The Think Essay Prize is a free annual philosophy essay competition run by the Royal Institute of Philosophy for secondary students ages 15-18 worldwide. Entrants choose one of six philosophical questions — spanning topics such as the possibility of machine consciousness, moral responsibility in a deterministic universe, scientific challenges to religious belief, state justification for restricting speech, and the logical possibility of time travel — and write an essay of up to 1,200 words.
The winning essay is published in Think, the Royal Institute's philosophy journal for schools and colleges, alongside articles from leading philosophers. Age-group categories recognize high-quality entries across different age ranges. Shortlisted candidates receive a year's free subscription to Think; additional prizes are awarded to all longlisted entrants. Essays must be submitted by email as a Word document and written entirely without AI assistance.