Thank you for your interest in the Ethics for Debaters Workshop at YSU. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, July 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Williamson College of Business.
General Information:
- There are currently 16 people signed up for the workshop including a few coaches[1].
- A continental breakfast will be provided as well as a box lunch. Please email me directly (mvopat@ysu.edu) with your lunch preference:
1. Turkey Breast with sandwich with provolone
2. Grilled Veggie Wrap
3. Roast Beef and cheddar sandwich
4. Tuna Express sandwich
5. Classic Italian (pepperoni, salami, provolone) - Students should bring something with which to take notes.
- The workshop will consist of lectures, group work, and discussion.
Parking:
- Parking passes have been reserved for all participants at the M30 Wick Avenue parking deck. Participants may park at the deck and walk the two blocks to the business college. Alternately you can pick up a pass at the parking deck from the attendant and park in the M47 lot on Phelps Street directly behind Williamson.
Ethics Bowl
At the end of the workshop the organizers will be introducing the participants to Ethics Bowl. Ethics Bowl is a national competition that shares some of characteristics and skills of debate with an albeit different focus:
Ethics Bowls are competitive yet collaborative events in which students discuss real-life ethical issues. In each round of competition, teams take turns analyzing cases about complex ethical dilemmas and responding to questions and comments from the other team and from a panel of judges. An Ethics Bowl differs from a Speech and Debate competition in that students are not assigned opposing views; rather, they defend the position they actually hold or think is reasonable, provide each other with constructive criticism, and win by demonstrating that they have thought rigorously and systematically about the cases and engaged respectfully and supportively with all participants. Data from program surveys shows that this event teaches and promotes ethical awareness, critical thinking, civil discourse, civic engagement, and an appreciation for multiple points of view. NHSEB’s [National High School Ethics Bowl’s] objective is to do more than teach students how to think through ethical issues: It is to teach students how to think through ethical issues together, as fellow citizens in a complex moral and political community.[2]
The skills necessary to compete in high school Ethics Bowl competitions complement those found in debate. Also, participation on an Ethics Bowl team is a great way to continue to exercise one’s debate skills at the collegiate level. YSU’s own Ethics Bowl team has won six straight regional Ethics Bowl competitions, two second place national titles, and one national first place title.
Workshop Program
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8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. |
Sign-in Continental Breakfast |
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9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. |
Welcome Introductions |
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9:15 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. |
Utilitarianism (20 min) Case 1 (Group work 10 min) Discussion |
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10:05 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. |
Break |
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10:15 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. |
Deontology (20 min) Case 2 (Group work 10 min) Discussion (20 min) |
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11:05 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. |
Break |
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11:10 a.m. – 12:00 noon |
Virtue Ethics (20 min) Case 3 (Group work 10 min) Discussion (20 min) |
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12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
Lunch |
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1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. |
Social Contract Theory (20 min) Case 4 (Group work 10 min) Discussion (20 min) |
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1:50 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. |
Break |
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2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. |
Libertarianism (20 min) Case 5 (Group work 10 min) Discussion (20 min) |
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2:50 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. |
Break |
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3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. |
Review |
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3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
Ethics Bowl and Debate Mock Competition |
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4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. |
Questions Closing Remarks |
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Coaches please note that the workshop will focus on ethics and moral theory and not on coaching. Eva Lamberson will be available to discuss coaching issues at the workshop, but coaching itself is will not be a formal aspect of the workshop. ↩