Adam Smith Essay competition and Wealth of Nations:

I believe that there is no economist who has influenced modern economic thought like Adam Smith.
Therefore, it was imperative that I read his magnum opus, The Wealth of Nations. I was particularly
intrigued by his belief that the state’s role in the economy shouldn’t extend beyond upholding law
and order, defence and basic public goods. This made me wonder whether this theory still stands, so
I took part in the Immerse Cambridge University essay competition, discussing Smith’s relevance
today, where I outlined the necessity of state intervention during the pandemic. In recognition of my
work, I was awarded a partial scholarship to the Summer School.

Combines the fact I’ve read Wealth of Nations, understood a key concept (but one which is less
often discussed, unlike self-interest argument) and managed to critique it, in a modern context to
such a level that I received a partial scholarship for it.

Characters: 657

I have been awarded for my performance in essay competitions on four occasions.

After discovering that Smith’s economic philosophy included extensive discussion and endorsement
of state intervention in order, defence and other basic public goods in addition to his more well-
known exploration of markets and self-interest, I was fascinated enough to explore his
contemporary relevance in the ‘Immerse Cambridge’ essay competition, being awarded a
scholarship to the Summer School for my work.

Philosophy Essay Competition:

“On the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends”, wrote Oscar Wilde in his book,
The Soul of Man Under Socialism. Reading this was a revelation in understanding humanity’s need
for technological progress, in order to uplift workers out of deplorable conditions. It seemed
obvious, in the eyes of the author, yet the question of whether this was an ethical outcome for
machinery played on my mind. As a result, I decided to expand on the morality concerning this idea
in an essay competition run by New College of Humanities, answering whether robots deserve
rights. The piece was recognised as outstanding and I have subsequently been invited to attend the
awards ceremony for my work.

Mentions that I’ve written it to a high enough level that I will attend an awards ceremony for it. Also
points out that I’ve read a book, which isn’t the most common piece in socialist literature and that I
also picked out a specific quote which sparked my interest in writing the essay.

Characters: 701

Marxism paragraph:
After reading The Communist Manifesto, I was convinced that Marx’s ability to intertwine
philosophy, politics and economics has set him apart from other intellectuals. His critique of the
immoralities that 19th century capitalism contained, such as the use of child labour – and his
assertion that a communist system wouldn’t exploit youths – is one of many examples of why he is
one of the most innovative thinkers in history. Once I read this, I decided to focus my HE+ project on
his Critique of the Gotha Program, in order to learn more about Marxism, specifically the
uncertainties of how needs and wants are managed in a Marxist utopia.
Points out how Marx combines all subjects in one and gives example from book where morality of a
capitalist system is called into question. As a result, it leads on nicely to how I’ve delved further into
Marxism by doing HE+ on him. This can then lead smoothly into discussing my EPQ, as from planning
research into Marxism, I have ended up focussing on the applications in the context of British
politics, as opposed to the applications in a hypothetical, Marxist system – as I did in my HE+ piece.

In order to help me further develop my understanding of applied Marxism, I decided to focus my

EPQ research on how the post-war labour governments utilised monetary and fiscal policy to achieve
Marxism.

I found Clement Attlee’s introduction of the National Assistance Act 1948 to be the single most
influential way a government has spent its budget to achieve some kind of Marxism. I believe the
social safety net provided to the most economically disadvantaged citizens was the foundation of
applied Marxist theory in the form of a real modern welfare state.

Outlines my EPQ briefly and points out an example of my research in Attlee’s implementation of the
National Assistance Act 1948. It links on well from my initial reading and there is a continual theme
of Marxism throughout.

Characters: 553

Many influential thinkers themselves cross the three disciplines; Marx’s The Communist Manifesto
itself intertwines Philosophy, Politics and Economics, critiquing the ethics of 19 th century political and
economic structures, including their use of child labour in the name of economic efficiency. My wide
reading and general interest in Marxism formed the basis of both my HE+ project, in which I
explored the uncertainties inherent in managing needs and wants in a Marxist Utopia, and my EPQ,
where I explored the presence of Marxist thought and policy during post-war labour governments.

Characters: 589/1195

Kafka and the philosophical undertones of Metamorphosis:

My first interaction with philosophy came from reading Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. There is a
message of absurdity depicted in the link between the protagonist, Gregor Samsa’s, meaning in life
and work, as the job which he does is dehumanising and loathsome – yet he continues to work in
order to help his family. The job takes away his meaning as an individual, while simultaneously giving
him meaning as it helps him provide for his family. However oxymoronic, this helped me to
understand a key concept in metaphysics: identity of the individual. Once Gregor can no longer
work, he is no longer another cog where he worked, but he is still without identity. This is because
his meaning in life was to provide, and as he becomes a burden to his family, his purposelessness
slowly kills him. The absurdity and tragedy of the book served as a clear introduction to meaning and
philosophy.

Not too sure whether it is as clear as the previous two paragraphs. Might not really show the idea of
absurdity and identity, as there must be a great deal more explanation involved to truly show the
philosophical parts of the book.

Characters: 889
Baroness Pinnock Talk:
Harold Wilson said, “A week is a short time in politics.” I believe his comment on the intense and
ever-changing nature of politics has never been truer than it is today. The contemporary issues in
Britain today are some of the most salient issues in recent history amongst politicians and academics
alike. One of these topics is Brexit, which I discussed with Baroness Pinnock when I attended one of
her talks. I questioned her on whether the Liberal Democrats were fundamentally contradicting
liberal theory by campaigning to remain in the EU, when leaving would support the liberal belief in
decentralised governing bodies. Her explanation that today’s issues, especially ones concerning
immigration and COVID-19, need to be tackled as a collective of nations helped me understand the
importance of cooperation in a globalised political economy.

One of the longer paragraphs, so there is a concern that it goes into a vast description without saying
much impressive.

Characters: 852

In a Q&A, I asked Baroness Pinnock whether the Liberal Democrat’s support for ‘remain’
contradicted the classically liberal philosophy of small government. Her response - namely, that in
such a globalised political economy, issues such as immigration must be tackled collectively –
reminded me of the more complex relationship that cooperation and governance have with
individual freedom and liberalism.

Characters: 403

Student Finance Officer:

My role as the college’s Student Finance Officer on the Executive Committee has been a great
education in applying economics, public policy and the theory of Utilitarianism. My time in this
position put into practice some of the most essential economic theories, such as opportunity cost
when deciding how to best allocate the budget, as well as the ability to make value judgements
which will benefit as many students as possible. One example of a policy I have implemented is a
‘Skills for Life’ scheme, where we invite guest speakers and experts in finance and money
management to host events, in order to help as many students as possible improve their financial
literacy.

A good combination of fundamental economic principles, as well as branches of politics in public

policy and a philosophical theory in utilitarianism. It is somewhat brief and could potentially be
made shorter if needed.

As Student Finance officer, I had the opportunity to apply both economic principles (such as
opportunity cost when considering budget allocation) and to consider philosophical approaches to
this allocation such as utilitarianism. I established a ‘skills for life’ scheme, where guests are invited
to teach students skills such as financial literacy.

Characters: 350/676

John Locke Essay Competition:

The economic problem refers to the struggle to find the most efficient way of allocating finite
resources to supply infinite demands. No system is in need of becoming more efficient than the
prison system. This issue is widely accepted amongst economists, but the question of how efficient
crime can make a society isn’t discussed as much. When writing my entry for the John Locke Essay
Competition, I discussed the need for crime to provide jobs in security and public safety, as well as
the pros and cons criminal activity has on working class areas. My entry was successful enough to
secure me a place at the awards ceremony, held at the University of Oxford.

Characters: 662

I believe that the prison system is an egregious example of economic inefficiency