The Debate Digest
A steady supply of pro/con articles to help you deliberate, take a stand, take action, vote, and back yourself up.
• Mandatory health insurance - Should governments mandate that individuals own health insurance, or face penalties? - October 8, 2009.
Featured pro and con arguments from this article:
• PRO: Mandatory health insurance ensures appropriate pooling of risk Keith Girard. "Health Care: The Case for Mandatory Universal Health Insurance." All Business. April 2 2009: "'Insurance, in its simplest form, works by pooling risks: many pay a premium up front, and then those who face a bad outcome (getting sick, being in a car accident, having their home burn down) get paid out of those collected premiums,' explained Katherine Baicker, a professor of health economics at Harvard’s School of Public Health. [...] Thus, the system is undermined by the uninsured, both healthy and unhealthy. [...] when healthy individuals choose to go uninsured, the model breaks down as well, because they are limiting the pool of reserves available for those who are sick. If they wait until they are sick to get insurance, they defeat the purpose of insurance, too. That’s why Massachusetts, one of the states leading health care reform efforts, requires universal participation in its health program."
• CON: Insurance mandates force citizens to buy special-interest benefits Paul Hsieh. "Health care in Massachusetts: a warning for America". Christian Science Monitor. September 30, 2009: "Under any system of mandatory insurance, the government must necessarily define what constitutes acceptable insurance. In Massachusetts, this has created a giant magnet for special interest groups seeking to have their own pet benefits included in the required package. Massachusetts residents are thus forced to purchase benefits they may neither need nor want, such as in vitro fertilization, chiropractor services, and autism treatment – raising insurance costs for everyone to reward a few with sufficient political pull."
Recent Debate Digest articles
• Escalation of the War in Afghanistan under the Obama administration - Should the Obama administration escalate the War in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010?
• Health insurance cooperatives - Should health insurance co-ops be part of US health care reform? Are they a good alternative to public insurance? - September 4th, 2009.
• Public insurance option in US health care - Should the US create a public insurance option and hybrid public-private health care system? - August 27th, 2009.
• Mandatory calorie counts on menus - Is mandating calorie counts on restaurant menus good public policy? - August 18th, 2009.
• Civil unions vs. gay marriage - Which is superior, civil unions or gay marriage?
• Manned mission to Mars - Is a manned mission to Mars a good idea, or are continued robotic missions best? - August 10th, 2009.
• Colonization of the Moon - Is colonizing the Moon with a "Moonbase" a good idea? - August 5th, 2009.
• Mission to the Moon or Mars? - Should humanity return to the Moon first, or go to Mars? - August 3rd, 2009.
• Mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods - Should governments require that genetically modified foods be labeled? - July 23rd, 2009
• Filibuster - Is the filibuster a valuable tool in government, or should it be abandoned? - July 17th, 2009.
• Criminalization of Holocaust denial - Should denial of the Holocaust be illegal? - July 12th, 2009.
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Role Play Topics
General
•Whether there is a fundamental rift between science and religion.
•Whether medieval philosophy was a positive step in the history of philosophy.
•Whether human beings are of greater value than animals.
•Whether human beings have free will.
•Whether a fetus is a person.
•Whether life has intrinsic value.
•Whether Zombies are Possible
Metaphysics/Epistemology
•Whether there exists a supreme being.
•Whether objects exist in and of themselves.
•Whether infinite causal regress is possible.
•Whether cause and effect is a necessary metaphysic.
•Whether there exists an uncaused cause.
•Whether human beings have an individuated existence beyond physical death.
•Whether there exists absolute truth.
•Whether a priori knowledge is possible.
•Whether truth exists in a deterministic universe.
•Whether being without form is possible.
•Whether human knowledge must be given by a higher being.
•Whether it is true that if an infinite being is possible, it must exist.
•Whether truth is the correspondence of the mind with reality.
•Whether it is possible to know if God exists.
•Whether mind is a distinct substance from body.
•Whether experience is the only source of knowledge.
•Whether consciousness plays an active role in the world.
•Whether knowledge may be gained through faith alone.
•Whether matter is the only reality.
•Whether the non-material is the only reality.
•Whether mere appearances are the only objects of knowledge.
•Whether the world exists outside the self.
•Whether determinism is incompatible with freedom.
•Whether there is substance.
Ethics
•Whether morality is absolute.
•Whether morality is absolute without the existence of God.
•Whether eating meat is ethical.
•Whether homosexuality is ethical.
•Whether suicide can ever be ethical.
•Whether euthanasia can ever be ethical.
•Whether abortion is ethical.
•Whether hunting animals for sport is ethical.
•Whether happiness of the individual should be the chief goal of ethics.
•Whether there exist any intrinsic human values.
•Whether virtue is sufficient for happiness.
•Whether the happiness of others ought to be the primary motivator for moral action.
•Whether cloning humans is ethical.
Logic
•Whether logic is objective.
Religion and Mysticism
•Whether God exists.
•Whether spirits exist.
•Whether angels (or demons) exist.
•Whether there is such a thing as a singular correct religion.
•Whether religion is a positive social institution.
•Whether an omnipotent, omni-benevolent God and evil can be reconciled.
•Whether creationism provides a valid explanation for the state of the known universe.
•Whether the atheistic or the agnostic position is more tenable.
•Whether God is active in his creation.
•Whether the universe is divine.
•Whether speculative reason can discover the existence of God.
•Whether spirit is the only reality.
Philosophy of Language
•Whether language is necessary for thought.
•Whether words and concepts have objective meaning.
Philosophy of Science and Math
•Whether Zeno’s Paradox proves that there is no real relative change.
•Whether the universe is full of intelligent life.
•Whether a paradigmatic interpretation of science is valid.
•Whether matter is composed of a singular type of smallest, sub-atomic particles.
Philosophy of Politics and Law
•Whether the two-party system is preferable to a multi-party political system.
•Whether democracy is the ideal form of government.
•Whether capital punishment is a just social institution.
•Whether capitalism is a just socio-economic model.
•Whether affirmative action is a just social institution.
•Whether terrorism can ever be justified.
•Whether voting in a fundamentally flawed political system is worthwhile.
•Whether illegal drugs should be made legal.
•Whether the drinking age should be lowered or eliminated.
•Whether more taxes should be levied against the wealthy.
•Whether the state should provide universal healthcare.
•Whether the US governments’ prohibition on limiting the right of the people, under the Second Amendment, to carry and bear arms, should be removed from the Constitution.
•Whether there should be any qualification for voting.
•Whether the concerns of the individual should take precedence over the concerns of the many.
•Whether conservatism or liberalism is a more tenable social philosophy.
•Whether there is such a thing as a just war.
•Whether in the realm of leadership, it is better to appear good and just than to be good and just.
•Whether liberty comes to humankind by nature, or if it is granted by society.
•Whether the general mass of humanity should rule itself, or should be ruled by the elite.
Current Events
•Whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry.
•Whether mandatory military service would be worthwhile.
•Whether “under God” should be stricken from the Pledge of Allegience.
Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology
•Whether the current state and progression of humanity is leading towards a higher social order, or relative social destruction.
•Whether children should be educated in any specific religion.
•Whether marriage is worthwhile social institution.
•Whether the family unit is a worthwhile social institution.
Philosophy of the Arts
•Whether there is a superior art form.
•Whether beauty is objective.
•Whether there is a fundamental rift between science and religion.
•Whether medieval philosophy was a positive step in the history of philosophy.
•Whether human beings are of greater value than animals.
•Whether human beings have free will.
•Whether a fetus is a person.
•Whether life has intrinsic value.
•Whether Zombies are Possible
Metaphysics/Epistemology
•Whether there exists a supreme being.
•Whether objects exist in and of themselves.
•Whether infinite causal regress is possible.
•Whether cause and effect is a necessary metaphysic.
•Whether there exists an uncaused cause.
•Whether human beings have an individuated existence beyond physical death.
•Whether there exists absolute truth.
•Whether a priori knowledge is possible.
•Whether truth exists in a deterministic universe.
•Whether being without form is possible.
•Whether human knowledge must be given by a higher being.
•Whether it is true that if an infinite being is possible, it must exist.
•Whether truth is the correspondence of the mind with reality.
•Whether it is possible to know if God exists.
•Whether mind is a distinct substance from body.
•Whether experience is the only source of knowledge.
•Whether consciousness plays an active role in the world.
•Whether knowledge may be gained through faith alone.
•Whether matter is the only reality.
•Whether the non-material is the only reality.
•Whether mere appearances are the only objects of knowledge.
•Whether the world exists outside the self.
•Whether determinism is incompatible with freedom.
•Whether there is substance.
Ethics
•Whether morality is absolute.
•Whether morality is absolute without the existence of God.
•Whether eating meat is ethical.
•Whether homosexuality is ethical.
•Whether suicide can ever be ethical.
•Whether euthanasia can ever be ethical.
•Whether abortion is ethical.
•Whether hunting animals for sport is ethical.
•Whether happiness of the individual should be the chief goal of ethics.
•Whether there exist any intrinsic human values.
•Whether virtue is sufficient for happiness.
•Whether the happiness of others ought to be the primary motivator for moral action.
•Whether cloning humans is ethical.
Logic
•Whether logic is objective.
Religion and Mysticism
•Whether God exists.
•Whether spirits exist.
•Whether angels (or demons) exist.
•Whether there is such a thing as a singular correct religion.
•Whether religion is a positive social institution.
•Whether an omnipotent, omni-benevolent God and evil can be reconciled.
•Whether creationism provides a valid explanation for the state of the known universe.
•Whether the atheistic or the agnostic position is more tenable.
•Whether God is active in his creation.
•Whether the universe is divine.
•Whether speculative reason can discover the existence of God.
•Whether spirit is the only reality.
Philosophy of Language
•Whether language is necessary for thought.
•Whether words and concepts have objective meaning.
Philosophy of Science and Math
•Whether Zeno’s Paradox proves that there is no real relative change.
•Whether the universe is full of intelligent life.
•Whether a paradigmatic interpretation of science is valid.
•Whether matter is composed of a singular type of smallest, sub-atomic particles.
Philosophy of Politics and Law
•Whether the two-party system is preferable to a multi-party political system.
•Whether democracy is the ideal form of government.
•Whether capital punishment is a just social institution.
•Whether capitalism is a just socio-economic model.
•Whether affirmative action is a just social institution.
•Whether terrorism can ever be justified.
•Whether voting in a fundamentally flawed political system is worthwhile.
•Whether illegal drugs should be made legal.
•Whether the drinking age should be lowered or eliminated.
•Whether more taxes should be levied against the wealthy.
•Whether the state should provide universal healthcare.
•Whether the US governments’ prohibition on limiting the right of the people, under the Second Amendment, to carry and bear arms, should be removed from the Constitution.
•Whether there should be any qualification for voting.
•Whether the concerns of the individual should take precedence over the concerns of the many.
•Whether conservatism or liberalism is a more tenable social philosophy.
•Whether there is such a thing as a just war.
•Whether in the realm of leadership, it is better to appear good and just than to be good and just.
•Whether liberty comes to humankind by nature, or if it is granted by society.
•Whether the general mass of humanity should rule itself, or should be ruled by the elite.
Current Events
•Whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry.
•Whether mandatory military service would be worthwhile.
•Whether “under God” should be stricken from the Pledge of Allegience.
Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology
•Whether the current state and progression of humanity is leading towards a higher social order, or relative social destruction.
•Whether children should be educated in any specific religion.
•Whether marriage is worthwhile social institution.
•Whether the family unit is a worthwhile social institution.
Philosophy of the Arts
•Whether there is a superior art form.
•Whether beauty is objective.
ROLE PLAY (Eg)
A: Invite B to go somewhere this weekend.
B: Politely refuse A's invitation.
A: Call and tell your boss (B) you can't come to work because of illness.
B: You think A is bluffing (not really sick).
A: Ask B to teach you to play tennis.
B: You hate coaching for free.
A: Try to get B to divulge a secret about someone else.
B: Don't be persuaded to do it.
A: Ask B to give you a ride home.
B: A's house is out of the way, and your time is limited.
A: Call and tell B you can't come to the party on Friday.
B: Try to get A to come to the party. (It's a surprise party for him/her.)
A: Try to get B to smoke marijuana.
B: You don't want to use any illegal drug.
A: Call to order a pizza.
B: Wrong number. You sell pitas, not pizzas.
A: Present B with an unsolicited gift.
B: You do not feel comfortable accepting the gift.
A: Try to get B to go on a date with your niece/nephew.
B: You can't stand A's niece/nephew.
A: You ran over B's favorite pet with your truck. Apologize to him/her.
B: You are very upset with the news. The pet is irreplaceable.
A: You lost your wedding ring. Tell your spouse (B).
B: Get angry with A for losing the ring.
Here is a list of debate topics. I know there are many, many more. If anyone wants to debate any of these topics, make a note of it (providing which position you want to take) below, so that anyone seeking to debate may contact you to set it up. Or if you wish to challenge another member, make a note of that as well.
Everyone is welcome to suggest topics. I will add the good ones to the list.
B: Politely refuse A's invitation.
A: Call and tell your boss (B) you can't come to work because of illness.
B: You think A is bluffing (not really sick).
A: Ask B to teach you to play tennis.
B: You hate coaching for free.
A: Try to get B to divulge a secret about someone else.
B: Don't be persuaded to do it.
A: Ask B to give you a ride home.
B: A's house is out of the way, and your time is limited.
A: Call and tell B you can't come to the party on Friday.
B: Try to get A to come to the party. (It's a surprise party for him/her.)
A: Try to get B to smoke marijuana.
B: You don't want to use any illegal drug.
A: Call to order a pizza.
B: Wrong number. You sell pitas, not pizzas.
A: Present B with an unsolicited gift.
B: You do not feel comfortable accepting the gift.
A: Try to get B to go on a date with your niece/nephew.
B: You can't stand A's niece/nephew.
A: You ran over B's favorite pet with your truck. Apologize to him/her.
B: You are very upset with the news. The pet is irreplaceable.
A: You lost your wedding ring. Tell your spouse (B).
B: Get angry with A for losing the ring.
Here is a list of debate topics. I know there are many, many more. If anyone wants to debate any of these topics, make a note of it (providing which position you want to take) below, so that anyone seeking to debate may contact you to set it up. Or if you wish to challenge another member, make a note of that as well.
Everyone is welcome to suggest topics. I will add the good ones to the list.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)