Think Essay Prize
The 2026 Think Essay Prize is now closed for entries. Good luck to everyone who has submitted an essay!
The winning essay will be published in an issue of Think, shortlisted candidates win a year’s free subscription to Think, and other prizes will be awarded to all those who made it onto the longlist.
Find out more about the 2026 prize and see a list of this year’s questions
What does a good essay look like?
Here are some excellent examples from past years.
Metaphysics
Can I know the world I experience is real? by Sabrina Bissoo (longlisted essay in 2024)
Philosophy of mind
Can machines think? by Alana Hockridge (shortlisted essay in 2024)
Machine thought on a continuum by Ari Shtein (shortlisted essay in 2024)
Ethics
The morality of eating meat by Claudia Wong (winning essay in 2024, and published in Think journal)
Do objective values exist? by Pati Bhargav (longlisted essay in 2025)
Philosophy of religion
Does the existence of evil provide good evidence God does not exist? by Darrell Pui (longlisted essay in 2025)
Political philosophy
Do we have freedom of speech? Should we? by Laiba Majeed (shortlisted essay in 2025)
Do we have freedom of speech? Should we? by Vanessa Lau (shortlisted essay in 2025)
Do we have freedom of speech? Should we? by Eamon Lam (longlisted essay in 2025)
Kan Kevin Zhang was the author of the prize-winning essay in the 2025 Think Essay Prize. Here he explains why the competition appealed to him.
Fabio Ho entered the Think Essay Prize in 2025. He talks about how the prize allowed him to explore ideas that change how we think about the world.
2025 Winner
TRIP is delighted to announce the winner of the 2025 Think Essay Prize competition, Kan Zhang, with his essay titled: ‘‘Could a Person Migrate to Another’s Body? A Realistic Solution to a Fanciful Problem’.
2025 Longlist
The judging panel for the 2025 Think Essay Prize announced this year’s longlist.
2025 Shortlist
The judging panel for the 2025 Think Essay Prize have announced this year’s shortlist.