What is the John Locke Competition?
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is one of the world's most prestigious academic writing contests for students aged 14–18. It is run by Oxford scholars and prizes original thinking, rigorous argumentation, and elegant prose.
Unlike school essays, John Locke judges are looking for a genuinely original argument — not a summary of what others think. You will be given a single provocative question in a subject like Philosophy, Politics, Economics, or Law.
What judges look forCompetition Rules
Word limit: 2,000 words maximum (including footnotes).
Format: Free essay — no set structure is required, but a clear introduction, sustained argument, and conclusion are expected.
No citations required, but you must not plagiarise. Original ideas are prized above borrowed ones.
Subjects available: Philosophy · Politics · Economics · Psychology · Law · History · Theology
What kinds of questions are asked?
"Is it ever right to break the law?"
"Should we care more about the present than the future?"
"Can a machine ever be creative?"
"Do animals have rights?"
Notice: these are open, philosophical questions — they have no single right answer. Your job is to take a position and defend it brilliantly.
Core Essay Concepts
Click each concept to expand its explanation and see an example.
What is a Thesis?
A thesis is your central claim — the single, clear answer you give to the essay question. Everything else in your essay supports this one idea.
A weak thesis is vague: "Animals are important."
A strong thesis is specific and arguable: "Animals possess moral status sufficient to ground legally enforceable rights, because sentience — not species — is the basis of moral consideration."
Building an Argument
An argument is a chain of reasoning from premise to conclusion. Each paragraph should contain one clear point that advances your thesis.
Structure each body paragraph as: Claim → Reasoning → Evidence → Link back to thesis.
Reasoning: "The capacity to suffer, not the capacity to reason, is what grounds our duty not to cause pain."
Evidence: "Peter Singer's principle of equal consideration of interests holds that…"
Link: "This undermines any purely species-based account of rights."
Using Evidence
John Locke essays prize philosophical and logical argument over mere citation. Evidence can include:
• Thought experiments (e.g. Trolley Problem)
• Real-world examples (historical events, scientific facts)
• Quotes from thinkers (Locke, Mill, Rawls, Singer…)
• Logical deduction from first principles
Counter-argument & Rebuttal
The best essays engage with the strongest objection to their position, then refute it. This shows intellectual honesty and makes your argument stronger.
Formula: "One might object that… However, this view fails because…"
Essay Structure
A John Locke essay has no mandatory format, but this structure works well:
1. Introduction — Hook + define key terms + state your thesis clearly.
2. Body paragraphs — 3–5 paragraphs, each making one distinct argument.
3. Counter-argument — Acknowledge and rebut the strongest objection.
4. Conclusion — Restate thesis in light of what you have argued. Avoid mere repetition — synthesise.
Voice & Academic Style
John Locke essays should sound confident, precise, and original. Avoid:
✗ "In this essay I will…" (weak opening)
✗ Overly casual language: "kind of", "sort of", "basically"
✗ Vague claims: "Everyone knows that…"
Prefer:
✓ Active verbs: "I argue", "This entails", "The evidence suggests"
✓ Precise hedging: "In most cases", "With some qualifications"
✓ Elegant transitions: "This concedes too much", "A more plausible view holds that"
✓ "The question of whether animals possess rights forces us to confront the very foundation of moral consideration."
Philosophical Thinking
Philosophy asks foundational questions — about what exists, what we ought to do, and how we know things. Key philosophical moves:
• Define your terms — What does "rights" mean? What counts as "harm"?
• Draw distinctions — There is a difference between legal rights and moral rights.
• Test with cases — Does your principle hold in edge cases?
• Question assumptions — Why do we take certain things for granted?