The John Locke Essay Competition inspires philosophical thinkers from across the globe to share their ideas and openly challenge controversial topics. By encouraging students to craft essays that express their independent thoughts, the depth of their academic inquiry and exploration, and capture previously unrepresented perspectives, the John Locke Essay Competition is the place where new ideas meet time-tested conflicts.

Contestants have the opportunity to address prompts in categories such as Economics, Philosophy, Politics, History, Law, Theology, and Psychology. Although every year, the essay prompts change, John Locke consistently encourages students to bring their unique moral, philosophical, and rational beliefs to every competition cycle. While an essay prompt may exist in the History category, John Locke asks its contestants to examine the topic from an untraditional approach, and write an essay that you could never find in a textbook or previously published journal. Students typically write essays anywhere between 1,500 to 2,000 words—enough space to persuasively develop their arguments. By participating in the John Locke Essay Competition, students get the chance to forget about memorization—and can instead examine where they stand and what they believe.

The J&B Essay Consulting team works with students to help them express and polish their ideas in written form, honing their knowledge and logic. As students work one-on-one with a team of experienced J&B consultants, they get to opportunity to break down research, analysis, and critical thinking to prepare them for a future of out-of-the-box ideation and innovative essay writing.