11 Ethics and Philosophy Essay Contests for Middle Schoolers
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
If you’re a middle school student, participating in essay competitions which explore questions about ethics and philosophy can develop your critical thinking skills and spark your curiosity about a range of subjects. The rigorous demands of the competition also help you maintain formal writing standards, polish your argumentation skills and writing style, evolve your vocabulary, and more! By engaging with profound philosophical and ethical issues, students learn how to think critically, form their own opinions and hone their writing skills.
A number of essay contests also conduct virtual writing workshops and webinars, and provide you with free resources to help you with the preparation. Winners and other recognised essayists share cash prizes, win publication opportunities and also get the chance to network with experts and like-minded peers.
If you’re interested, here’s a list of 11 established ethics and philosophy contests:
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: March 9–May 17
Submission Deadline: April 26
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
The annual Junior Scholars Essay Contest by Lumiere Education invites middle schoolers across the globe to engage with challenging prompts. Those curious about ethics and philosophy get to deal with questions ranging from human nature and human rights to medical ethics, climate justice and the role of art in society. Originality, analytical skills, use of credible evidence, academic writing standards, and appropriate presentation are key demonstrators of proficiency!
Researchers and public figures from leading universities like Cambridge, Oxford, Columbia, Brown, and Dartmouth serve on the judging panel, thereby allowing students to be supervised by the finest in their respective fields. Winners (one Gold winner, two Silver winners, and three Bronze winners) gain cash prizes totaling up to $11,000, in addition to prestigious scholarships.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: January 15–July 31
Application Deadline: May 10 (Submission Deadline)
Eligibility: Students aged 11–13 (Junior Division)
Cambridge’s Re-Think Essay Competition is an annual essay competition that sees participation from over 13,000 participants every year. Students aged 11 and 13 compete in the Junior Division of the contest, where they engage with ideas like individual philosophy, fairness in schools, animal rights, vaccination ethics, and more! Essays are judged based on original arguments, quality of writing, and one’s engagement with the chosen prompt, among other criteria.
The judging panel consists of researchers from leading universities like Cambridge, MIT, Harvard, Oxford and Stanford. The competitive nature of the contest meant that only 0.25% of the total participants were recognised as winners in the year 2025. If recognised, you will also be invited to an in-person awards and dinner ceremony and get the opportunity to form valuable connections with experts in various fields.
Cost/Stipend: Free (Extra fee for late submissions, as mentioned here.)
Dates: February 2–October 3
Application Deadline: March 31 (Registration), May 31 (Submission)
Eligibility: Students under age 15 (Junior Category)
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize invites students aged 19 years or below to engage with prompts delving into subjects like law, politics, theology, law, history, science & technology, philosophy, and more! A number of prompts offer you the chance to explore ethical and philosophical questions in detail. Essays are judged based on your understanding of the chosen prompt, quality of arguments, persuasion skills, and writing structure & style.
Reputed figures from top universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford evaluate the essays and select three Junior winners from each of the ten categories. Winners from each category win scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 towards the cost of any John Locke Institute Program. The sole Grand Prize winner is awarded a similar scholarship worth $10,000 and is also felicitated with an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship.
Cost/Stipend: $10 for individual entry, $30 per portfolio (fee waiver available)
Dates: October 1–June 11
Application Deadline: Varies by region
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12
Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a contest committed to keeping the creative streak alive among teenagers. In the writing category, you can submit a critical essay, a journalistic piece, flash fiction, personal essay or memoir, poetry, and more! All the sub-category contests contain a different set of instructions, as described here.
The contest’s official website also includes an Online Gallery featuring award-winning works from the past to help students during the preparation process. Winners at the national level get the chance to win scholarships worth $12,500, publication opportunities, chances to showcase their work in exhibitions. They are also invited to the national ceremony in New York City where they interact with special guests from the fields of art and writing.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: March 4–April 30
Application Deadline: April 30 (Submission Deadline)
Eligibility: Commonwealth nationals or residents aged 18 or below
Royal Commonwealth Society’s Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition is open to participation for students aged 18 or below who are Commonwealth nationals or residents. The annual prompts delve into subjects like sports & community, popular culture, environmental issues, shared identities and language & human connection. Your written submission can take the form of a poem, a letter, an article, a story, an essay, a play/script, or any other suitable writing format.
Every Commonwealth region (The Americas, The Pacific, Asia, Africa and Europe) picks their own list of winners, while the best among the five writers is recognised separately. Each regional winner is invited to London for a week-long programme of various cultural events and is formally felicitated at the award ceremony.
Cost/Stipend: NA
Dates: To be specified
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Anyone can participate
The Philosophical Essay Prize Competition by the Foundation for Philosophical Orientation invites people of all ages to respond to its annual prompt with a detailed essay. Authors are expected to engage with Werner Stegmaier’s work on Orientation. From the usefulness of the left-right distinction in politics to changes in orientation due to digitisation, the topics offer ample scope for philosophical exploration.
The best contributors are invited to a virtual debate with the contest’s board and advisory council. The three selected winners win cash prizes ranging from $5000 to $10000 and also gain publication opportunities. The contest does not accept essays that are also published.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: To be updated
Application Deadline: April 30 (Submission Deadline)
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and above
The annual essay contests by Ayn Rand Institute invite students aged 13 and above to write analytical essays about novels written by Ayn Rand such as Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged. Students are encouraged to approach the works through a philosophical lens and analyse them in an original and independent manner. Judges expect a solid understanding of the novel and analytical rigour in the responses.
The contest provides students with free-of-cost resources, including copies of the novel, contextual information, theme & character analyses, and more! Winners gain cash prizes up to $4,000, depending on their chosen novel.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: February 25–July 1
Application Deadline: April 8
Eligibility: Students aged 13–19
Open Letters by New York Times invites students aged between 13 and 19 to write public-facing letters about issues they care about the most. You are open to choose a subject of your choice relating to pressing social issues. Letters are expected to be addressed to a specified audience and should include a call to action or an appeal. Submissions are judged on the basis of the chosen subject, originality of ideas and use of appropriate language.
Established New York Times journalists serve as judges, providing students with an opportunity to present their work before an esteemed judging panel. The best writers win the chance of publishing their letters on the New York Times’ website, with a possible opportunity to also be featured in the newspaper’s print edition.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: March 3–September 29
Application Deadline: May 29 (Registration Deadline), June 3 (Submission Deadline)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8 (Middle School Grade Level)
The John Estey Student Writing competition invites middle school students to engage with its annual writing prompt through submissions in the form of essays, fiction or non-fiction work, poems, songs, monologues or other creative formats. Students may utilise the prompt as they like, offering scope for philosophical and ethical exploration.
Only a limited number of students from the same school can participate. Four selected winners share cash rewards totaling up to $4,000. The best writings are also featured on the American Writers Museum Website.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: To be specified
Application Deadline: April 3
Eligibility: Students aged 14 or below
Minds Underground’s Global Essay Competitions invites students aged 14 or younger to respond to thought-provoking questions. For instance, the Conundrum Contest asks students to imagine the ethical concerns in transferring population transfer to another planet with limited transport infrastructure. Essays are judged based on originality of ideas, clarity of argument, creativity, and overall engagement with the topic.
Students in the 8-11 and 12-14 age brackets are recognised separately. The best performers win tuition vouchers and are invited to a camp/award ceremony hosted at the prestigious Oxford University. Other commendable writers are also recognised with certificates, along with features on the Minds Underground website.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: – July 31
Application Deadline: May 31 (Submission Deadline)
Eligibility: Students in grades 5–12
The Global Youth AI Ethics competition by AI Ethics invites middle school and high school students to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) ethics. Submissions can take the form of an essay, a video or any other art form. Your essays will be expected to be written between 500 and 800 words. Students are encouraged to not just engage with AI topics, but also engage with case studies and come up with enterprising solutions for AI-related issues.
Winners get the chance to get featured on EthicsWise AI’s website. All the participants earn recommendation letters, certificates and public recognition as an AI Ethics Youth Thought Leader.
One more option—The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure! To learn more, you can reach out to our Director, Dhruva, at dhruva.bhat@lumiere.education, or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the upcoming cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this page!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Scholastic Art & Writing Awards logo