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    The Nature of Evil
    Online Program

    The Nature of Evil

    by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies

    An online philosophy summer course exploring definitions of evil through history, psychology and argument. Students write evaluative reflections and present a comparative group analysis.

    Last verified: 6 Oct 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy

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    The Nature of Evil at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility

    Current status

    Upcoming

    Eligibility

    Grades 9-11 at application

    Age range / Year group

    Ages 14-17

    Location / Region

    Online

    Cost

    $3,200

    Duration

    2 weeks

    Format

    Online

    Next deadline

    Not announced · Next cycle not announced

    Get next-cycle reminder
    HumanitiesPhilosophy
    Sessions / cadence: 10 × 2-hour classes, Monday-Friday
    Assessment style: Reflections; comparative group presentation
    Latest verified cycle: 2026
    Independent work: 2-3 hours daily
    Academic support: Online office hours
    Time-zone model: Pacific Daylight Time

    The Nature of Evil summary

    The Nature of Evil is a Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes course examining a difficult philosophical concept through psychological cases, historical examples and organizational behavior.

    Students discuss varied materials, follow logical arguments, write short evaluative reflections and deliver a comparative group presentation.

    It suits curious students who want to test their reasoning against challenging subject matter and competing interpretations.

    What is The Nature of Evil?

    The Nature of Evil is a Humanities and Philosophy course offered through Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. It examines how the term evil is applied to events, individual actions and bureaucratic systems. Students explore theories, psychology and historical instances to develop a more precise understanding of the concept.

    The learning experience combines live online discussion with TED talks, stories, reports and articles. Students follow nuanced arguments, investigate psychological cases and organizational structures, and write short evaluative reflections. A comparative analysis group presentation brings their reasoning into a shared academic task.

    Why Succeed highlights The Nature of Evil

    • Connecting philosophy with psychological cases and organizational structures encourages students to test definitions against complex examples.

    • Short evaluative reflections require students to form judgments rather than simply absorb course content.

    • The comparative group presentation adds collaboration and spoken explanation to the written work.

    • A clear live-class and homework cadence helps families assess the academic commitment.

    Who is The Nature of Evil for?

    Best for

    Students who enjoy philosophy, psychological questions and careful discussion of difficult historical or moral cases.

    Not ideal if

    You prefer lighter subject matter or cannot commit to daily live classes, independent work and a group presentation.

    Is The Nature of Evil worth it?

    This course is worth considering if you want sustained practice in philosophical reasoning rather than a broad introduction to many subjects. Its combination of cases, reflections and comparative presentation gives you several ways to develop and explain an argument.

    The workload and challenging themes make personal fit especially important. Judge its value by what you learn and produce: Stanford explicitly says participation does not guarantee undergraduate admission.

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    Sean

    Founder, Succeed

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    A practical overview of cost, time commitment, provider details, student outcomes and online support to review before deciding.

    Cost and what is included

    $3,200.

    Dates and time commitment

    2 weeks; 10 × 2-hour classes, Monday-Friday.

    Provider details

    Review the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies provider page and official sources before making a final decision.

    What the student gains

    Potential output: Students produce written reflections and a comparative analysis group presentation.. Check whether feedback, certificate, recommendation or application evidence is included.

    Online support and safeguarding

    Check how online sessions are supervised, how mentor communication works, and what support route exists if the student needs help.

    What to check before committing

    Confirm current dates, session schedule, payment terms, cancellation rules, support expectations and what output or certificate is included with the provider.

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    How much preparation does The Nature of Evil need?

    Effort level

    High during the course.

    Best started

    Several weeks before an application deadline to gather transcripts and select a suitable work sample.

    Main challenge

    Reasoning carefully about emotionally difficult cases while keeping up with writing and group work.

    Typical preparation

    • Gather recent grade reports and transcripts before completing the application.

    • Choose a work sample that meets the course's application instructions and reflects your abilities.

    • Practice writing a short argument that compares two interpretations of a difficult case.

    • Plan how the Pacific-time class window and daily homework would fit your routine.

    Useful if

    You want to explore philosophy through discussion, evaluative writing and comparative analysis.

    What do students do on The Nature of Evil?

    You investigate how evil is defined and explained through philosophical arguments, psychological cases and historical examples. Discussion, independent assignments and a group presentation turn these ideas into written and spoken analysis.

    Step-by-step process

    1. 1

      Explore theories and historical instances through TED talks, stories, reports and articles.

    2. 2

      Discuss nuanced arguments, psychological cases and organizational structures.

    3. 3

      Write several short evaluative reflections on course themes.

    4. 4

      Develop and deliver a comparative analysis group presentation.

    5. 5

      Trace key definitions of and approaches to evil.

    The Nature of Evil dates and deadlines

    Next cycle not announced yet. These dates are from the latest verified cycle and should be used as a reference only.

    Programme dates

    15-26 June 2026

    Reference date

    Eligibility and requirements

    • Current Grades 9-11 at the time of application.

    • Domestic and international applicants may apply.

    • Admitted students may attend only one Summer Institutes course.

    • Applicants must complete all application responses independently.

    • Standardized test scores are optional.

    How much does The Nature of Evil cost?

    Financial aid

    Aid can be awarded to domestic and international participants.

    How to apply to The Nature of Evil

    1. 1

      Use Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes' admissions page to access the online application.

    2. 2

      Select the courses you are interested in attending.

    3. 3

      Complete all written responses yourself.

    4. 4

      Upload recent grade reports, transcripts and a work sample meeting the selected course's instructions.

    5. 5

      Upload standardized test score reports only if you choose to include them.

    6. 6

      Review the completed application with a parent or legal guardian for their signature.

    7. 7

      Submit the complete application and pay the application fee.

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    Learning format

    The course meets online for two hours each Monday-Friday within an 8:00-11:00 a.m. PDT window, with the third hour used for online office hours. Students should also plan for approximately 2-3 hours of daily asynchronous assignments and projects outside live class time.

    Students attend one course section and time; exact class and office-hour schedules are set closer to the program.

    Mentorship and feedback

    • Online office hours occupy the third hour of the meeting window.

    • Students discuss course themes during live online classes.

    • The exact office-hour schedule is set closer to the program.

    Time-zone considerations

    • The published meeting window is 8:00-11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
    • Two-hour live classes meet Monday-Friday within that window.
    • Students attend one assigned course section and time.
    • Allow approximately 2-3 hours daily for asynchronous homework.
    • Domestic and international applicants may apply.

    Assessment style

    Coursework centers on short evaluative reflections and a comparative analysis group presentation.

    • Write several short reflections on course themes.
    • Use nuanced logical arguments when evaluating cases.
    • Deliver a comparative analysis group presentation.

    Portfolio / outputs

    Main deliverable / output

    Students produce written reflections and a comparative analysis group presentation.

    • Several short evaluative reflections on course themes.

    • A comparative analysis presented with a group.

    The Nature of Evil FAQs

    Students examine theories, psychology and historical instances of evil. They use logical arguments, psychological cases and organizational structures to explore different definitions and approaches.

    Classes meet for two hours daily, Monday-Friday, within an 8:00-11:00 a.m. PDT window. The third hour is used for online office hours, with exact class and office-hour schedules set closer to the program.

    Students should plan for approximately 2-3 hours per day of assignments and projects outside live class time.

    The course is for students in Grades 9-11 at the time they apply. Grade level means the student's current grade when submitting the application.

    No. Standardized test scores are optional for both domestic and international applicants, and there is no test-score or GPA cutoff.

    Applicants must complete all responses themselves. Parents or legal guardians may review the completed application and sign it.

    No. Stanford University's undergraduate admissions process is separate and independent from Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, and participation does not guarantee admission.

    Yes. Financial aid can be awarded to both domestic and international participants.

    Alternatives to The Nature of Evil

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    Ben Stacy

    Content reviewed by

    Ben Stacy

    Co-founder, Succeed | Former secondary teacher and educational leader

    Ben works at the intersection of education, technology and school adoption, with expertise in how secondary schools evaluate data-driven tools and how education technology is used in practice.

    View author page

    Sources & verification

    Source types reviewed

    • Questions: Application - SI | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
    • The Nature of Evil | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes

    Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.

    What we verified (on 6 Oct 2026)

    • Course description reviewed

    • Session dates checked

    • Grade eligibility reviewed

    • Daily workload checked

    • Application requirements reviewed

    • Financial-aid eligibility checked

    How Succeed uses this information

    We use source material to verify core facts, then show older cycle dates as reference when a current cycle is not available. Always check current application instructions before applying.