2026 Competition Cases

Priorities, Priorities

What role do individual autonomy and risk tolerance play when making medical decisions that can affect the public health of a broader society? 

Left Behind at Warp Speed

What principles should govern domestic vaccine distribution during a pandemic? Are those principles different on an international stage?

Dining Out During the Pandemic

Is it ethical to dine-in at restaurants in the midst of a pandemic such as COVID-19?

Our Baby, My Body

What sort of responsibilities does Melinda have toward Tom and his concerns as the father of the child she’s carrying?

Oh the Humanity

Is it morally justifiable for Italy to limit admissions to minors and those needing medical assistance?

Forced Chemotherapy

Who should have the power to make medical decisions for minors? Parents? Physicians? Courts?

To Live Forever

1.Is the pursuit of immortality an ethical goal, or does it risk causing harm to individuals or society?

A Thin Line

Are there important moral differences between prescribing weight loss drugs to adults, teenagers, and children? Is making weight loss easier and more accessible a good response to the problems of weight stigma and anti-fat bias?

See Spot Clone

How might one compare the moral weight between cloning a pet, buying from a breeder, or adopting from a shelter?

Clean Slate, Fresh Start

Can individuals experiencing extreme emotional distress give informed consent for a procedure like selective memory erasure?

Art Appropriate

What factors determine whether engaging with another culture's art is respectful or appropriative?

To Repair or Replace

Should NASA prioritize designing HWO with robotic servicing capabilities, even if it increases costs and delays? Why or why not?

Journalists Under Fire

How should journalists balance their duty to report the truth with contractual obligations to protect sensitive information?

Does the close relationship between embedded journalists and military units inherently compromise journalistic objectivity?

Good Grief

Do we have an obligation to never speak ill of the dead, no matter what?

Parents Out of Bounds

When is it permissible for parents to make decisions for their child that are actively against their will?

Why Argue?

Do we have an obligation to vocalize our disagreement to objectionable views when we hear them? When we disagree with others, to what extent should we consider the efficacy of our approach in vocalizing our views?

The Lesser of Two Evils

Does one have an ethical obligation to put their vote behind a candidate that has a greater chance of winning in the election in order to help ensure that morally objectionable policy doesn’t get enacted? Some voters choose to forego voting altogether as a form of civil protest. Is there something wrong with choosing not to vote?

Oh Boycott

Are the objectionable personal beliefs of a company’s CEO a good reason to boycott the company? Can something that a CEO does as an individual, and not in her role as a representative of her company, be a good reason to boycott the company?

Controversy on the World Stage

Is there a way to measure what nations are or aren’t “deserving” of hosting an international sporting event? If so, how?

Infographic Activism

Who has a responsibility or the right to share information during times of social justice movements/conflicts?