Florence (Year 13) Editor's note: Year 13 student Florence, applying to study Law at university, wrote this insightful piece exploring the extent to which law should intervene in personal autonomy. Florence carefully concludes that whether or not the law should intervene is a complex issue that is largely based on the individual case - there … Continue reading To what extent should law intervene in personal autonomy?
Shaurya (Year 12) Editor's note: Year 12 student Shaurya entered this essay into the John Locke Global Essay Prize 2025 in the Economics category. He addresses the questions: What kinds of behaviour are engendered by the hope of profit? Is such behaviour better or worse, on balance, than the behaviour we should expect if all … Continue reading What kinds of behaviour are engendered by the hope of profit?
Paarshva (Year 12) Editor's note: Year 12 student Paarshva wrote this essay for entry into the annual John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize. Paarshva explores the debate between the political wisdom of the 'lettered'—those with formal education and theoretical knowledge—and the 'unlettered'—those with experiential, practical knowledge. It examines whether the collective judgment of the unlettered … Continue reading David Hume celebrated the wisdom of “unlettered men”. In a democracy, do the votes of unlettered men tend to protect a country against the bad ideas of the lettered or do the votes of the lettered tend to protect a country against the bad ideas of unlettered men?
GSAL Economics Society Editor's note: This collection of insightful essays represents considerable time and effort from passionate, engaging members of GSAL's student-led Economics Society. The student authors wrote these essays during their time in Year 12; they are all now in Year 13. The essays include: Some claim that modern communication platforms, such as Zoom, … Continue reading GSAL Economics Society: A Collection of Essays
Philippa (Year 12) Editor's note: Year 13 student Philippa wrote this insightful essay during their time in Year 12. The essay discusses whether the financial investment in space travel and exploration is justifiable given pressing global issues such as hunger, inadequate housing, and climate change. It questions the morality and priorities of allocating vast sums … Continue reading Is the amount of money spent on space travel and exploration justifiable?
Tanisi (Year 8) Editor's note: Current Year 9 student Tanisi wrote this short essay during their time in Year 8. It is fantastic to see some of our passionate younger students engaging with the GSAL Journal. Tanisi argues that conflict is a natural and inevitable aspect of human interaction, often driving societal change and growth … Continue reading Conflict
Reuben (Year 9) Editor's note: Now in Year 10, Reuben carefully researched and wrote this interesting essay on the role that physical geography plays in shaping the economy. Geography, including natural resources and access to water, plays a crucial role in shaping a country's economic growth and output by influencing its ability to export and … Continue reading Which aspects of physical geography have the strongest effects on the economic growth and/or output of a country?
Rehan (Year 12) Editor's note: Year 13 student Rehan wrote this insightful essay during his time in Year 12. Post-pandemic demand for rail travel in Great Britain has surged, increasing passenger journeys and emissions, highlighting the need for modern rail infrastructure. The HS2 project was initially designed to enhance rail capacity, reduce congestion, and stimulate … Continue reading HS2: the way forward?
Lokesh (Year 9) Editor's note: Now in Year 10, talented student Lokesh carefully researched this topic and then wrote this insightful essay for the Sir Martin Gilbert History Prize. This essay explores Britain’s response to Jewish refugees during the Nazi period, analyzing various perspectives and sources to assess whether Britain was truly welcoming or reluctant. … Continue reading Were Jews welcomed to Britain during the Nazi period?
Hannah (Year 12) Editor's note: Hannah wrote this essay during her time in Year 12 at GSAL. It was submitted for peer review at Routes: The Journal for Student Geographers. Hannah is now studying Geography at the University of Durham. CPD The ‘demographic timebomb’ is often used to refer to the crisis that many countries … Continue reading Has the Demographic Timebomb already been Detonated?
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