The 2026 competition introduces three new subjects—Public Policy, International Relations, and Science & Technology—expanding opportunities for critical thinking across a wide range of topics. Registration opens earlier, with shortlist notifications released on July 7. Juniors can now choose any question from all categories, with the questions judged separately from Seniors, making the competition more inclusive and challenging for all students.
| Feature | 2025 Competition | 2026 Competition (Updated) |
| Subject Categories | 7 subject categories: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Law, History, Psychology, Theology | 10 subject categories, with 3 new categories added: Public Policy, International Relations, Science & Technology |
| Registration Timeline | April 1, 2025 – May 31, 2025 | February 2, 2026 – March 31, 2026 |
| Submission Deadline | June 30, 2025 | 1 month earlier on May 31, 2026 |
| Shortlist Notification Date | July 31, 2025 | Earlier shortlist release: July 7, 2026 |
| Junior Category Questions | Separate Junior-only question set released | No separate Junior questions in 2026, Juniors answer from the full question list, and they are judged separately from Seniors |
| Prize Structure by Category | 3 prizes for each subject category, and 3 prizes for the Junior category | 6 prizes for each subject category (3 prizes for Junior and 3 prizes for Senior for each subject category) |
Unlock Your Writing Potential: Students in Our Writing Competition Preparation Class Are More Likely to Secure Awards
What is the John Locke Essay Competition?
Hosted by the John Locke Institute, the John Locke Institute Essay Competition is an independent educational organization located in Oxford, UK. Professors at the John Locke Institute come from renowned universities such as Oxford, Princeton, Brown, and Buckingham University.
The John Locke Essay Competition attracts a pool of excellent participants from around the world. In 2025, there are approximately 63,328 entries. Each year, only 25 individuals are awarded prizes, resulting in a winning rate of 0.03% and a shortlisted rate of 18.65%.
What’s New in the 2026 John Locke Essay Competition?
1. Three New Subject Categories Added
One of the most exciting updates to the 2026 John Locke Essay Competition is the introduction of three new subject categories: Public Policy, International Relations, and Science & Technology, each with a fresh, new set of essay questions. These additions broaden the competition’s academic scope and give students more ways to explore complex ideas, contemporary debates, and interdisciplinary thinking.
Alongside returning subjects such as Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law, the new categories bring innovative themes and challenging prompts that reflect today’s evolving intellectual landscape. As always, the questions are designed to encourage originality, critical reasoning, and deep engagement with global issues.
Philosophy
Q1. Is it ever wrong to do the right thing for the wrong reasons?
Q2. What consolations does philosophy offer?
Q3. Why is incest wrong?
Politics
Q1. Is the right to self-determination absolute?
Q2. Did the pandemic normalise authoritarianism?
Q3. Is democracy in crisis?
Economics
Q1. Should we fear a cashless society?
Q2. Technology now allows personalised pricing. If this came to be widely used, what effects should we expect?
Q3. Did Jeff Bezos get rich at the expense of his customers, his employees, neither or both?
History
Q1. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Is it? Does it?
Q2. What might the world look like if the Library of Alexandria didn’t burn down?
Q3. Does Che deserve his iconic T-shirt?
Law
Q1. If legislators and judges all accepted the philosophical theory of determinism, what would be the effect on criminal sentencing?
Q2. To what extent should criminal sentencing take into account the effect on the perpetrator’s family?
Q3. Is trial by jury obsolete?
Psychology
Q1. Why do we care what happens to our body after death?
Q2. Is mental illness over-diagnosed now, or just better recognised?
Q3. Surveys show a widening gender ideological gap in recent years. Why?
Theology
Q1. Is religious experience better explained by neuroscience or by theology?
Q2. Research shows a strong inverse correlation between religiosity and per-capita spending on education. Does one cause the other?
Q3. If you achieve enlightenment, how will you know?
(New!) Pubic Policy
Q1. What discount rate should be applied to long-run environmental policies? Why?
Q2. Which unintended consequence was most devastating and why did we fail to predict it?
Q3. Should vaccination be mandatory in a public health emergency?
(New!) International Relations
Q1. Does foreign aid help or hurt poor people?
Q2. Is the US economy harmed by cheap imports from China?
Q3. Should a coalition of countries (or of billionaires) run an experiment with a libertarian microstate?
(New!) Science & Technology
Q1. Is free speech the enemy of science?
Q2. Is space exploration a necessity or an indulgence?
Q3. Should we be polite to ChatGPT?
Categories such as Philosophy and Theology invite deep reflection on ethics, meaning, and human understanding, while Politics, International Relations, and Public Policy focus on power, governance, and real-world challenges facing societies today.
Economics examines markets, technology, and inequality, and Law encourages students to think critically about justice and legal systems. Meanwhile, History and Psychology provide opportunities to analyze human behavior and the forces that shape cultures over time.
Science & Technology highlights modern dilemmas at the intersection of innovation and society.
78% of Aralia Students Win Prizes in the John Locke Essay Competition
2. Earlier Submission Timeline
In 2026, registration opens on February 2 and closes on March 31, meaning students must commit to entering before spring.
Shortlist notifications also arrive slightly earlier in 2026 (July 7) compared to July 31, 2025.
Updated Key Dates
The 2026 competition follows a similar timeline to 2025, with a few adjustments:
- Registration opens on February 2, 2026.
- Registration deadline: March 31, 2026. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)
- Submissions open: April 1, 2026.
- Submission deadline: May 31, 2026
- Late entry deadline: June 7, 2026 (for the seven-day extension) or June 21, 2026 (for the twenty-one-day extension).
- Notification of short-listed essayists: July 7, 2026.
- Academic conference: October 2-4, 2026.
- Awards dinner: October 3, 2026.
3. Junior Category Update: No Separate Junior Questions in 2026
The 2026 John Locke Essay Competition introduces an important change to the Junior category. Instead of offering a separate set of Junior-only questions, younger contestants can now select from the full list of essay questions across every subject area.
Key points to know:
- No dedicated Junior Prize questions will be released in 2026.
- Junior contestants may answer any question from any category.
- Junior essays will be judged separately from Senior entries.
- Each category now awards six prizes in total (Junior + Senior combined).
This change makes the competition more inclusive and allows Junior students to engage with the same challenging topics as older participants.
4. AI Policy Change in 2026
One of the most striking changes in the 2026 John Locke Essay Competition is the change of its AI policy. In 2025, the competition enforced a strict ban on artificial intelligence tools. Essays were actively checked for AI-generated content, and any detected use could result in automatic disqualification.
In 2026, however, the rules have shifted significantly. AI tools are now permitted, but students are strongly warned not to rely on them too heavily. Essays that appear unoriginal or are overly influenced by AI may be judged less favorably, as the competition continues to prioritize independent thinking and the student’s authentic voice.
Key difference:
- 2025: AI banned → strict enforcement and disqualification
- 2026: AI allowed → permitted with caution, originality still essential
5. Late Submission Fee Clarified in 2026
What’s new in 2026 is an important clarification about how these fees are applied. The late entry fee is charged per contestant, not per essay. This means that students only need to pay the extension fee once, even if they submit essays in multiple categories.
The John Locke Essay Competition continues to remain free to enter as long as students submit their essays by the main deadline.
6. Essay Submission Limits Clarified
Another important update in the 2026 John Locke Essay Competition is the clarification around essay submission limits. In 2025, students were allowed to submit as many essays as they wished across any or all categories, with few restrictions stated.
In 2026, multiple submissions are still permitted, but the rules are now more clearly defined. Contestants may submit essays for several subjects. However, they are limited to only one essay per category, and each entry will be judged independently.
7. Junior Prizes and Scholarships Updated
For 2026, with the elimination of the Junior Prizes subject category, the prize system has been updated to reflect the new judging structure:
- Senior and Junior entries are now judged separately within each subject category.
- Each category awards six prizes in total, recognizing the top essays from both Junior and Senior divisions.
3. 2026 John Locke Competition Preparation Courses
In this course, students receive a comprehensive roadmap to a winning essay, from a guided analysis of primary and secondary sources to the development of an original, compelling thesis. Students will learn how to think critically, evaluate complex philosophical and political ideas, and structure arguments properly. They will be taught by top-rated instructors and winning coaches to master the art of academic writing.
Aralia’s students have consistently excelled in this prestigious competition, achieving Grand Prizes, Third Prizes, and High Commendations. If you are ready to challenge yourself and elevate your academic profile, join Aralia’s Prep Class and start your learning journey toward becoming a recognized global thinker.
John Locke Essay Competition Prep
In the John Locke Essay Competition Prep course, students will learn the ins and outs of essay writing, in preparation for entering the competition. We offer prep classes in all categories. Students will choose one topic, compose an original thesis and argument, and write an essay for submission. Students will engage in a guided analysis of primary and secondary sources, develop critical thinking skills, and discover interesting insights. In addition to the group classes, students will receive guidance on their individual projects from the instructor through one-on-one sessions.
