Essay Contest Asks Scholars to Examine Virtue, Freedom, and Civil Society

 The Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest, an international competition open to college students and untenured college teachers under 36 years old, is asking this year's contestants to examine the relationship between freedom, virtue, and civil society. Cash prizes will be awarded for outstanding essays on the following topic:

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Which virtues contribute the most toward achieving freedom, and how can the institutions of civil society encourage the exercise of those virtues?

The deadline is May 1, 2009.

For more information on the contest, including prizes, please click here.