Ethics Debate Topics for Students — page 4

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• Animals have feelings which we need to realize.
• I. A California man accused of fatally slamming his wife's Chihuahua against a wall during a domestic dispute could be sentenced to life in prison, according to authorities. Bud Wally Ruiz gave the 6-week-old puppy, Teddy, to his wife for Mother's Day. His wife called police…

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• I have shown that group punishments are often necessary to maintain order, act as an effective deterrent for school-age children, and is actually the preferred method of punishment during class-wide activities. While Con claims superior alternatives exist, he has proved us with…
• My arguments extend.

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• Looking for an opponent. I'm of the opinion that if a person buys chicken eggs from a supermarket he or she is endorsing animal cruelty.
• My opponent forfeited the last round. Clearly my argument is superior. The evidence speaks for itself and cannot be disputed. Purchasing chicken eggs from the supermarket endorses animal cruelty.

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• animals are living beings who are able to feel pain, have emotions, and make decisions just as humans. If someone murders a person they can get a life sentence or even the death penalty. if someone kills an animal without reason their life was not in danger the worst they face…
• Putting down the pet is not always mandatory. There have been parents who put down pets for biting their child even when the child provokes them by being rough with the animal. While it is understandable to not want the animal around your child there are several better…

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• i asked if whover takes up this debate would please post in the comment box before clicking accept, so as i could post up my first argument. unfortunatley this is not the case, and i did not get to post up an argument. So, i will have to make do and just start here. ok i accept…
• i would very much like to debate this topic with some one.I will be either pro or con please post in the comment box whether or not you wish to debate me before accepting so i may have a chance to post up my case up in the neg or pro. thankyou -philosophical

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• Guys, I'm not going to dodge this issue. I don't really care to have a pointless tie debate on my record because my opponent didn't follow the rules. I am more than willing to have this debate with him; but he's going to have to follow the rules. I get that this issue isn't a…
• Con, you're the one who broke the rules in the first place. I don't appreciate you calling me a coward because you decided that it wasn't important to debate in the manner the instigater specified. I will not concede to a tie. I have no interest in messing up my debate record…

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• As Con has now forfeited two rounds, I assume that they concede my points.
• I have no other arguments at the moment, and will instead wait until Pro provides rebuttals.

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• Misbehaving Children are everywhere, and yet they get no punishment severe enough to change their ways. They are ruining our society and clearly something must be done to stop this. Beating them with any sort of weapon, eg a shovel, should surely knock some sense through their…

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• I apologize, I should have clarified; I mean to say that pets are equal in BOTH intrinsic value and instrumental value. I should have made this clear. I am saying that it is equally immoral to kill an animal as a human, and that an animal is worth just as much as a human. I am…
• My first argument is that our pets have saved many, many human lives in the past. There are many counts of dogs and cats (especially dogs) saving their owners from a variety of dangers. Dogs have defended humans from wild animals, fires, and drowning. Cats, too, are good at…

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• Groundwork of rightsI do hope con doesn't play the nihilist card on me, but if so, I am willing, and I believe able, to establish the reality of basic rights in pertaining to human beings. My next job is obviously to demonstrate that animals also have those rights. I believe…
• I accept. Good luck.

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• My colleague wonderfully asserts the health benefits of cats, unfortunately that is neither the question nor is this benefit linked solely or even most strongly to cats. "The American Heart Association has linked the ownership of pets, especially dogs, with a reduced risk for…
• To my most esteemed colleague, just to ensure we're on the same page we are talking about cats not the the circular aluminium containers which, possibly unfairly, are rarely seen as a popular choice of pet. Cats are evil my friend, efficient furry murderers, stalking their prey…

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• Thank-you for the response. The con does a great job of explaining his points even if they are somewhat vague at times. The con states that the large part of the reason why human enhancement is not morally permissible is because of the risks associated with such practices. He…
• This is a incredibly complex topic so let us get started.Human augmentation (enhancement) is not only the inevitable next step in our human evolution but it is also morally sound to encourage this development. This fusion of genetic and mechanical technology will allow humanity…

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• First, I would like to define "good" as the following: right; proper. Point One – PETA doesn't treat animals well. The "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" treat animals anything BUT ethically. For example, they have killed over 20,000 overall [1]. Not to ignore the…
• Rebuttals of rebuttals: 1.) Do you have any direct evidence disqualifying it? You can't disprove my source on your gut or feeling that it's questionable. And even if they aren't an adoption organization, they take in animals. What's your source on "It is unlikely that they…

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• My apologies. I simply had no motivation to finish this debate or any other. It's time I took a DDO break.
• I accept.

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• The legal high ground isn't necessarily the moral high ground. This debate is about morality. You can use legal means to create immorality as well. Many laws are found to be unethical all the time, and must be changed. It wasn't too long ago that blacks were not legally allowed…
• "It is wrong to steal. That is indisputable"... "Stealing is unethical." This seems to be the meat of your argument, so I will address it. Stealing is not always wrong, not always unethical. It usually is. During times of war, stealing from the enemy is not unethical. We see…

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• I'm sorry - I'm in Ohio for fencing nationals and I don't have time to give an argument. I should have waited until I got back. I have to forfeit the consecutive rounds. Thank you for your participation.
• I will be using an argument from my previous debate on this issue from which the contender withdrew from all rounds except for the acceptance round.1) HumorI often hear, "That is an offensive joke," and, "That's not something to joke about," being told to myself as well as…

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• Well slang can be used on this debate site, how do you keep a debate about movies and God formal? Now this really SUCKS.
• Source- Google dictionary You forgot to expand the meanings, I had chosen the third meaning of sucks(informal). NORTH AMERICANinformal be very bad or unpleasant. "I love your country but your weather sucks" synonyms:be very bad Ha racial discrimination can never be a pleasant…

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• Eating a plant-based diet is proven to be much healthier than an animal-based diet(1). This is because along the food chain, all nutrients originate from the sun's energy. The sun feeds plants, plants feed bacteria, insects, animals and humans. Insects feed bigger animals, and…
• I believe that there is no excuse to not being vegetarian. A few decades ago, I would understand. Back then, people knew where their food came from. If you didn't raise your own food, you could get your meat from a local butcher and the milkman would deliver milk from the local…

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• (I am for making it illegal. Sorry if that wasn't clear!) Human cloning should illegal for the following reasons 1. We are not sure cloning is safe: even though it has been successful in multiple occasions. More times than not, it has failed. Left the clone injured or dead or…
• Please don't troll. Please use proper grammar. Please be respectable! I hope that we have a thought provoking argument, thank you.

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• I am arguing that everyone who can adopt a vegan diet should do so. I have chosen this premise specifically because I realize there are some people whose bodies simply cannot sustain such a diet, and of course I do not believe they should risk their health over it. I believe…
• They have been interesting, informative, and in some cases, very hard to refute (the makings of a great argument). He has also been courteous, and I thank him for this too. I'll spend a small amount of this argument refuting his latest argument, and then I'll attempt to…

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• Ok, I agree to a tie. Judges please don't award points to either side.
• 1. My opponent argued the wrong side; my opponent is Con and should be arguing against the legalization of the sale of organs, but is arguing for the legalization of the sale of organs. 2. My opponent plagiarized a majority of his argument word for word from:…

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• Here is one of many videos where PETA goes against their name. http://www.youtube.com... 1. "First of all, PETA is nonprofit, so the whole idea that it is a "scam" that you are revolving around is untrue." Well its plain and simple: people love animals. Of course they will dump…
• PETA was invented as a scam for people who don't eat meat. They donate their wallets to PETA while PETA stands by doing nothing and KILLING animals rather than saving them. They film videos of themselves killing baby animals and such and claim it is the government doing it.

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• wot
• Omg u fgt u r posting to much, i m right u r not idc bout ur aruments, so i m right. idont care u r obviusly a omg u r not good. i am disapointed

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• I'm sorry that ashwathc and I once again didn't get to finish our debate - it would have been highly entertaining. Extend my case.
• Extend my analysis that this is a Habermasian ethical discussion, comparing utilitarianism to the categorical imperative, designed to sway our audience by the emotional responses that our examples elicit. My opponent drops his murdering doctor example. Extend the "he would die…

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• My opponent doesn't realize that the same zoo director also said that from direct quotes from the Cincinnati Zoo Fire Department, "the gorilla was dragging the boy around." The fact that the Cincinnati Director saying the gorilla was a good guy is true, but he also acknowledged…
• My opponent says, "Well, assuming that your points are valid, they still could've shot its feet or somewhere that would disable it but not kill it. Then it would still be alive. It would've dropped the baby and still lived. Then, the public opinion would still not decline and…

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• We have more freedom, more rights, and a better quality of life than anywhere else in the world. We are protected from attacks and we can choose our own destiny. Americanism and patriotism are bedrocks in our society. There is a growing trend right now that to teach kids to be…
• Well to begin, the freedom of speech is really that free to begin with. One may not slander or invoke what is identified by the constitution as fighting words. With any type of government where you have a very broad freedom, some restrictions must reside to insure order. In…

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• "First of all my opponent failed to prove that inaction isn't wrong. I will again address this later. Second, my opponent failed to address my circumstancial justice statement and this will also come into play later." Actually I did. I've made it a valid point by integrating it…
• I would like to begin this round by reminding the voters of some key statements that I made that went unattested by my opponent. "The resolution implies action vs. inaction. Therefore, my opponent must prove why inaction, which will end up in more deaths, is morally sound in…

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• My opponent hasn't supported his stats with sources, I have. My opponent has forfeited a round and my opponent has admitted that bullfighting is bad. Please take all this into account and vote for me.
• Again my opponent is talking of lesser evils. "You talk about it as an evil sport, but what is the greater evil? Starving people or giving a bull a victorious death, that has already had a privileged life?" It's a false dichotomy. Torturing nils isn't necessary to feed the…

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• I think that Bionic Chips could really help people. It could save lives. But many people I've talked to say otherwise. They said that a car that makes its own gas is better. Is saving money honestly more important than life?

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• Sorry you didn't quite manage to get your argument in on time mate. As debates should be just about the arguments put I hope voters will judge us on arguments alone. I extend my arguments from last round.
• Should be an interesting one. Looking at the comments I will for simplicities sake use the word "animal" synonymously with any non human animal. Though I believe that in reality such a distinction is morally irrelevant as I shall go onto explain. A key step in animals rights is…

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• Everybody, emospongebob and I have decided to make the debate a tie. Do not vote for either of us. Vote Tie.
• Thank you for your support, Dylan. Okay, back to business. Have you ever had a dog or saw a dog and thought it was adorable (unless if it was aggressive)? Well...I'm saying dogs are called man's best friend for a reason. Animals have been proven to be like dogs, who can reflect…

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• I would like to first state that I am saying I don't want any zoos. But that doesn't mean that we can't have other places that save animals and don't keep them in a cage for money. Rebuttals: "Actually, I wouldn't mind being put in a cage if it meant that I would get food and…
• I would like to first say in my argument a link to the worst zoos in the world. Put yourself in there place. Link: http://www.takepart.com... "I believe that zoos protect the endangered animals in the world." Yes they do save the animals, but after they save them what they do…

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• Ok, hold on for a second. The people who vote no clearly have no insight into what happens to these animals, so let me give some detail. For example Fois Gras a style of duck is often done by force feeding the duck their entire life. Watch a video, then come back and vote…

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• Thank you. I respectively contend that I did not violate any guideline explicitly states as a "rule". The only rule that I could suss out is "The final round may hold no new arguments, only responses to arguments made in the round previous and closing remarks." The previous…
• Please let me state that I love all animals and respect all life. And the only reason that I am debating this is to play the devil's advocate. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958 only protect animals that are considered "livestock". The term Livestock is restricted to…

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• Seeing as MrMark failed to repost I urge a an affirmative ballot.
• * I will give my opponent the credit that there may be a licensed zoologist on staff but it is irrational to speak to the zoologist being able to provide consistently accurate care all the time. Inhumane practices occur often in a zoo, water doesn't always get changed, feces…

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• Interesting, interesting. Thanks for sharing that.
• Maybe so... but what does that have to do with anything again?

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• What I fail to see is why my opponent believes that the following of thouroughly researched ideas and opinions and morals is blind. I thought I had proven my statement both relevently and soundly when I previously stated that the essential foundation of belief in the…
• I refute the conclusion of my opponent on the truth that morals are not, in fact, blindly observed but rather obtained through life experience and the study of the experiences of others. Morals, even those observed by religious sects, are not structured blindly. Most popular…

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• I was too, I misread the debate as being 2days instead of 24hours. *(which is a rather short time for me as I was busy, especially with pdfs and such just linked in a general throw-out). Well since it's 5 rounds I think we still have time for what is a rather simple…
• I have no real need to argue that it is ethical as i'm sure the general argument would just devolve into basic animal rights and get further away from the topic. As for it being unnecessary, I will of course argue that Con should provide: -Why it is unnecessary -What other…

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• Thanks for your response, although it was pretty difficult to understand. I will dismantle it. In regards to your first point (although this popped up a few times): the majority of land that we used to grow various plants foods on (i.e. grains) is not being used to feed people…
• I assert that (and my opponent has accepted that), at the very least, we have some moral obligation to restrict those actions that cause direct harm to others. This principle was undoubtedly established with respect to human beings, and I accept that. What I will attempt to…

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• Overvaluing the Risk of Terrorism
• Beyond National Security

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• My argument went past the 10,000 character limit. I will therefore be unable to post my paper on debate.org. However, have no fear, because my entire paper can be read here: http://sharetext.org...Just click on the link that I have just provided in order to read my opening…
• Today I will be arguing that factory farming animals is immoral. BOP is on me. Definition of factory farming: "a system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions. " Good luck! (:

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• But they aren't being driven out that's why we have the hunting seasons to give them time to recover, animals are smarter than most people think I have seen it, once hunting season draws near the deer are more easily scared and don't come near the house. They aren't driven out…
• This is were there is a fine line to walk, most animals have a season or a time when it is legal to hunt them, this period of culling is typically in the winter after they have breed giving the yearlings time to mature. And most hunters will shoot for the elder animals this…

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• i messed up the rounds somehow..ill redo it
• buying and owning a pet is one of the worst acceptable acts allowed that alot of people do. no one should buy or own an animal except for the animal being a food source. religion is not allowed in this debate. none of that god gave us control of all the animals babble.

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• The population in the united states in 2012 and currently is over 300 million compared to those 300 million less than 300 justifiable homicides occurs less than one in a million people. In the cases with animals https://historylist.wordpress.com... a centipede, spider, or…
• Your argument is that wielding a firearm is helpful in survival and an unpredictable target is required to get good at it. For practicing shooting you could purchase a remote controlled car or helicopter attach a target via flag attached to the helicopter or cardboard target on…

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• We've been discussing whether there is a standard by which society's recognition of human rights is justified. I've been arguing that compassion is such a standard, and furthermore that the existance of human rights proves there must be such a standard, as humans cannot be…
• We are all differentMy argument here was that there is no justifiable criteria for distinguishing between animals and humans in ways that are relevant to rights. If we can award rights despite human differences, we can also award rights despite animal differences. My opponent…

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• Contenton IV: Animals generally benefit from advances made in animal testing IVA: Animal testing has improved understanding of animals and their welfare. What is often overlooked in this debate is the subject of veterinary medicine. It is in the interests of animals themselves…
• It is morally acceptable to experiment on non-domesticated animals for human purposes. Contention I: Humans have "dominion" over animals. IA: Humans have dominion over animals with a right to exploit them. Genesis 1:28 - And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be…

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• My opponent has forfeited his round, the obvious win is PRO!
• ----> By moral community, I basically mean the entiriety of every entity that can engage in moral decisions, also known as a person ( a human doesn't have to be a person) See source for definition (the 4th definition, it pertains to philosophy) [1]. By defintiion, a person is a…

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• From where do rights flow? How are we to determine who has rights? Clearly a claim to rights should have something to do with whether or not an entity can hold preferences and suffer. It would simply be absurd to say that kicking a rock is a violation of its rights because the…
• Let me first begin by thanking my opponent for this debate and also for his thought provoking and timely responses. "A snail is an animal. My opponent is not opposed to eating a snail for pleasure. Resolution negated." If obscurantism were an Olympic sport then that argument…

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• The reason why it is OK is because: 1) They are more sensitive and we, men, are less sensitive to being slapped. 2) They do it for good reasons,
• Britney b*tch :u rararararraarrarrarara I accept, and look forward to your arguments.

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• i think that animals if they could talk should have a choice to freedom but since they cant talk they have no choice.
• yeah well maybe that is true but we could take in the weak ones and put out the strong ones. we could have like a animal patrol and if one gets injured we could help it.