Debate topics

Social media does more harm than good

Examines the mental health impact of platforms like Instagram and TikTok against their benefits for communication and community.

Artificial intelligence will eliminate more jobs than it creates

Debates whether automation leads to long-term unemployment or whether new industries absorb displaced workers.

Smartphones should be banned in schools

Weighs the distraction and social harms of phone use against digital literacy and emergency access arguments.

Tech companies should be broken up

Considers antitrust arguments against the scale efficiencies that large technology companies claim to provide consumers.

The internet has made people less informed, not more

Argues whether algorithmic filter bubbles and misinformation outweigh access to global knowledge.

Autonomous vehicles should replace human drivers

Debates safety statistics and liability questions alongside the economic disruption for professional drivers.

Voting should be mandatory

Examines whether compulsory voting strengthens democratic legitimacy or infringes on individual freedom.

The electoral college should be abolished

Debates proportional representation versus the founding intent of the US electoral system.

Politicians should be subject to term limits

Weighs the benefits of fresh leadership against the loss of experienced governance.

Free speech has no limits

Considers the philosophical case for absolute expression against real-world harms from hate speech and incitement.

Democracy is the best form of government

Debates democratic accountability and human rights against efficiency and stability arguments for other systems.

The media has too much influence on elections

Examines the power of news and social media to shape voter perception and electoral outcomes.

Nuclear energy is essential for a green future

Argues low-carbon baseload power benefits against safety risks and waste management challenges.

Individual lifestyle changes cannot stop climate change

Debates whether systemic corporate and governmental action matters more than personal carbon footprints.

Meat consumption should be taxed like tobacco

Weighs the environmental and health externalities of meat production against personal freedom and cultural rights.

Developed nations owe climate reparations to developing ones

Examines historical emissions responsibility and financial obligation to climate-vulnerable countries.

Plastic should be banned globally

Debates the pollution and health harms of single-use plastics against the economic and medical necessity of plastic materials.

Geoengineering is too risky to pursue

Considers the moral hazard and unintended consequences of large-scale climate intervention technologies.

University education should be free

Examines access and social mobility arguments against the cost of public funding and graduate earnings.

Homework does more harm than good

Debates the academic benefits of after-school practice against stress, inequality, and family time.

Private schools should be abolished

Considers social stratification and educational inequality against parental choice and institutional diversity.

Standardised testing fails students

Argues whether high-stakes tests accurately measure ability or simply reward rote learning and privilege.

Children should learn coding from primary school

Weighs digital literacy and future employment benefits against curriculum crowding and teacher readiness.

Gap years are more valuable than going straight to university

Debates whether real-world experience and maturity outweigh lost academic momentum.

The death penalty can never be justified

Debates retributive justice and deterrence arguments against the irreversible risk of wrongful execution.

Euthanasia should be legal everywhere

Examines autonomy and dignity in end-of-life decisions against safeguarding concerns and medical ethics.

Zoos do more harm than good

Weighs conservation research and public education against the welfare cost of animals in captivity.

Lying is sometimes morally required

Debates deontological duties of honesty against consequentialist cases where deception prevents greater harm.

Privacy is more important than security

Considers the trade-off between civil liberties and state surveillance in the context of terrorism and crime.

Animals have the same moral worth as humans

Examines speciesism, sentience, and the philosophical basis for according moral consideration across species.

Universal basic income would do more good than harm

Debates poverty reduction and automation-readiness against inflation risk and work disincentive concerns.

Billionaires should not exist

Examines extreme wealth concentration and systemic inequality against arguments about incentive and voluntary exchange.

Capitalism is the best economic system available

Weighs market efficiency and innovation benefits against inequality, externalities, and social cost.

A four-day work week should be the standard

Considers productivity research and worker wellbeing against employer flexibility and implementation cost.

Cryptocurrency will replace traditional banking

Debates decentralisation and financial inclusion benefits against volatility, energy use, and regulatory challenges.

Globalisation has harmed more people than it has helped

Examines trade-driven poverty reduction against deindustrialisation, wage suppression, and cultural displacement.

Vaccines should be mandatory

Weighs herd immunity and public health benefits against bodily autonomy and state coercion concerns.

Human genetic engineering is ethically acceptable

Debates therapeutic and enhancement applications of CRISPR and similar technologies against designer-baby ethics.

Space exploration is a waste of resources

Examines scientific discovery and long-term civilisational insurance against opportunity cost relative to Earth's problems.

Drugs should be decriminalised

Considers harm reduction, addiction as health rather than crime, and Portugal's policy data against social harm arguments.

Placebo treatments should be prescribed by doctors

Debates the clinical evidence for placebo efficacy against informed consent and medical ethics.

Animal testing for medical research is justified

Weighs life-saving medical advances enabled by animal models against suffering and the development of alternatives.

Professional athletes are overpaid

Examines market-driven sports revenue and entertainment value against societal contribution comparisons with teachers and doctors.

The Olympics have become irrelevant

Debates political scandal, cost, and doping against the cultural and diplomatic value of the Games.

Violent video games increase real-world aggression

Reviews the research evidence for and against the causal link between game violence and player behaviour.

Art should be censored to protect public morals

Weighs freedom of artistic expression against community standards and the potential for harmful content.

Social media influencers are a negative cultural force

Debates consumerism, unrealistic beauty standards, and misinformation against democratised media and entrepreneurship.

Streaming services have killed the music industry

Examines revenue collapse for artists against increased discovery, listener access, and independent publishing.