11-04-2024
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The John Locke
Institute is an independent educational organisation dedicated to inspiring and
equipping students to become more academically ambitious and intellectually
adventurous. Through its various programmes, including residential courses,
revision seminars, essay competitions, and special events, the Institute aims
to cultivate a love of learning and hone the skills necessary for students to
achieve their academic goals.
The Institute
takes its name from the eminent 17th-century Oxford philosopher, John Locke, a
true Renaissance man whose influence extended far beyond his native England to
the United States and beyond. Locke was a philosopher, political scientist,
economist, and medical doctor – a man of ideas and action. The Institute honours
Locke's philosophy of education, which emphasises the teacher's role in
fostering a love and esteem for knowledge, guiding students to become
independent learners and critical thinkers.
In the spirit
of John Locke, the John Locke Institute provides educational courses in
Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, and Law, designed to
challenge students' existing mindsets and expose them to new ideas. The
Institute's programmes aim to refine and develop independent thought, promote
reasoning skills, cultivate a critical faculty, and instil an analytical cast
of mind. Above all, the Institute seeks to impart a lifelong love of learning to
its students.
One of the
Institute's flagship programmes is the annual Global Essay Prize, a competition
that encourages young people to develop the characteristics that distinguish
great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning,
critical analysis, and persuasive style. The competition invites students to
explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the
confines of the school curriculum.
By entering the
essay competition, students can build knowledge and refine their argumentation
skills, while also having their work assessed by experts. All essays are judged
by a panel of senior academics from leading universities, including Oxford and Princeton,
under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, and former Cambridge
philosopher, Dr. Jamie Whyte.
The Essay Prize
covers seven subject categories: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History,
Psychology, Theology, and Law. Each category features three thought-provoking
questions that challenge students to grapple with complex issues and formulate
well-reasoned arguments. Additionally, there is a separate Junior Prize
category for students under 15 years old.
Philosophy
Do we have any
good reasons to trust our moral intuition?
Do girls have a
(moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?
Should I be
held responsible for what I believe?
Politics
Is there such a
thing as too much democracy?
Is peace in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?
When is
compliance complicity?
Economics
What is the optimal
global population?
Accurate news
reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded
from taxation?
Do successful
business people benefit others when making their money when spending it, both,
or neither?
History
Why was
sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century, and why did
this change?
Has music ever
significantly changed the course of history?
Why do
civilizations collapse? Is our civilization in danger?
Law
When, if ever,
should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of
that person's public statements?
In the last
five years, British police have arrested several thousand people for things
they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?
Your parents
say that 11 pm is your bedtime. But they don't punish you if you don't go to
bed by 11 pm. Is 11 pm really your bedtime?
Psychology
According to a
study by four British universities, for each 16-point increase in IQ, the
likelihood of getting married increases by 35% for a man but decreases by 40%
for a woman. Why?
There is an
unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix
this? How?
What is the
difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?
Theology
"I am not
religious, but I am spiritual." What could the speaker mean by
"spiritual"?
Is it
reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is
responsible for causing the harm?
Does God reward
those who believe in him? If so, why?
Junior Prize
Does winning a
free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?
Has the
anti-racism movement reduced racism?
Is there life
after death?
How did it
happen that governments came to own and run most high schools while leaving
food production to private enterprise?
When will
advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about
this?
Should we trust
fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies?
The John Locke
Institute Essay Competition is open to students from any country, provided they
meet the age and registration requirements.
Registration Students must register for the
competition before the registration deadline of Friday, May 31, 2024.
Submission All entries must be submitted by 11:59
pm BST on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Candidates must be 18 years old or younger on
that date, while candidates for the Junior Prize must be 14 years old or
younger.
Entry is free,
and each essay must address only one of the questions in the chosen subject
category. Essays must not exceed 2,000 words, excluding diagrams, tables,
endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration.
The file name
of the submitted PDF must follow a specific format:
FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf (e.g.,
Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf). Essays with incorrect file names will be
rejected.
Candidates
should not include their names within the document itself but may include
endnotes and a titled bibliography. They must also provide the email address of
an academic referee familiar with their written academic work, such as a school
teacher or another responsible adult (not a relative).
Candidates are
advised to submit their essays well in advance of the deadline to avoid any
last-minute complications.
Late Entries If a candidate misses the June 30
deadline, they may submit a late entry under two conditions:
a) They must
pay a late entry fee of USD 20 by credit card within 24 hours of the original
deadline. b) Their essay must be submitted before 11:59 pm BST on Wednesday,
July 10, 2024.
Assessment
and Plagiarism The John
Locke Institute uses a proprietary grading system and may ask essayists to
discuss their entries with a faculty member. Various means are employed to
identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI, and other forms of
fraud. The Institute's determinations in such matters are final.
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 most successful essays are likely to be those
that could potentially change someone's mind and address the strongest
objections and counter-arguments.
Results and
Prizes The writers of
the best essays will receive commendations and be shortlisted for prizes.
Shortlisted essayists will be notified by 11:59 pm BST on Wednesday, July 31,
2024, and will be invited to an invitation-only academic conference and awards
dinner in London in September, where the prize winners will be announced.
All shortlisted
candidates, including prize winners, will receive eCertificates acknowledging
their achievement. If winners of the First, Second, or Third Prize attend the
ceremony in London, they will receive signed certificates.
The winner of
each subject category and the Junior category will receive a USD 2,000
scholarship towards attending any John Locke Institute programme, and their
essays will be published on the Institute's website.
The candidate
who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke
Institute Junior Fellowship, which includes a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend
one or more of the Institute's summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes.
The judges'
decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entertained.
Registration
opens: April 1, 2024
Registration
deadline: May 31, 2024
Submission
deadline: June 30, 2024
Late entry
deadline: July 10, 2024 (subject to a USD 20 fee)
Notification of
shortlisted essayists: July 31, 2024
Academic
conference: September 20-22, 2024
Awards dinner:
September 21, 2024
The John Locke
Institute Essay Competition provides an exceptional opportunity for young minds
to explore complex ideas, hone their writing and critical thinking skills, and
showcase their intellectual prowess. By engaging with these thought-provoking
questions and subjecting their work to rigorous assessment by leading
academics, students can gain valuable experience and potentially earn
recognition and support for their academic pursuits.
Whether driven
by a thirst for knowledge, a passion for debate, or a desire to challenge
themselves, the Essay Competition offers a platform for students to embark on
an intellectual adventure, following in the footsteps of the esteemed John
Locke himself.
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