Congratulations to Eben Macdonald (Block 4) and Will Needs (6.2), who have both been shortlisted for the John Locke Essay Competition.

The competition, which is held annually by the John Locke Institute, encourages young people to develop independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style by exploring a range of challenging and interesting questions. Essays are invited from students across seven subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

Eben answered a question in Philosophy (“What is meaning? How much would it matter if we had none?”) while Will answered a question in Theology (“I believe in God. Which God should I believe in?”)

Both will now wait to hear whether they have been successful in their respective categories. There is a prize for the best essay in each category; each prize is worth £100, and the essays will also be published on the John Locke Institute’s website. The candidate who submits the best essay overall will also be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, worth £500.