john locke essay competition 2021 questions

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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.

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Complete Guide to John Locke Essay Competition 2024

• Last modified 2024-04-05
• Published on 2021-04-01

1. What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The John Locke Essay Competition is organized by John Locke Institute, an independent education organization located in Oxford, UK. Professors at the John Locke Institute are from famous universities like Oxford, Princeton, Brown, and Buckingham University.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate characteristics of great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. Students are challenged to explore a wide range of questions beyond their school’s curriculum.

Obtaining prizes in the competition can greatly enhance the competitiveness of undergraduate applications at American, Canadian, and British universities. College admission for past winners include Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Chicago, Oxford, Cambridge, University of Toronto, and other world-renowned schools.

2. When does the John Locke Essay Competition start?

The John Locke Essay Competition typically releases essay questions in February. Participants are given several months to submit their essay, with the submission deadline typically set for June 30 each year.

However, if for any reason students miss the June 30 deadline, they can make a late entry by paying $20, and submitting their essay before July 10 11:59 pm BST.

For 2024, the submission deadline is June 30, 2024.

• Registration opens on April 1, 2024.
• Registration deadline: May 31, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)
• Submission deadline: June 30, 2024.
• Late entry deadline: July 10, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by July 1)
• Notification of short-listed essayists: July 31, 2024.
• Academic conference & awards dinners: September 21, 2024.

3. Who is eligible for the contest?

Students from any country are eligible to submit essays to the competition. However, only students whose 19th birthday falls after June 30 of the current year (which is the submission deadline). Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date. For example, if the current deadline for the 2024 competition is June 30, 2024, only students who are 18 years old or younger before June 30, 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior Prize category, only students who are 14 years old or younger before June 30, 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation.

4. Who should participate in the competition?

The competition welcomes students who are passionate about philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, or law to participate. Regardless of your academic background or level of expertise, if you’re interested in writing and willing to delve deeper into thought-provoking topics and complex societal issues, the John Locke Essay Competition is an excellent opportunity for you.

5. Is the John Locke Competition free?

Yes, the John Locke Essay Competition is free to enter. Participants are not required to pay any fees, and they can submit as many essays as they please across any or all categories.

6. Is the John Locke Essay Competition prestigious?

The John Locke Essay Competition has always been a prestigious competition, attracting talented writers around the world. All of the competition’s essays are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities, including the University of Oxford (#5 in Best Global Universities) and Princeton University (#1 in National Universities in the U.S).

In addition, the judges will choose their favorite essay from each of the seven subject categories, along with a junior category for under 15s, which is a very rigorous evaluation process.

Moreover, the essay topics chosen for the competition often tackle current issues and challenges facing society today, requiring students to be well-rounded and up to date with the topics that they’re interested in.

7. How competitive is the John Locke Essay Competition?

With approximately 19,000 entries in total, the John Locke Essay Competition attracts a pool of excellent participants from around the world. Each year, a select few—typically 24-25 individuals—are awarded prizes. 

For more context, in 2021, the competition received 4,000 submissions, yet only 24 prizes were awarded, indicating a marked increase in competitiveness over time.  With a win rate of approximately 0.6%, securing a prize in the John Locke Essay Competition is definitely an exceptional achievement.  Notably, each category witnessed a substantial number of submissions, with Philosophy shortlisting 108 candidates, Politics 55, Economics 239, History 190, Junior Essay 93, Law 80, Theology 50, and Psychology 100. In total, these categories shortlisted 915 candidates, which is 23% of all submissions. Within 915 shortlists, there were only 24 students being awarded, representing 3% of all shortlists. This data paints a vivid picture of the competitiveness among participants, and the academic rigor demanded by the competition in order to be shortlisted and finally rewarded. In 2022, there were 6805 participants and 20% were shortlisted.

8. What are the categories in the competition?

Students are required to submit an argumentative essay of fewer than 2,000 words. The overarching themes of the competitions are: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law.

9. What are the questions in the competition?

For 2024, the questions for John Locke Essay Competition are: 

Philosophy  

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

Expert Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition Philosophy Questions

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?​

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Economics  

Q1. What is the optimal global population?

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

​Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

Expert Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition Economics Questions

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Expert Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition History Questions

Psychology  

Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

Expert Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition Theology Questions

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. 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?

​Q3. 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?

JUNIOR prize (for age 14 and younger)  

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

​Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

​Q3. Is there life after death?

​Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise?

​Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies?

10. How to win the John Locke Essay competition?

With the competitiveness of this competition, it’s crucial for students to have a clear structure for approaching their question of choice. We will take an example from the grand prize-winning essay “Is tax theft?” by Hosai Kishida as an example to provide winning tips from Aralia teachers:

Analyze the question and link them to John Locke’s philosophy

Take the time to understand the essay prompt and what the question is asking for. Approaching the question “Is tax theft?”, some of the outstanding themes are the ethical implications of taxation and theft, the legal definition of theft within the context of taxation, and the redistribution of wealth and socioeconomic inequalities. Students could approach this question in several ways, but it should always link to John Locke’s philosophy. In their essay, Hosai linked the taxation issue with John Locke’s “Two Treatises on Government” idea of social contract.

Clear reasoning with evidence drawn from extensive research :

Once you decide on your stance about the question, it’s important to present your argument with logical reasoning and strong evidence from reputable sources. Students can utilize a variety of reputable sources, including academic journals, books, and scholarly articles, to gather relevant information and develop a well-informed argument. In addition, make sure that your structure and ideas are presented clearly and allow your reader to navigate your essay with ease.

For example, in Hosai’s essay, they laid out foundational principles of state power and the requirement of rational consent for legitimizing state authority. Then, they logically deduce that taxation, as an exercise of state power, necessitates the consent of taxed individuals to avoid being considered theft. The author supports their argument with references to Locke and Kant, renowned philosophers and scholars.

Engage in critical analysis

In addition to providing reasoning and evidence that support students’ arguments, students can also examine alternative perspectives to show that they have the ability to evaluate evidence critically– specifically the strengths and weaknesses of different viewpoints.

For example, Hosai evaluates opposing viewpoints and potential objections to their argument that taxation is theft. They brought up David Friedman’s concept of privatized approaches to order, and Michael Huemer’s critique of the state’s neutrality to provide a well-rounded analysis of the issue. They also reference historical events, such as the Holocaust under Nazi Germany, to illustrate potential abuses of state power.

Refine Your Writing Style

This type of essay falls under the argumentative essay type. This essay type requires a third person perspective throughout the introduction, body, and conclusion. Students should also use headings and transitions to create a smooth flow and overview of ideas without providing an excess of information, like how Hosai provides a heading for each of their arguments such as “Rational consent as a justification of state power” or “Taxation and hypothetical returns.” Don’t forget to use the active voice to make your writing more direct and engaging. Active voice sentences are clearer and more concise than passive voice, allowing you to communicate your ideas more effectively.

Proofreading and Editing

Before submitting your essay and throughout the writing process, always seek feedback from peers and teachers to gain valuable insights and perspectives on your essay to help you make revisions and create the best essay you possibly can.

11. How will your essay be evaluated?

According to the competition, your essay will be evaluated on 7 criteria, with the overarching goal of writing an essay that can change somebody’s mind in a way that’s as precise and direct as possible. Let’s go into detail about what those criteria are:

• Knowledge and Understanding of the Relevant Material: This criterion assesses students on their ability to understand the question and the relevant concepts and theories related to the topic.
• Competent Use of Evidence : The judges will evaluate the essay upon participants’ ability to use credible and relevant evidence to support their arguments.
• Quality of Argumentation : This criterion examines the quality and overall strength of the reasoning provided by the participant.
• Originality : In this criterion, the judges evaluate the originality of the ideas and arguments. In addition, all essays will be checked for the use of Artificial Intelligence. AI normally reiterates common knowledge and repeats well-established arguments without providing fresh ideas. If your essay is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified.
• Structure: The judges will evaluate your essay based on how well you structure and organize the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, as well as transitions between paragraphs.
• Writing Style : This criterion evaluates the participant’s writing style– from grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure to the coherence and clarity of sentences.
• Persuasive Force : Persuasive force refers to the participant’s capability to persuade the audience of their arguments. Methods of persuasion can range from their use of persuasive techniques to emotional appeals, and more.

12. What abilities of students are examined through the John Locke Essay Competition?

• The foundational understanding of concepts and structures in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, or law 
• The mastery of basic writing format and the skills to write argumentative essays 
• The independent thinking, logical analysis methods, persuasive writing skills  

13. What’s the general structure of the argumentative essay?

An argumentative essay is different compared to other types, because it requires a straightforward and easy-to-follow structure, with a clear point of view and reasoning. We will use an example of an essay from 2020 achieving the First Prize in the Junior Category from the John Locke Essay Competition. The prompt for that year was “Who should own your data? The companies with which you agree to share your data, everybody, just you, or nobody?” The link to the essay can be viewed here .  

A good argumentative essay should follow this structure: 

Introductory paragraph:

This paragraph should outline the topic of discussion with background information related 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] 

Outline the topic of discussion and background information. Here, the author explains the current state of 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 industrialised country.[4] Property laws intentionally exclude personal data from subject matter definitions and newly introduced regulatory frameworks do not specify data ownership.[5] [6]

Define the subject matter at a high level. In this paragraph, the writer discusses the definition of ownership and the problem of data ownership not specified in the ownership regulation. 

The thesis statement

This is where students should state their thesis, along with the evidence they will present. The thesis statement should be a concise summary of your main point and introduce the main arguments that will be discussed in the body paragraphs: 

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.

State your perspective on the matter and provide an overview of your evidence for the argument. In responding to who should own the data, the writer stated that data should not be owned by corporations, individuals, and everybody, which he discusses later in the body paragraph.

Body paragraph:

A body paragraph explains the main reasons for your thesis. If you have three main points you want to discuss, each body paragraph should cover each one (and only one) idea. You can support your claims with examples, research, studies, statistics, and any other information to add credibility and gain trust from readers. In the body paragraphs, you can also bring up opposing claims and provide explanations for why you disagree with the claims. The overall idea of the argument is to convey your idea, explain why the reader should agree, and present opposing claims with evidence-based arguments.

In the winner’s essay, he provided four main arguments why data should not be owned by corporations, individuals, and everybody, as well as why data should be owned by nobody. He also discussed the consequences of data ownership by these groups.

The conclusion should summarize your arguments and restate your thesis. A good conclusion also expands the reach of the paper to include themselves and their audience, making it both personal and showing why their audience should care about the implications of their argument. An example of making your conclusion personal is including an anecdote or a personal story related to the topic.

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 prioritise 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 example of a great conclusion, as the writer restates what would happen if you provide data ownership to people, and restates his original thesis that data should not be owned by anyone.

14. What are the prizes of the John Locke Essay Competition?

• The prize for each winner of a subject category will receive a scholarship worth $2000 (US Dollars) towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute program
• The best essay overall will receive a $10,000 (US Dollar) scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or gap year courses.
• The essays will be published on the Institute’s website.
• Networking opportunities with judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute.

Aralia's Course

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 an essay for submission. Students will engage in a guided analysis of primary and secondary sources, develop critical thinking skills, and discover interesting insights. In addition to the group lecture classes, students will receive guidance on their individual projects from the instructor, in one-on-one sessions.

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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!

Your Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition

An article explaining what the competition is and how to maximise your chances of success, written by one of last year’s markers.  .

What is 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 Enlightenment period. 

Candidates must register for competition entry by 31st May and submit an essay of no more than 2,000 words by 30th June , addressing one of the essay questions listed on the Institute’s website. The essays are judged for prizes by ‘a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton’2, meaning that entering the competition offers you the rare chance to have your work assessed by top scholars in your field of interest. 

Who is the competition for?  

The main competition is open to anyone aged eighteen or under and is comprised of seven separate subject-categories: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Psychology, and Theology . If you are currently studying for your A-levels, then you are a perfect candidate to enter. There is also a Junior Prize open to anyone aged fifteen or under. If you meet the criteria for one of these competitions and wish to develop your research and writing skills, then you are highly advised to enter. Moreover, receiving a commendation or prize would make for an outstanding embellishment to your UCAS personal statement. 

What are the prizes?  

One essay across all subject-categories will be selected for the Grand Prize: a massive $10,000 scholarship to attend any of the John Locke Institute’s prestigious educational programmes, which include summer schools at Oxford and Princeton. The opportunity to study at the John Locke Institute is invaluable: your tutors will be world-leading academics, and previous students have subsequently gained admission to the most competitive international universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. Additionally, three essays under each subject-category will be selected for a prize scholarship of $2,000 to attend any of the John Locke Institute’s programmes. All prize winners will also be invited to a prize-giving ceremony in London. 

Besides the prizes to be won, the process of entering the competition is of value in itself. Independently researching a foundational subject and answering a demanding, important question develops intellectual qualities which will be of use to you in university and beyond.  

Three tips for writing a superb essay  

Drawing on my experience as a marker for the John Locke Essay Competition in 2023, I have put together three tips for writing a successful essay. 

Understand the objectives:  

If you want to write a superb essay for the John Locke Essay Competition, you must first know what the examiners are looking for. The purpose of the essay competition is to cultivate the intellectual capacities of young people across the globe. These include: 

Independent and original thought   

Critical textual analysis  

The ability to research and accumulate knowledge  

Logical reasoning  

The ability to write clear and persuasive prose  

The judges are not so much interested in the mere possession of information, which Director Martin Cox says comes cheap in the present digital age. More important is the ability to ‘ process, evaluate and use information to form sound judgments about difficult or controversial questions’, alongside the ‘skills of expression to organise one’s thoughts to offer an articulate, persuasive case in favour of those judgments’.3 

In other words, it is what you can do with information that counts. Armed with facts and evidence, what can you plausibly argue? What interesting claim can you defend? The subjects that the competition include, such as Philosophy, History, and Law, are deliberately chosen to foster the cultivation of higher academic virtues such as original thought and the capacity to contest difficult ideas: issues in these subjects, and the corresponding essay questions, are not the sort of thing that a quick Google search can resolve. In trying to answer them, a good answer will require you to reach deep insights that will develop your mind. 

Read well in advance 

If you are going to write an excellent essay then you will need exposure to great ideas. Social Science subjects demand some acquaintance with the relevant empirical studies; Humanities subjects demand acquaintance with the relevant ideological positions. Either way, your chances are best if you start reading around your subject as soon as you can . 

It can be difficult to know how to research – what books to read, which articles are relevant– if you aren’t already familiar with some of the relevant literature. Your tutor or teacher should be able to help you with a few suggestions to get you started. Follow the principle of ‘ quality over quantity ’: a thoughtful discussion of one important piece of literature will demonstrate your capacities far more than a thoughtless discussion of a vast literature, because it is more difficult to read critically and with insight than it is to simply read a lot. 

Make sure to read with a critical eye . Absorb both sides of a debate and aim to adjudicate: if you read an article which defends one particular view, read another which contests that same view. Doing so will give you a balanced, reasonable, and well-informed perspective . Take thorough notes and ask yourself questions: What is the author’s position? What reasons are there to adopt this position? What objections might there be against this position? How does this relate to other things I have read? By reflecting deeply on what you read, you will develop original insights and convey your ability to critically evaluate ideas. 

Furthermore, make sure to read the exemplar essays from past years of the competition, which you can find on the John Locke Institute’s website,4 especially those for the specific subject-category that you have chosen to enter. Again, don’t just read them but think about them and consider how they meet the stated objectives: How do they demonstrate insight and originality? How do they critically evaluate literature? What features of their writing style have aided the clarity of their argument? Do they counter possible objections to their argument? Use these excellent essays as models when it comes to writing your own. 

3. Demonstrate clarity of thought 

As the Institute’s Director Martin Cox says, ‘the John Locke Institute aims, above all else, to teach the principles of logical, analytical, and rational thought’ .5 This should be taken as a statement of the Institute’s intellectual values and priorities: while your essay must be persuasive, persuasion should primarily take the form of logical reasoning and evidence: rhetorical flourishes must be undergirded and supported by argumentative quality and substance. In general, flowery prose should not take priority over clarity of expression and precision of thought . 

One of the best ways to demonstrate rational thought is through a good analysis of the essay question which identifies ambiguities and subtleties of meaning – key skills particularly in the Humanities. Let’s consider an example of how to do this. One of last year’s Philosophy questions, which I marked, was ‘In what sense are you the same person that you were ten years ago?’ The phrase ‘in what sense’ is crucial here and needs to be addressed. It is too crude to simply assert that you are or are not the same person that you were ten years ago. How are you the same? What is it by virtue of which you are the same? What would have to

be the case in order for you to be a different person? Reflecting on this should make you think, ‘What are the criteria by which we can determine whether or not a person has or has not remained the same across time?’ And once you start thinking about that, you are engaged in a philosophical analysis of the concept of personhood – and that is what the judges really want from you. Therefore, by properly reflecting on the essay question, you will sharpen your analytical skills and come to a deeper understanding of the issue . 

Overall, start researching as soon as possible , think critically about what you read, and focus on logical arguments and the use of evidence when putting forth your answer to the question. Entering the John Locke Essay Competition is bound to be an instructive experience for any student keen to develop themselves as a thinker and writer. I wish you luck! 

This article is credited to Karim. If you would like Karim’s support with then John Locke essay competition, you can visit his tutor profile here https://doxa.co.uk/undergraduate-mentors/karimphil.

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Global Essay Competition 2021- John Locke Institute

• Deadline June 30, 2021
• Region Online

Submissions are now open for 2021 Global Essay Competition organised by The John Locke Institute! Apply now!

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. The 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 the competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of the 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.

• Q1. Are there some subjects about which we should not even ask questions?
• Q2. What is slavery? Is jury duty? Is conscription? Is income tax?
• Q3. Are you more moral than most people you know? How do you know? Should you strive to be more moral? Why or why not?
• Q1. Discrimination on the basis of race is widely condemned, but on the basis of nationality it is widely accepted. Is it not odd that you may not discriminate against me for where my great-great-grandparents were born, but you may discriminate against me for where my parents were born?
• Q2. Should the John Locke Institute change its name?
• Q3. Do we need Greta?

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• Q1. How would the education sector change if governments were no longer involved?
• Q2. There is considerable excess demand for undergraduate places at Oxford. The admissions process rations supply by favouring cleverer students at the expense of others. Is this fair? Does it exacerbate inequality? What is the University’s optimal response to this scarcity?
• Q3. Should we abolish the minimum wage?
• Q1. Should we judge those from the past by the standards of today? How will historians in the future judge us?
• Q2. Has the ‘construct of gender’ been more beneficial or more harmful to humanity throughout history?
• Q3. ‘More history has happened in Oxford, per square foot, than any other place in the world.’ Discuss.
• Q1. Do we do everything we do to maximise own utility?
• Q2. ‘The function of religions and cults, including the political or ideological ones, is to short-circuit the normal ‘common sense’ process of doubt, investigation, further doubt, further investigation… a belief system only requires a rule book (sacred scripture, Das Kapital, or whatever) and a good memory.’ Is this true? Does it matter?
• Q3. Who is responsible for my mental health?
• Q1. Is Christianity a religion of peace?
• Q2. Why did Jesus of Nazareth reserve his strongest condemnation for the self-righteous?
• Q3. Did God create coronavirus?
• Q1. Should ‘innocent until proven guilty’ apply not only to courts of law, but also to public censure?
• Q2. To what extent does a codified constitution help or hinder liberty?
• Q3. When should force of law prevent a transaction, entered into freely between two competent, consenting adults?
• Q1. Should we raise the voting age to 25?
• Q3. Is Oxford overrated?
• Q4. Just because you’re a millionaire doesn’t mean you should get better healthcare than the rest of us, does it?
• Q5. What should we do to improve the lives of poor people?
• Q6. Have things improved?
• Q7. Before a certain time almost everybody would have held some belief which we now find repugnant. Does this mean we cannot admire or commemorate the people who helped to shape the modern world?
• Q8. Should the law ever prevent people from freely making self-harming decisions? If so, what should and shouldn’t be forbidden – and according to which principles?

​Criteria: Essays will be judged on the level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, the quality of argumentation, the structure, writing style and persuasive force. Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is-

• A scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme
• 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 the summer schools and/or gap year courses
• The essays will be published on the Institute’s website
• The prize-giving ceremony will take 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 judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Eligibilities

• Entry is open to students from any country and any school.
• Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline, 30 June 2021.
• Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline.

Application Process

• 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).
• Please upload your essay as a pdf file. The title of the pdf attachment should read SURNAME, First Name (e.g. POPHAM, Alexander). You may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.
• To start the submission process please click on Apply Now.

Application Deadline: June 30, 2021

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 Competition Results

Announcing the 2023 essay prize winners special congratulations to those who achieved a distinction or high distinction in this year's competition. those who did so but did not attend the prize-giving ceremony will be contacted by email, providing access to their ecertificates by the end of the month . p hotographs from our prize-winning ceremony and related events in oxfo rd will be emailed to those who attended.  , grand prize, hosei kishida, shanghai american school, china.

Junior Prize

Winner:    Xibei Kuang, Pinehurst school, New Zealand

Second Prize:  Alissa Song, Kambala, Australia

Third Prize:   Iris Zhu, Bement School, USA

ECONOMICS Prize

Winner:  Kit Young Tham , Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore

Second Prize:  Kevin Hao, Knox Grammar School, Australia

Third Prize:   Zhong Yang M. Yeh, Shanghai High School International Division, China

PHILOSOPHY Prize

Winner:    Hosei Kishida, Shanghai American School, China

Second Prize:  Amanda Sun, Princeton High School, USA

Third Prize:   Qianyu Lin , Raffles Institution, Singapore

POLITICS Prize

Winner:  William Zhou, Hunter College High School, USA

Second Prize:  Ziyi Wei, Westridge School for Girls, USA

Third Prize:   Xiaoya Du , The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, China

HISTORY Prize

Winner:    Yoo Jin Cho, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Australia

Second Prize:  Hannah Fareed, Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan

Third Prize:   Quynh Anh La Le, Saigon South International School, Vietnam

Winner:  Youran Wu, Nanjing Foreign Language School British Columbia Academy, China

Second Prize:  Kayson Hu, Reddam House Sydney, Australia 

Equal Third Prize:  L ucienne Keyoung, Manhasset High School, USA

Equal Third Prize:  Esme Vallois-Davies, Colchester Royal Grammar School, UK

THEOLOGY Prize

Winner:    Hanyu Li, High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, China

Second Prize:  Shivraj Sharma, Neerja Modi School, India

Third Prize:   Scarlet Strogov, South Orange Middle School, USA

PSYCHOLOGY Prize

Winner:    Claire Yura Kim, Berkshire School, USA

Second Prize:  Arnav Pandey, The International School Bangalore, India 

Third Prize:   Hannah Kim, La Canada High School, USA

RECENT Essay Prize Winners

Grand Prize

Benjamin Who, The Hotchkiss School, USA

Winner: Selena Teng, Millburn High School, USA

Second Prize: Jinchuan Li, The Experimental High School attached   to Beijing Normal University, China

Third Prize: Vivian Li, Magdalen College School, UK

Winner: Pengzhe Lin, Cranbrook Schools, USA

Second Prize: Brandon Ma, Living Word Shanghai Bilingual School, China

Third Prize: Fengshuo Wang, Allendale Columbia School, USA

Winner:  Benjamin Who, The Hotchkiss School, USA

Second Prize: Ke Ren, Ulink Beijing, China

Third Prize: Yixi Zhang, Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, China

Winner: Yifan Liu, Independent Schools Foundation, Hong Kong

Second Prize: Xiaoyi Shi, Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU, China

Third Prize: Chenrui Dai, Ruian High School International Department, China

Winner: Shahmeer Bukhari, Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan

Second Prize : Sujeong Park, North London Collegiate School Jeju, Republic of South Korea

Third Prize: Samantha Shim, Phillips Academy, USA

Winner: Jonathan Pan, The King's School, Australia

Second Prize: Xinyue Zhu, Bard College at Simon's Rock, USA

Third Prize: Chloe Huang, Westminster School, UK

​Winner: Gabriel Stoney, Rugby School, UK

Second Prize: Yifei Chen, Wuxi Big Bridge Academy, China

Third Prize: Donghong Wei- Shenzhen College of International Education, China ​

Winner:   Cheuk Hei Chung, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

Second Prize: Teresa Yan, PS/MS 219 Paul Klapper, USA

Third Prize: Jia ning Zhang, Veritas Christian Academy, USA

Huaming Li, Xi’an Gaoxin No.1 High School, China

Winner: Austin Swaffer, Knox Grammar School, Australia

Second Prize: Chongwen Gu, YK Pao School, China​

Third Prize: Dana Song, Horace Mann, USA

Winner: Andre Pancholi, Latymer Upper School, UK

Second Prize: Yuhan Wang, Dunman High School, Singapore

Third Prize: Justin Chan, Harrow School, UK

Winner:  Marc Kadir, The Manchester Grammar School, UK

Second Prize: Arshiya Jain, Modern School Vasant Vihar, India

Third Prize: Alexander Chen, Archmere Academy, USA

Winner: Major Shokar, Aylesbury Grammar School, UK

Second Prize: Zoya Fasihuddin, Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan

Third Prize: Stella Zhu, Northfield Mount Hermon, USA​

Winner: Eugene Choi, International School Manila, Philippines

Second Prize: InChan Yang, Winchester College, UK

Third Prize: Sarah Carr, Sidcot School, UK

Winner: Aiden Whitham, St. Paul's School, UK

Second Prize: Laura Koscielska, The Purcell School For Young Musicians, UK

Third Prize: Naciima Mohamed, Columbia Heights High School, USA

​Winner: Hao Tian, Beijing New Talent Academy, China

Second Prize: Huaming Li, Xi’an Gaoxin No.1 High School, China

Third Prize: Corey Koh, Raffles Institution, Singapore ​

Winner:  Joonyoung Heo, Pacific Cascade Middle School, USA

Second Prize: Stephanie Mo, Indian Mountain School, USA

Third Prize: Rena Kim, Menlo School, USA​​​

Ethan Christian Tan, Anglo-Chinese School, Singapore

Winner: Ethan Christian Tan, ACS (Independent), Singapore

Second Prize: Min-Jun Kang, Korea International School, Korea

Third Prize: Ali Haider, Wallington County Grammar School, UK

Winner: Helny Hobbs, Newstead Wood School, UK

Second Prize: Elizabeth Zhu, University of Toronto School, Canada

Third Prize: Calvin Xu, Appleby College, Canada

Winner:  Raphael Conte, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, UK

Second Prize: Saskia Poulter, The Tiffin Girls' School, UK

Third Prize: Jaimin Shah, King Edward VI Grammar School, UK

Winner: Runan Lin, Georgetown Preparatory School, USA

Second Prize: Christopher Conway, King's College School, UK

Equal Third Prize: Sungjin Park, Wellington College, UK and

                                  Megan Cui, Phillips Andover Academy, USA

Winner: Tianyi Jia, Princeton High School, USA

Second Prize: Henry Barker, Felsted School, UK

Third Prize: Jessica Na, Interlake High School, USA

Winner: Noah Buckle, Watford Grammar School for Boys, UK

Second Prize: Zheng Wei Lim, Raffles Institution, Singapore

Third Prize: Varun Venkatesh, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore

​Winner: Sirui Cai, Raffles Institution, Singapore

Second Prize: Junfang Zhang, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore

Third Prize: Christopher Bong, ARCH Education, Hong Kong ​

Winner:  Jason Hausenloy, UWCSEA East Campus, Singapore

Second Prize: Anna Rantakari, Wellington College, UK

Third Prize: Alexander Fletcher, St Paul's School, UK

Luke Duthie, Germantown Academy, Pennsylvania, US

Winner: Younghoon Seo, Chadwick International School, South Korea

Second Prize: Jiajun Chung, Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Singapore

Third Prize: Maximilian Fawcett, St Paul's School, UK

Winner: Nayah Victoria Thu, Oslo International School, Norway

Second Prize: Daniel Craig-McFeely, St Paul's School, UK

Third Prize: Haritha Kumar, Cupertino High School, US

Winner:  Luke Duthie, Germantown Academy, US

Second Prize: Janusha Uthayakumar, Woodford County High School for Girls, UK

Third Prize: Harry Toube, City of London School, UK

Winner: Rosie Ashmore, Hagley Roman Catholic High School, UK

Second Prize: Mihira Philip, Sutton Grammar School, UK

Equal Third Prize: George Chadney, The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, UK

                                  Clemmie Read, St Paul's Girls' School, UK

Winner: Zikai Zhou, Xiaoshi High School, China

Second Prize: Claire Yoonsuh Kim, Chadwick International School, South Korea

Third Prize: Sophie Kelly, Millfield School, UK

Winner: Elijah Lee, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Singapore

Second Prize: Cindy Xin, Albany High School, US

Third Prize: Andrzej Karpiński, II High School In Poznan, Poland

​Winner: Judy Hyojoo Rhee, University Hill Secondary School, Canada

Second Prize: Jonathan Lee, Abingdon School, UK

Third Prize: Alexander Archer, Eton College, UK ​

Equal First Prize: Ethan Zhu, The King's School, Australia

                                Indigo Lee-Wilson, Ascham School, Australia

Third Prize: Jason Hausenloy, UWC South East Asia East Campus, Singapore​​​

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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!

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

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

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(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.

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.

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John Locke Institute Essay Competition

Resource details.

2022 Essay Competition | johnlockeinstitute  enables you to answer essay questions on Economics topics such as 'What's wrong with the housing market? How can we fix it?' and 'Is Henry George's land value tax fair, efficient, both or neither?'. There are also Law questions which may be relevant if you are considering Land Economy. You can enter as many categories as you would like. 

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.

John Locke Essay Competition 2021

Eva in Upper 4 has written an excellent entry to the John Locke essay prize junior competition run by Princeton and Oxford universities: 2021 Essay Competition | johnlockeinstitute

Eva chose the essay title: Before a certain time almost everybody would have held some belief which we now find repugnant. Does this mean we cannot admire or commemorate the people who helped to shape the modern world?

In her interpretation of the question she compared the accomplishments of Roald Dahl, James Watson and Wagner and their beliefs.

We have received the following feedback on her submission:

“Thank you for sending across Eva’s essay, it made for a very interesting read on a topic that couldn’t be more relevant but with many layers and complexities to discuss. She should be very pleased with the argument she has produced”

You can read the essay in full below.  Well done Eva!

Before a certain time almost everybody would have held some belief which we now find repugnant. Does this mean we cannot admire or commemorate the people who helped to shape the modern world?

The phrase ‘cancel culture’ is increasingly being used in conversation and on social media. It is a term to describe, as the Cambridge Dictionary puts it, the act of completely rejecting and stopping supporting someone because they have said or done something that offends you [1]. It is important to know how far this is a good thing and when it becomes extreme which is why in this essay, I will be looking at two examples of people with repugnant views who should potentially not be accepted for their views but whose work is still ground-breaking. I will review exactly what they have said, if what they have said is offensive enough to disregard them as someone to admire and look purely at the contributions, they have given us. I believe that if everyone who has said something repugnant is taken out of history, we wouldn’t be left with any history to study. Of course, there is a line to be drawn between debate and spreading terrible messages; the discussion on whether we can congratulate a hugely influential person despite repugnant views they believe in is one that comes up in many forms of media.

Can you separate the art from the artist?

In December 2020, the family and foundation of famous children’s author Roald Dahl issued an apology stating ‘[they] deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by Roald Dahl’s anti-Semitic statements.’ [2] This has brought up the long-standing debate of whether we can separate art from the artist. Throughout his life, Dahl made many anti-Semitic comments even stating ‘I am certainly anti-Israel, and I have become anti-Semitic.’[3] He also made many other hurtful comments even saying that he supported Hitler’s and the Nazis’ view of Jewish people and the genocide they committed against Jews [4]. Dahl received a letter from some of his admirers calling out his anti-Semitism, stating ‘We love your books, but you don’t like us because we are Jews. That offends us! Can you please change your mind about what you said about Jews.’[5] At this point, it would have been the perfect time to reconcile his past views especially as this letter was sent not too long before his death and society had moved even further away from his ideas being okay- this is not to say they were ever accepted by the society that he lived in but that society is ever-changing and had moved on even further. However, he did not take this opportunity to withdraw his views. His books are still a huge part of children’s lives with children reading his books in school, watching film and TV adaptations, even listening to musicals inspired by his books. He is, indisputably, one of the most popular children’s authors but can we still celebrate his books without acknowledging his repugnant view?

To help answer this question it would be useful to look at a similar case involving the composer Wagner. Wagner was also extremely anti-Semitic and was very closely involved with the Nazi party but in 2011, after years of his music being unofficially banned in Israel, the Israeli chamber orchestra played a piece composed by him at the music concert Bayreuth [6]. The music director of this concert stated that though Wagner’s views were ‘terrible’ it was time to ‘divide the man from his art’. This was a huge step forward, but Wagner is still played very infrequently in Israel. In 2018, an Israeli radio station apologised after playing one of Wagner’s compositions [7] – the idea of playing his music is still controversial but slowly the impression is changing. It is possible to separate a person from the work they create even if it means accepting, they did wrong but also acknowledging that they were an excellent artist. Is this still the case when their views slip into the media they create?

It is easy to say that, in Wagner’s case, one can still appreciate his music as it can easily be separated from his ideals and the man himself. In Roald Dahl’s case, this is harder as some of those ideas, even if unintentionally, have made their way into his writing which is currently read by thousands of children each year. There are many throw away anti-Semitic, racist and sexist comments, portrayals of characters and situations in his writing. His representation of women in The Witches or Cinderella in Revolting Rhymes aren’t in any way progressive. The Witches portrays women as grotesque and unearthly beings who harm anyone who gets in their way and Cinderella is called a ‘dirty slut’ [8] which is a negative and degrading comment. If a modern-day author described a woman as a ‘dirty slut’ they would instantly get backlash and their book would certainly not be shown to children. Why is this not the case with Roald Dahl?

There is no reason to still be celebrating these stereotypes today when there are plenty of other books, written more recently with better messages and values. Showing some of these harmful stereotypes to young children isn’t a good practice, not to say that all his work should be taken down, but that the brain of a young child is ever-growing and expanding; some of his work might back up already emerging biases created from the prejudices in this society and in popular culture. Moving forward in this ever-scrutinising world, it will be beneficial to review his work and assess if it is necessary to be praising all his books when some contain harmful content. All in all, it is okay to still embrace and admire a person’s art even if they were a terrible person but once those views seep into their work and become noticeably opposite to the values the society believes in, the art should be condemned as well as the artist’s personal opinions.

How should controversial ideas and opinions be weighed against huge scientific contributions?

Dr James Watson, along with the scientist Francis Crick and with huge reliance on the work of Rosalind Franklin, was the first person to discover the double helix formation of DNA in 1953. This discovery has led to huge progression in genealogy, with many other aspects of Biology also relying upon it. It is even referred to in aspects of forensics to aspects of biodiversity. Since that discovery, Watson has received a noble prize in 1962 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom [9].

The scientist behind the invention was far from perfect. In 2007, he said in an interview ‘[he was] inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa’ because ‘all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as [white people]— whereas all the testing says not really.’[10] This is a scientifically untrue and degrading statement that many people find extremely offensive. He later said, ‘I can only apologise unreservedly.’ [11] when talking about that comment. This issue could be dismissed or attributed to misjudgement of the situation and miscommunication but in 2019, a documentary called Decoding Watson was released in which Watson states that there is a difference, intellectually, between white and black people [12]. It is obvious that he stands by his opinion that white people are more intelligent than black people. He justifies this opinion by the claim that there is proof, but no such proof exists.

This racism is not the only hugely offensive thing he has said over the years. In an interview in 1997, he said that ‘If you could find the gene which determines sexuality and a woman decides she doesn’t want a homosexual child, well, let her [abort the child]’.[13] He was suggesting that aborting children purely based on their sexuality should be accepted. This, rightly, sparked outrage from the LGBTQ+ community. He said in a later interview ‘I simply said that women in that situation should have a choice over whether or not to abort. I didn’t say that foetuses found to have a gay gene should be aborted.'[14] This is still implying that you should be allowed to abort based on the sexuality of your unborn child which is offensive and extremely harmful to the LGBT+ community. It might be less shocking if he had said this in the 60s when homosexuality was a criminal offence in Britain and society was not in any way accepting of the LGBTQ+ community but society had moved on by the late 90s which was when these views were made public. Furthermore, he has made other extremely misogynistic comments throughout his career.

We cannot discount or diminish the key role he played in huge scientific discoveries that have shaped the modern way of thinking about science, but we can condemn Watson for saying these unjustified, hurtful comments. The indisputable notion that his views aren’t accepted in the modern world needs to be considered and action needs to be taken to stop these ideas from being normalised which is why in 2007, he was suspended as Chancellor of Cold Spring Harbour laboratory [15] because of his remarks surrounding race and in 2014, he sold his noble prize [16]. This shows that many scientific institutions are taking it upon themselves to lesser the prestige surrounding Watson. It is okay to learn about him as an amazing scientist without applauding him as an amazing man.

In the current society, it is widely agreed that the harmful views talked about in this essay are not accepted. In the cases above the people lived in a society that, at the time of their remarks, was not tolerant of the views conveyed in those remarks. It should not be the case that a misogynistic 18th scientist is suddenly condemned for their beliefs as they lived in a society where misogyny was the norm – it would be the equivalent of condemning an aristocratic woman from the 18th century for not being ‘proactive’ and getting a job. One can condemn a 21st century scientist for being misogynistic as we live in a society where misogyny is wholly unacceptable. In James Watson’s case, I believe that he should not be seen as a great and erudite person to look up to, he should not be over-glorified; he should be seen for who and what he is: an amazing scientist that has extremely repugnant views. It is possible to agree that he hugely helped scientific progression without praising him as a great role model.

Similarly, with the case of Roald Dahl, it is okay to still create film adaptations of some of his more child-appropriate works without agreeing that his beliefs were good. This is what the royal mint did when, in 2014, they decided not to create a commemorative coin celebrating Roald Dahl because of his blatant anti-Semitism [17] that has offended many people and shouldn’t be rewarded or accepted. In addition to that, many of the original controversial interviews with these two figures in which they state their repugnant views have been taken down which is a necessary step forwards as, by keeping the interviews up, acceptance is shown towards the person and view – it is a way of saying, like with the argument in this essay, that that they can still ‘admire’ and ‘commemorate’ the person’s work and the way they helped shape the modern world but they do not ‘admire’ and ‘commemorate’ the person themselves.

[1] Cambridge dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cancel-culture: accessed May 2021

[2]Roald Dahl website: https://www.roalddahl.com/global/rdsc-and-family-notice accessed May 2021

[3] Guardian article: Harriet Sherwood https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/06/roald-dahl-family-apologises-for-his-antisemitism accessed May 2021

[4] Newstatesman article: Eleanor Margonis https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2018/11/i-d-still-read-roald-dahl-s-books-my-children-we-can-t-forget-he-was-anti-semite : accessed May 2021

[5] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/roald-dahls-family-posts-quiet-apology-for-antisemitism-ftbx9wj09

[6] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14272620

[7] BBC article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-45393904 accessed May 2021

[8] Revolting Rhymes: Roald Dahl:

https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/cinderella-by-roald-dahl: accessed May 2021

[9] MLA style: James Watson biographical: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1962/watson/biographical/: accessed May 2021

[10] The Times article: Charlotte Hunt Grubbe: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-elementary-dna-of-dr-watson-gllb6w2vpdr: accessed May 2021

[11] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/18/uk.research

[12] Vox Article: Julia Belloz: https://www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18182530/james-watson-racist: accessed May 2021

[13] Independent article: Josh Gabbattis: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/james-watson-racism-sexism-dna-race-intelligence-genetics-double-helix-a8725556.html: accessed May 2021

[14] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/nobel-winner-backs-abortion-for-any-reason-1279136.html

[15] AAAS Science: Yudhijit Bhattacharjee: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2007/10/watson-loses-cold-spring-harbor-post: accessed May 2021

[16] BBC News article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30346903: accessed May 2021

[17] The Guardian news article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/06/royal-mint-roald-dahl-coin-antisemitic-views: accessed May 2021

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Student announced as john locke institute essay competition finalist.

This weekend she has been invited to Oxford to celebrate her achievement and participate in an academic programme with candidates across the world.

Mr Powell, Head of Sixth Form, said: “We are so proud of Nina. Nina embodies academic resilience and excellence, and her achievements to become a finalist in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition are truly remarkable. She has competed against thousands of applicants around the world to get to this point. This is a fantastic achievement for Nina, and she is a credit to herself and the entire Edmundian Community. Best of luck, Nina!”

Grade 10 Student Receives a High Commendation for John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition

With a rise of COVID-19 cases, Ontario school campuses closed to students and staff on April 19, 2021, and remote learning commenced for the remainder of the school year. Under a strict Stay-At-Home Order from the Government of Ontario, Esha D., Grade 10 student, used her time effectively to research opportunities she could participate in from the comfort of her home. Esha’s passion for writing led her to find the John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition.

The John Locke Institute is an independent educational organization that works to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous.

Through our various programmes – 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.

Each year, the John Locke Institue hosts a Global Essay Competition inviting students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum. Students ages 18-years-old and younger from any country and any school are invited to submit an essay no longer than 2000 words on the subject of their choice; Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

Having taken additional courses in law at HTS, it was a natural choice for Esha to turn her focus to the law category. With three prompts to choose from, she focussed her work on the question of, “Should ‘innocent until proven guilty’ apply not only to courts of law, but also to public censure?” When not in class remotely, Esha spent her time researching and writing to complete her essay over two months.

The John Locke Institute received over 4000 entries from 101 countries, taking their panel of 36 examiners two weeks to review. Entries were judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford on the level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, the quality of argumentation, the structure, writing style and persuasive force. Esha’s law essay was recognized by the examiners as she made the shortlist and later was recognized as a finalist receiving a high commendation.

What Esha takes from her experience is her newfound appreciation and understanding of research. Interested in sharing her passion for writing further, Esha founded the Creative Writing Club in the Senior School since the submission of her essay. The club provides students with the opportunity to explore various forms of writing in a welcoming environment where peers exchange ideas with one another. Club members analyze the elements which diversify creative writing from academic writing. Esha hopes to inspire her peers through the club to take advantage of opportunities to participate in creative writing competitions just as she has.

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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.

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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 !

Alex Chen '23 Wins Third Prize in Global Essay Competition

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