nine years while working in different countries,” she said.

She added that the competition was a great opportunity for students to explore subjects they were interested in.

“They have to cut it down and structure it in a way that is readable but also different to the other thousands of entries,” Ms Dingley-Jones said. “They also have to give references. It is really impressive that they have been not only shortlisted but received distinctions, as well.”

Reading and writing about embryonic stem cell research cemented Sienna’s fascination with science. “I might go into biology or medicine,” she said.

Joy would like to take courses in psychology. “As a career, I might go into medicine or dentistry,” she said.

Meanwhile, Aditi was also considering psychology, or law.

• For more information on the John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition see www.johnlockeinstitute.com/essay-competition

You must be Registered or Signed in to post comment or to vote.

Electronic Edition
Registration
Privacy Policy

What are the most important recently-acquired insights from neuroscience which have yet to be widely applied to education?

Zikai Zhou, Xiaoshi High School, China

Winner of the 2019 Psychology Prize| 6 min read

[1] Memories can be cruel. As a girl is about to raise her hand in class, the prior experience of being discouraged by a teacher emerges in her mind, the scene floating before her eyes, classmates’ voices rebounding inside of her ears, and she can feel the blush on her cheeks. People tend to try their best to put behind unpleasant memories, which, unfortunately, are often the more rememberable ones. To forget, one might think the best way is “not to remember." However, contrary to previously held beliefs, a team of neuroscientists led by Tracy Wang discovered that intentional forgetting was most successful when there was moderate activation of the material to be forgotten in relevant cerebral regions. In this essay, I will discuss how forgetting is undervalued in conventional pedagogies and explain why I believe findings from Wang's study have profound implications for helping students realise their best potential in classrooms.

[2] memorization has long been incorporated into pedagogies around the world. memorising vocabulary, mathematical theorems, or physics laws often aids students in achieving high test scores, which usually serves as an important metric for measuring student performance. in some asian countries, increased emphasis on test scores means more memorisation tasks for students, which raises concerns about equating the memorisation of knowledge with learning. various strategies seeking to enhance memorisation have been proposed, including sleep regulation , physical exercises , and offering rewards (ribeiro, 2014; trudeau, 2008; mitry, 2001)., [3] forgetting, on the other hand, is seldom associated with pedagogies. many of us are frustrated with forgetting, when we fail to remember the facts for a big test or miss the deadline of an essay submission. however, many learning science theories have proposed that students are constantly affected by their learning environment, especially by negative memories from the past. research has also shown that students benefit greatly from being able to forget unwanted memories. bear and malenka (1994), for instance, discovered that when acting on the same item, memorisation and forgetting are two different processes, which rely on long-term potentiation (ltp) and long-term depression (ltd) respectively; however, when directed at different items, ltd does facilitate ltp. mcfarlane and humphreys (2012) took their findings a step further and found that the removal of unwanted information from students' brain contributed to a better memorisation of more important information., [4] much of our forgetting is unconscious, unintentional forgetting, which is passive and irresistible (maxcey, 2019). this type of forgetting, as frankland et al., (2013) suggested, is a natural process that happens in the brain to clear up space . hippocampus, the brain region associated with memorisation, draws connections between neurons and circuits physically and chemically (fell, 2001). continuously exposed to incoming information, the hippocampus, even when we are sleeping, is busy coupling and decoupling neurons. however, not all information is worthy of the hippocampus' attention — unimportant information is either filtered or overlooked — which leads to forgetting., [5] however, as discussed earlier, there are circumstances where we want to be able to forget something at will, be it an embarrassing incident, or previous failure. whether the intention to forget affects our ability to forget has long intrigued both psychologists and neuroscientists. one of the earliest available researches exploring intentional forgetting was conducted by lehman and bovasso in 1993, in which they explored intentional forgetting in children. two mechanisms for intentional forgetting have since then been proposed: direct suppression and thought substitution. in 2005, a team led by pt hertel discovered that the mingling of the target neuron with other signals led to successful forgetting (hertel, 2005). this result was in line with the thought substitution hypothesis, which states that forgetting is achieved when alternative memories, rather than unwanted memories, are activated. the direct suppression hypothesis, on the other hand, states that forgetting is successful when unwanted memories are inhibited. van schie et al. (2012) found evidence for this resorting to the think/no-think paradigm . when we are asked to forget something, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in our brain sends inhibitory signals to the hippocampus and prevent memory encoding in this brain region. both the direct suppression and thought substitution hypotheses imply that in order to forget an unwanted memory, one needs to turn away from engaging with it., [6] a recent study conducted by tracy wang and her colleagues shed new light on the mechanisms of intentional forgetting . the team recruited twenty men and women to view a set of 200 images of faces and scenes on the screen. next to the images were commands of either “tbf (to-be-forgotten)” or “tbr (to-be-remembered)”. while participants studied the images, the experimenter used fmri to observe the activities of their ventral temporal cortex and sensory cortex. after this visual input, the participants are asked to recall the images they just saw. the main results of this study were twofold. first, the tbf commands were associated with enhanced brain activity. second, participants were most successful at forgetting the tbf images when there was moderate, not too high or too low, brain activity when studying the images. as concluded by wang et al., (2019): "an increase in attentional focus on tbf items during a deliberate forgetting attempt increases their memory activation, which in turn, facilitates their forgetting." although it is unclear what strategy participants used — thought substitution, direct suppression, or both — to forget the items, contrary to previous assumptions, moderate processing of to-be-forgotten memories improves rather than inhibits the forgetting of these memories., [7] these findings have profound implications for education. educators first need to understand the impact of negative memories from the past on student performance. they also need to incorporate methods that teach students how to navigate these negative memories through their learning experience. to minimise the impacts of negative memories, educators should help students learn to properly engage with their own memories rather than suppress or avoid them. one such practice is mindfulness, an approach by which students learn to observe their own thoughts and memories without trying to judge, analyse or suppress them (valentine, 2019). moderate engagement with unwanted memories might, in turn, improve students' ability to forget about those memories., [8] practicing engaging with memories has benefits beyond just preventing students from being affected by unwanted memories. learning to engage with one's memories improves people's attentional abilities. malinowski (2013), for instance, discovered that mindfulness helps refine people's ability to allocate attention to information at the onset of input processing, and improves people's capacity for attention control., [9] furthermore, learning to engage with one's memories also improves people's abilities to cope with their emotions. when a student frequently recalls a stressful event, thereby starting to feel anxious or depressed, the pituitary gland - under the command from the hypothalamus - starts to stimulate the adrenal glands in his or her body, thus propelling the secretion of an excessive amount of cortisol. an excess amount of cortisol can compromise the student's immune system, rendering his or her more susceptible to diseases (hoehn, 2010). both the pain and possible sicknesses can give rise to a higher stress level, forcing the brain commanding the system to secrete a greater amount of cortisol. this way, the body and the brain mutually and negatively feedback to each other. with some emotional events removed from the brain, this feedback cycle will less likely be initiated - the way in which intentional forgetting benefits students in terms of their memorisation abilities and physical health. with the coordination between body and mind, the emotional state of students – during their studies – will be more stabilised and thus beneficial., [10] one may misunderstand the significance of forgetting as only limited to prevent every negative emotion such as awkwardness, which is an absolute understatement. with a tremendous number of people joking that they are “depressed,” the severity of depression may not be overlooked. a recent study discovered that people with depressive tendency are more likely to recall negative experiences in the past (xie et al., 2018). with some 350 million people across the globe suffering from this illness, according to a 2018 survey, depression is undoubtedly influencing the world population immensely (licinio et al., 2018). negative memories, both the cause and the symptom of depression, constitute a vicious cycle so malevolent that harms the hippocampal function and can even drive people suicide (beck, 2009). closely related is ptsd, or post-traumatic stress disorder, which are mostly caused by the experiences of violence, rape, and war, which give rise to a frequent and morbid recall of these memories (yehuda, 2002). in the aspect of forgetting unwanted or sometimes detrimental memories, the strategies to undermine or divert relevant brain circuits may be of use by breaking the thorny cycle. incorporating the skill of “how to forget” in education will to a large extent prevent the aggravation of memory-related psychological syndromes like depression and ptsd, reducing the hospitality fee, suicide rate, and social turbulence. therefore, if one takes a more in-depth view, “forgetting” becomes even more crucial to individuals and societies., [11]integrating materials from psychology and neuroscience, i have demonstrated that forgetting can be an important learning strategy for students, who are under the constant influence of memories from their experience. tracy et al., (2019) showed that forgetting is not a “laissez-faire” process — the intention to forget increases processing of the to-be-forgotten material, and contributes to its successful forgetting. given this newly acquired insight about how forgetting works, educators shall develop strategies to help students better engage with their memories, and forget them when in need. with comprehensive and appropriate applications of the technique of intentional forgetting, we are expected to see further socio-economical benefits, as educational institutes are the reproduction of current, and hopefully future, society..

Author's Note

Though there is still a no small distance from my essay’s word account to the word limit of a John Locke Competition essay, I have ordered all the information I see as crucial in this paper. However, that is not to say that this essay is comprehensive or even almost comprehensive. Psychology and education are two areas of study that worth one to devote his or her life to pursue, so broad that an essay can never cover. So much so, what I have done is pitching a small corner in and trying to work out the most practical and potential application of a neuroscience insight with my effort.

Bibliography

Ribeiro, S., & Stickgold, R. (2014). Sleep and school education. Trends in Neuroscience and Education , 3(1), 18-23.

Trudeau, F., & Shephard, R. J. (2008). Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity , 5(1), 10.

Mitry, D. (2001). U.S. Patent Application No. 09/863,618 .

Bear, M. F., & Malenka, R. C. (1994). Synaptic plasticity: LTP and LTD. Current opinion in neurobiology , 4(3), 389-399.

McFarlane, K. A., & Humphreys, M. S. (2012). Maintenance rehearsal: The key to the role attention plays in storage and forgetting. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 38 (4), 1001.

Maxcey, A. M., Dezso, B., Megla, E., & Schneider, A. (2019). Unintentional forgetting is beyond cognitive control. Cognitive research: principles and implications , 4(1), 25.

Frankland, P. W., Köhler, S., & Josselyn, S. A. (2013). Hippocampal neurogenesis and forgetting. Trends in neurosciences , 36(9), 497-503.

Fell, J., Klaver, P., Lehnertz, K., Grunwald, T., Schaller, C., Elger, C. E., & Fernández, G. (2001). Human memory formation is accompanied by rhinal–hippocampal coupling and decoupling. Nature neuroscience , 4(12), 1259.

Lehman, E. B., & Bovasso, M. (1993). Development of intentional forgetting in children. In Emerging themes in cognitive development (pp. 214-233). Springer, New York, NY.

Hertel, P. T., & Calcaterra, G. (2005). Intentional forgetting benefits from thought substitution. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review , 12(3), 484-489.

van Schie, K., Geraerts, E., & Anderson, M. C. (2013). Emotional and non-emotional memories are suppressible under direct suppression instructions. Cognition & Emotion, 27 (6), 1122-1131.

Wang, T. H., Placek, K., & Lewis-Peacock, J. A. (2019). More is less: increased processing of unwanted memories facilitates forgetting. Journal of Neuroscience, 39 (18), 3551- 3560.

Valentine, E. R., & Sweet, P. L. (1999). Meditation and attention: A comparison of the effects of concentrative and mindfulness meditation on sustained attention. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 2 (1), 59-70.

Malinowski, P. (2013). Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation. Frontiers in neuroscience, 7 , 8.

Chambers, R., Lo, B. C. Y., & Allen, N. B. (2008). The impact of intensive mindfulness training on attentional control, cognitive style, and affect. Cognitive therapy and research, 32 (3), 303-322.

Zhou, X., Xie, M., Niu, C., & Sun, R. (2003). The effects of dietary vitamin C on growth, liver vitamin C and serum cortisol in stressed and unstressed juvenile soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 135 (2), 263-270.

Dominique, J. F., Roozendaal, B., Nitsch, R. M., McGaugh, J. L., & Hock, C. (2000). Acute cortisone administration impairs retrieval of long-term declarative memory in humans. Nature neuroscience, 3 (4), 313.

Hoehn K, Marieb EN (2010). Human Anatomy & Physiology. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. ISBN 978-0-321-60261-9.

Xie, H., Jiang, D., & Zhang, D. (2018). Individuals with depressive tendencies experience difficulty in forgetting negative material: two mechanisms revealed by ERP data in the directed forgetting paradigm. Scientific reports, 8(1), 1113.

Licinio, J., Birkenfeld, A. L., & Bornstein, S. R. (2018). Global burden of diabetes and depression. Depression and Type 2 Diabetes.

Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Yehuda, R. (2002). Post-traumatic stress disorder. New England journal of medicine, 346 (2), 108-114.

Table of Contents
New in this Archive
Chronological
Editorial Information
About the SEP
Editorial Board
How to Cite the SEP
Special Characters
Support the SEP
PDFs for SEP Friends
Make a Donation
SEPIA for Libraries
Back to Entry
Entry Contents
Entry Bibliography
Academic Tools
Friends PDF Preview
Author and Citation Info
Back to Top

Supplement to John Locke

The influence of john locke’s works.

Hans Aarsleff remarks that Locke “is the most influential philosopher of modern times”. He notes that besides initiating the vigorous tradition known as British empiricism, Locke’s influence reached far beyond the limits of the traditional discipline of philosophy: “His influence in the history of thought, on the way we think about ourselves and our relation to the world we live in, to God, nature and society, has been immense” (Aarsleff 1994: 252). Locke may well have influenced such diverse eighteenth century figures as Swift, Johnson, Sterne, Voltaire, Priestly and Jefferson.

Beginning with the publication of the 92 page summary of the Essay in the Bibliotheque universelle et historique for January through March of 1688 along with the publication of the first edition in December 1689, the Essay was both popular and controversial on both the continent and in England for the next fifty years. The sustained argument in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding for rejecting the old scholastic model of knowledge and science in favor of empirically disciplined modes of inquiry was enormously successful. Locke’s arguments against innate principles and ideas largely prevailed. This was an early and striking success of the Essay . Recall that Locke’s attack on innate ideas was part and parcel of his anti-authoritarianism and his emphasis on the importance of free and autonomous inquiry. As Aarsleff also notes, the radical nature of Locke’s attacks on epistemic, political, and religious authority are difficult for us to grasp today. (Aarsleff, 1994, 258) Bishop Stillingfleet, the most prominent of Locke’s early critics, claimed that Locke’s new way of ideas would lead to skepticism and that his account of substance undermined the doctrine of the trinity. Locke denied this, but given that we have good reason to hold that Locke was an anti-trinitarian, we have some reason to doubt that this denial is sincere. Locke’s epistemological views and his advocacy of rational religion were taken up by early eighteenth century deists such as John Toland and Anthony Collins who drew conclusions about religion that outraged the orthodox. The age of rational religion was coming to a close by the middle of the eighteenth century.

Within a few years of the publication of the fifth edition of Locke’s essay, Berkeley attacked the alliance between empiricism and the science of Newton and the Royal Society which is an important feature of Locke’s Essay . Berkeley argued that the causal or representative account of perception leads to skepticism about the existence of the external world as there is no good solution to the problem of the veil of perception and the associated distinction between primary and secondary qualities is untenable. These attacks gave rise to several misapprehensions about the doctrines of the Essay and their connection with the history of philosophy. If one accepts Berkeley’s arguments the result is the view that empiricism leads to idealism and that the atomism which Locke regarded as the most plausible hypothesis about the world must be abandoned. Locke certainly thought he had the resources to solve the problems posed by the veil of perception doctrine and his account of the distinction between primary and secondary qualities is not the same as the one that Berkeley gives. Nonetheless, Berkeley’s attacks on the Essay have produced long lasting and influential misinterpretations of the Essay . These misinterpretations led Thomas Reid, for example, to the rejection of the way of ideas (as it leads to the denial of the existence of the external world) and probably fueled Kant’s notion that the British empiricism of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with its characteristic inadequacies and virtues is one of the two great streams leading inevitably towards his own transcendental idealism. If one does not accept the force of Berkeley’s arguments, then neither Reid’s conclusion or Kant’s story have much force to them.

Locke’s account of personal identity was genuinely revolutionary and a real contribution to philosophy. This, along with his agnosticism about whether the soul was material or immaterial, were debated hotly through much of the eighteenth century, and at least the debates about personal identity were largely recapitulated in the twentieth century. Much of this begins with the Clarke/Collins controversy of 1707–08. Locke’s account of free agency is just as interesting and important as his account of personal identity with which it is connected. Yet it seems not to have been as controversial as Locke’s account of personal identity. Gideon Yaffe’s recent book Liberty Worth the Name (2000) may well revive interest in Locke’s views on this subject as Yaffe argues that they are still of relevance to contemporary debates about free will and compatibilism.

The extent of the influence that Locke’s account of language has had over the centuries is a matter of scholarly debate. Norman Kretzmann (1968) holds that Locke’s views, while not original, had a powerful influence on the Enlightenment view of the connection of words and ideas. Noam Chomsky in Cartesian Linguistics (1966) traces the important ideas in linguistics back to Descartes and the school at Port Royal rather than Locke. This is largely a matter of the importance of the innate in Chomsky’s thought. Hans Aarsleff, on the other hand, believes that Locke stands at the beginning of the developments that produced contemporary linguistics and that Chomsky’s account is more polemical than historical (Aarsleff 1982: 101–119.

That Locke’s works on education had considerable influence is indicated by the four editions that were published in his lifetime, a fifth that came out after his death, and some twenty-one editions in the eighteenth century. There were numerous translations into European languages during the eighteenth century as well. Peter Gay remarked that “John Locke was the founder of the Enlightenment in education as in much else” (Gay 1964: 1).

The Two Treatises of Government were published anonymously, and it was only in Locke’s will that he acknowledged the authorship of this work and others such as the Letters Concerning Toleration. As a consequence, the Two Treatises had very little influence on the debates over how to justify the legitimacy of replacing King James II with William and Mary. John Dunn claims that in the eighteenth century in England, the work had little influence (Dunn 1969: 17). It was supposed that since it was written by England’s greatest philosopher, it must be the way things were done, but few bothered to read it. Certainly, conservatives such as Josiah Tucker read it and rejected its doctrines. There has been considerable scholarly debate about how much Locke’s political doctrines affected the American revolutionaries and the writing of the American declaration of independence. The original claim that Locke’s thought had considerable influence on the colonists was challenged and has more recently been reaffirmed. In France, Locke was influential through the first half of the eighteenth century and then rapidly lost influence as the French came to regard the English as conservative.

The ‘Republic of Letters’ was quite a success. Its members published many works on toleration, of which the two with the longest life and the greatest influence were Locke’s Letter on toleration and Pierre Bayle’s Philosophical Commentary. The journals founded by the members of the Republic of Letters began publishing accounts of scholars upon their death. John Marshall tells us: “The intent here was to declare that such a life in service of scholarship was significant and laudable as much as it was to identify critically what was valuable about the specific works composed by an individual.” (Marshall 2006, 516) Pierre Coste’s “Character of Mr. Locke” was such a work and set out the behavioral norms for scholars in the republic of letters. Coste’s encomium was filled with fulsome praise of Locke ’s good humor, humanity, pleasantness, and politeness in the search for truth. Marshall goes on to say:

The ethos here of ‘civility’ combined with a desire to gain from another’s knowledge and a willingness to change one’s mind in response to this knowledge was central to the attitudes of the ‘of letters’ and to the ‘Early Enlightenment’, and it was simultaneously central to the ethos of religious toleration by defenders of religious toleration in the 1680’s and 1690’s, who were simultaneously the editors of the journals of the ‘republic of letters.’ (Marshall 2006, 516–17)

Marshall continues: “it is important to stress that the ‘Early Enlightenment’combination of these commitments and practices in the late seventeenth century was crucial in their later evolution as the commitments and practices of the ‘High Enlightenment’” (Marshall 2006, 517).

In the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Locke’s views were largely rejected, and his influence was at its lowest ebb. He was regarded as one of the prophets of the American and French revolutions. The doctrines of natural rights and human rights were rejected in favor of utilitarianism. Locke’s philosophy was largely misinterpreted and rejected. Even the publication of Fox Bourne’s two volume biography of Locke (1876) hardly raised any new interest.

In the twentieth century, with the sale of the Lovelace papers and their donation to Oxford University, interest in Locke among philosophers has considerably revived. These papers included letters, several drafts of the Essay , and other works. We now know considerably more about Locke and the development of his thought than was known previously, and Locke scholars have been putting Locke’s philosophy in its historical, religious, political and intellectual context. This renewed interest in Locke’s philosophy has continued apace into the twenty-first century.

Return to John Locke

Accessibility

Support SEP

Mirror sites.

View this site from another server:

Info about mirror sites

Library of Congress Catalog Data: ISSN 1095-5054

IMAGES

John Locke Essay Competition 约翰·洛克论文竞赛
John Locke Essay Competition
A Complete Guide To The John Locke Essay Competition
John Locke Essay Competition
John Locke Essay Competition Guide
(PDF) Submission for the John Locke Institute 2020 Essay Competition

VIDEO

John Locke’s Tabula Rasa #tabularasa #philosophy #quotes #theory #history
John locke political philosophy #polity #laxmikanth
Empiricism in psychology ( John Locke work) #urdu #hindi #foryou #learningwithconcept #english
Unlocking Knowledge John Locke's Insight #philosophy #viralshorts
John Locke's Theory of Knowledge
"An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding Book I Part 3John Locke (1632

COMMENTS

2024 Essay Competition
Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024. Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024. Contact. Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected]. Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query.
2024 Essay Competition
Enter the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 and win a scholarship to study at Oxford. Choose from various topics and disciplines. Apply now!
John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition Guide
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is open to any student anywhere in the world, ages 15-18. Students 14 or under are eligible for the Junior prize. JLI Essay Competition Topics. The essay questions change from year to year. You can choose from 7 different categories (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law).
Your Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition
The John Locke Essay competition is acknowledged as the most prestigious essay competition in the world.1 Free to enter, it is hosted by the John Locke Institute, named after the Oxford philosopher John Locke (b. 1634 - d. 1704), who is often called the 'father of liberalism' and is one of the most important thinkers from the ...
The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition
The essay competition is one of the various programs conducted by the John Locke Institute (JLI) every year apart from their summer and gap year courses. To understand the philosophy behind this competition, it'll help if we take a quick detour to know more about the institute that conducts it.
A Complete Guide To The John Locke Essay Competition
Join us for an exclusive information session that unveils the secrets to success in this renowned competition. During this enlightening info session, you will: 📚 Discover what the John Locke Essay Competition is all about and why it's a golden opportunity for aspiring writers. 🎓 Uncover the winning strategies and techniques to ace the ...
John Locke Global Essay Competition (Standard Prize & Junior Prize
For the standard prize a prize is awarded for the best essay in each category. Junior Prize (for candidates who are 14 or younger) For the Junior Prize there is only one winner. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior Prize, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke ...
2024 John Locke Essay Competition Prompts: The Incredible
If you have any interest in the liberal arts (humanities or social science), especially one of the seven subject categories of the competition (Economics, History, Law, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, and Theology), Ivy-Way counselors often recommend our students to submit an essay to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition. It's also a ...
Nominations open for Global Essay Prize Competition
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum. ... Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate ...
Expert Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition History Questions
In this John Locke Essay Competition Prep course, students will learn the ins and outs of essay writing, in preparation for entering the competition. We offer prep classes in all categories: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Students will choose one topic, compose an original thesis and argument, and write ...
2023 John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition
September 28th 2023. Awards. We are delighted to share the news that Hussain A and Bruno A-N were both selected as finalists in the 2023 John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition. Only the highest quality essays were shortlisted for a prize. The two boys were invited to Oxford to celebrate their achievement, and to participate in an ...
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding is a work by John Locke concerning the foundation of human knowledge and understanding. It first appeared in 1689 (although dated 1690) with the printed title An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding.He describes the mind at birth as a blank slate (tabula rasa, although he did not use those actual words) filled later through experience.
John Locke Essay Competition Guide
Less than 2000 words must be used in the argumentative essay that students must submit. Philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law are the major themes of the competitions. The questions for the John Locke Essay Competition for 2021 are:
Graders Needed for Essay Competition
The John Locke Institute is seeking final-year undergraduate and graduate students who might be interested in becoming graders of our Essay Competition for appropriate remuneration. The globally renowned John Locke Institute annual essay competition covers topics in the categories of Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Theology, and Psychology. Free to enter, the competition ...
John Locke Essay Competition Prep
The John Locke Essay Competition Prep course has 8 different sections: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, law and junior prize tailored to student's needs. Each session will assist students with writing an essay in response to one question in the list provided by the Institute. The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics of ...
PDF Re: Think Essay
The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition 2024 will employ a double-blind review system for its judging process. The identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed. This means that reviewers are unaware of the author's identity, academic affiliation, or reputation, and similarly, authors do not know who is reviewing their work.
Essay Competition
Discourse, debate, and analysis Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition 2024 Competition Opens: 15th January, 2024 Essay Submission Deadline: 10th May, 2024 Result Announcement: 20th June, 2024 Award Ceremony and Dinner at the University of Cambridge: 30th July, 2024 We welcome talented high school students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to […]
Westminster School pupil award-winning essay
The John Locke Institute's annual, global essay competition invites young scholars to show their depth of knowledge and persuasiveness of writing across seven different subjects: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology and law, and gives a chance for work to be read and assessed by experts from the University of Oxford ...
BHS students win honours in global essay competition
The contest was named for the English philosopher John Locke and asks students 18 and under to ponder questions such as why John Locke is considered the father of liberalism; why safety is more ...
2019 First Prize Psychology E...
Zikai Zhou, Xiaoshi High School, China. Winner of the 2019 Psychology Prize | 6 min read. [1] Memories can be cruel. As a girl is about to raise her hand in class, the prior experience of being discouraged by a teacher emerges in her mind, the scene floating before her eyes, classmates' voices rebounding inside of her ears, and she can feel ...
The Influence of John Locke's Works
The Influence of John Locke's Works. Hans Aarsleff remarks that Locke "is the most influential philosopher of modern times". He notes that besides initiating the vigorous tradition known as British empiricism, Locke's influence reached far beyond the limits of the traditional discipline of philosophy: "His influence in the history of thought, on the way we think about ourselves and ...

Everything You Should Know about the John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition

Eligibility

JLI Essay Competition Topics

John Locke Writing Contest Requirements

Timeline and Deadlines

John Locke Institute Essay Competition Judging Criteria

Research and Essay Writing Tactics

Research and Prepare for your Competition or Fair

Upcoming Summer 2024 Application Deadline is April 14, 2024.

Featured Posts

The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

How prestigious is the John Locke Contest?

What is the eligibility for the contest?

Who SHOULD consider this competition?

Additional logistics

What are the essay prompts like?

How competitive is the JLI Essay Competition?

How will your essay be judged?

6 Winning Tips from Lumiere

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

A Complete Guide To ✨The John Locke Essay Competition✨

Register today, and receive a special GIFT for attending the webinar!

Who should join?

Meet the Speaker

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

Crimson Students’ Success

Ready to join?

John Locke Global Essay Competition (Standard Prize & Junior Prize)

Location(s)

Cost/Compensation

Application or Entry Requirements

Notifications of Decisions

Financial Aid Details

Have other questions?

2024 John Locke Essay Competition Prompts: The Incredible, Transformative Power of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition

Should you consider writing an essay for the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?

What are the prompts like?

What are the prompts for 2024?

How do you get started?

Where can you find past essay winners?

What are some tips for crafting a successful essay?

How competitive is it? To what extent can the JLIEC boost my chances of college admissions?

Final Thoughts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

John Locke Essay Competition Guide

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

What subjects will be covered throughout the competition?

JUNIOR award (for age 14 and younger)

Which student skills are evaluated by the John Locke Essay Competition?

What is the argumentative essay’s basic organization?

Introductory paragraph:

The thesis statement:

Body paragraph:

Conclusion :

What are the John Locke Essay Competition’s awards?

Graders Needed for Essay Competition

+1 (603) 932 7897

John Locke Essay Competition Prep

Class Introduction

Class Sessions

Need to prepare?

2024 Spring Group Classes: Open for Registration

National Spanish Exam Preparation

National Mythology Exam Preparation

Building A Photography Portfolio

Latin Level 2

Advanced Academic Writing

Shakespeare Literature

National Personal Finance Challenge

National Roman Civilization Exam Preparation Program

National Economics Challenge Prep

Intro to Investment – Focus on Crypto Currency

Discourse, debate, and analysis

Religion and Politics

Neuroengineering

Essay Guidelines and Judging Criteria

Awards and Award Ceremony

Registration and Submission

Dr Thomas R. Cech