The Erasmus Prize

Since the introduction of the new AS and A2 qualifications a number of years ago, many have bewailed the lack of rigorous intellectual and academic challenge for the most able pupils. In 2005, a group of independent schools took the initiative of setting up a rigorous competitive examination in philosophical ethics to provide such an intellectual challenge for A level pupils. Eight independent schools shared the initiative: Charterhouse, Winchester, Oundle, Shrewsbury, Benenden, Rugby, St Mary’s, Ascot and Wycombe Abbey.


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The Heads of Religious Studies and Philosophy in these schools met during 2005 and 2006 to devise a suitably challenging format for their ablest students. It was decided that each year, a major contemporary philosopher would be contacted and they would be asked to choose a major topic in ethics, as well as propose a set book which was a classic work of ethical philosophy, and subsequently set two examination papers, one on the specific contents of the set book, and the other on more general issues in moral philosophy, for which an extensive preparatory reading list would also be supplied.

The examinations would be sat at the pupils’ own schools, but simultaneously. The scripts would initially be marked by the individual schools, to determine the four best candidates in each school. The scripts of these candidates would then be typed and rendered anonymous before being submitted to the professional philosopher nominated as examiner for the year, who would scrutinise the short-listed candidates from each school and select the three best overall.

The competition was named after Erasmus – the distinguished Renaissance humanist, scholar and European. Three generous prizes – gold, silver and bronze – would be awarded to the three best candidates, redeemable at the bookshop of their choice.


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The examiner elected this year was the very eminent Professor Roger Scruton who asked candidates to consider the issue of ‘Free Will and Moral Responsibility’ and he selected David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals as the set book. This year, Charlie Bell (V), after writing two impressive examination scripts, won the Silver Erasmus Prize, beating candidates from all other schools except Rugby. The presentation, a discussion with Professor Scruton, and a fine lunch, took place at Winchester College on 29th January, 2007.

CJB O’Neill