Are you interested in persuasive writing? Do you dream of crafting an eloquent essay that shows off the depth of your independent thought and reasoning skills? If so, you’ve probably already considered entering the John Locke Essay Competition (https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/essay-competition). If you haven’t, maybe it’s time to think about entering. We’re here to help you learn how to write the best possible essay for John Locke. John Locke is an essay competition that invites students to write compelling essays that respond to prompts in categories such as Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Psychology, and Theology. The competition is founded by the John Locke Institute, an educational organization motivating students to think differently, critically, and argumentatively, utilizing reason, passion, and logic to expand their intellectual horizons. It might sound intimidating at first, but writing a great John Locke essay isn’t all that hard. It does, however, mean thinking carefully about the following areas: Prompt Selection: Every year, John Locke releases a new set of prompts. The prompts ask things like, “Is there such a thing as too much democracy” (Politics) or “Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?” (History). The list of prompts is long and thought-provoking. As you read through the website’s extensive list, try to select the top three prompts that interest you the most. Then, conduct a deep brainstorming session for each one, compare your notes, and settle on the topic you feel you have the most to say about. The more you have to say about something, the deeper your essay will be. Point of View: Simply answering a prompt in a “yes/no” manner is not enough. A great John Locke essay has a unique, even controversial point of view. To fine-tune the stance you want to use in your essay, try reading five to ten scholarly articles related to your topic before writing, taking detailed notes, and coming up with a concrete thesis before writing your essay. The more prepared you are to write, the more persuasive your writing will be. Arguments: John Locke looks for essays that have sound and well-defended arguments. As the word count for John Locke is 2,000 words, you can expect to come up with three to four strong, well-researched arguments to back up your thesis. While it’s important to state your opinions in your essay, be sure to include evidence from reputable scholarly sources. A big mistake many writers make when preparing their arguments is jotting down everything they think without utilizing research. John Locke encourages students to think critically, but an important part of critical thought is evaluating what others think and believe and developing your own, nuanced opinion as a result. Audience: John Locke’s judges are a panel of senior academics from universities such as Oxford and Princeton. This means that the tone you use throughout your essay should be highly academic, well-versed, and eloquent. A John Locke essay is a window into your thoughts, but this does not mean your essay should be overly personal or conversational. To strike the perfect voice for John Locke, be sure to read the winning essays from previous competition cycles (https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/past-essays). As John Locke himself once said, “New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.” In other words, every new opinion comes with opposition because it is unique. Your essay should do exactly this—introduce new ideas, acknowledge any arguments, and stand out in excellence.
