Draft:John Locke Institute

John Locke Institute

The John Locke Institute (JLI) is an educational institution based primarily in Oxford, England founded on the classical liberal ideas of English philosopher John Locke. The institute's aim, as stated by its Director-General Martin Cox, is to educate "exceptional students" in various subjects in the humanities including law, philosophy, economics, and politics by encouraging them to "process, evaluate and use information to form sound judgments about difficult or controversial questions." The institute has multiple programs for students, including summer schools, gap year programs, and an annual essay competition, referred to by the institute's Chairman of Examiners Jamie Whyte as "the world's most prestigious essay competition." The institute also hosts a blog where faculty and affiliates post opinion pieces and commentaries on current affairs.

Programs and admission

According to their official page, the institute's standards for the selection of its students are high. The admissions page describes the statistics for recent applicants to the program: "In recent years the median student admitted to our summer schools has earned, or is predicted to earn, the highest possible grades in nine or ten subjects at GCSE, or a GPA in the top decile of students."

Summer schools

The admissions process for the 2-week summer school program involves both a written application and an interview conducted by one of JLI's faculty members. This interview is meant to "test how you listen, how you think, and how you formulate and present arguments." Although the institute "[…] is proudly independent and has no formal ties to any university", JLI currently holds summer schools at the University of Oxford, Princeton University, Washington, D.C., and Singapore.

Gap year program

The institute also holds a 3-week gap year program in Washington, D.C. on political philosophy, law, public policy, politics, international relations, and regulation. Participants in this program attend lectures and seminars at various think tanks and universities in and around Washington, including but not limited to Georgetown University, George Mason University, the Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Bipartisan Policy Center. Applicants for the gap year program are also required to send an electronic application and attend at least one interview. Applicants may be admitted after the first interview, or after a second interview is conducted.

Essay competition

Categories

JLI hosts an annual essay competition open to students from the ages of 15 to 18. The competition also hosts a category for junior applicants under the age of 15. The essays can be written in one of seven categories: philosophy, politics, theology, psychology, law, history, or economics. Each category has three questions, and an essay may only answer one question within its intended category. The junior category has six questions that draw upon miscellaneous disciplines. Applicants to the competition may submit more than one essay so long as each essay answers only one question. The institute has a strict anti-plagiarism policy, and students are barred from using other individuals to contribute original material to their essay(s), although others may review them and give feedback.

Shortlist process and awards

A board of examiners is tasked with sorting through the essays and determining which essays are eligible for being shortlisted. Shortlisted applicants are invited to attend an awards ceremony; this year, the ceremony will be held in London, England. For each category, there is a first, second, and third prize, as well as a prize for the best essay overall. Winners of the first prize in a category receive a US$2000 scholarship, viable for any program hosted by the institute. The winner of the prize for the best essay overall receives a US$10000 scholarship. Prize-winning essays are posted on the institute's website.

Affiliations

JLI claims to be affiliated with multiple influential academics, politicians, and scholars. While the institute is affiliated to a large extent with those working within the classical liberal and libertarian traditions, they claim that "[…] we like to bring into the mix a wide range of ideological positions, from egalitarians to anarcho-capitalists." These affiliations include those of Jamie Whyte, New Zealand academic and politician, Lord Hannan of Kingsclere, member of the British House of Lords, Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister of Australia, Bryan Caplan, American economist at George Mason University, Alan Ryan FBA, British philosopher, Robin Hanson, American economist and author at George Mason University, David Friedman, American economist and physicist at Santa Clara University, and Ilya Somin, American legal scholar and professor of law at George Mason University.