CASE Library
Explore The Issues that Matter.
We excitedly invite you to browse, search, and explore our newly redesigned library of over 300 case studies which render some of the most complex and controversial moral and political issues of our time. These cases were formerly used for official NHSEB competitions at the Regional, Divisional, and National Championship levels. They are freely available for public use under Creative Commons licenses.
The NHSEB Case Library is an excellent tool for competitive preparation, internal or intramural competition, or beyond the context of the Ethics Bowl activity completely—as a classroom resource for Grades 9-12 and beyond.
Featured Cases
NAVIGATING THE LIBRARY
NHSEB’s Case Library is now fully browsable by individual case, or by Case Set—using the filters below. Or, if you already know a bit about what you’re looking for, the entire library of over 300 Ethics Bowl cases is newly indexed, referenced, and searchable by title, topic, keyword, year, and category. Each individual case entry contains the full text of the case and discussion questions as they originally appeared for competitive use, all references assembled in hyperlinked footnotes, and additional contextual resources curated by NHSEB HQ.
CASE SET COLLECTION
REGIONAL CASE SETS
2023-2024 | 2022-2023 | 2021-2022 | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019
2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014-2015 | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013
National CASE SETS
2023-2024 | 2022-2023 | 2021-2022 | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019
2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014-2015 | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013
FIND AN ETHICS BOWL CASE
ATTRIBUTION AND CITATION
All National High School Ethics Bowl cases are the intellectual property of the Parr Center for Ethics, and all are freely available for public use under Creative Commons licenses once retired from use in NHSEB competitions. This library represents thousands of hours of work from our Contributing Authors, Editors, and others. Please do not reproduce NHSEB cases or sets—in part or in whole—without attribution, or modify the text of individual cases or sets. If you reproduce or make reference to NHSEB cases from this library (e.g., in classroom materials, academic papers, etc.), please attribute and/or cite those materials:
National High School Ethics Bowl (Ed.), <YEAR>. “<Case Title>.” National High School Ethics Bowl Case Library. UNC Parr Center for Ethics: Chapel Hill, NC. http://nhseb.org/case-library
Browse The Library
The Modern Debtors’ Prison
People from underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds are sometimes arrested and jailed for failure to pay their legal fees or fines for low-level offenses. Under what circumstances is it morally permissible to put people in jail for failing to pay their debts? How does the fact that those imprisoned tend to be undereducated minorities who are in some cases suffering from mental illness?
Swimming for Free
Angel works full time but struggles to make ends meet, and Mark attends an expensive private college. Is it morally permissible for Angel to use his friend Mark's school ID to swim in the pool for free?
Paying a Ransom to Save Your Family
The US has a strict policy of not paying ransoms for hostages because it incentivizes the taking of hostages and funds terrorism. Is it morally justifiable the government to enforce this policy on private citizens who try to pay ransoms? Is it immoral for families to pay ransoms?
Ban the Box
Is it morally permissible for employers to ask about criminal history on an application? Is it morally permissible for the state to prevent employers from asking about criminal history on an application?
Transgender Care and Medicaid
Should transgender care be covered under Medicare and Medicaid? Is there a morally relevant difference between treatment of gender dysphoria and other physical conditions? How does the morality of a cis and trans women's desire to have breast implants differ?
Feeding Cover-Up
Should nursing mothers have to cover themselves while breastfeeding in public places? When should business owners have a right to control the types of behaviors, like breastfeeding, that are allowed in their businesses?
“Don’t Help Me!”
Tom has been twice cited for underage drinking and if he receives one more citation, he will lose his much-needed scholarship to college. While drinking with Kevin, Tom badly cuts his hand and then asks Kevin not to call for help. Should Kevin call for help or defer to Tom's judgement?
Reporting on a Scandal
The editor of the high school's newspaper learns that a community service group has not functioned according to school rules: they awarded service hours in exchange for money raised. The leader of the club expresses regret and asks the editor not to publish the allegations because they will hurt his chances of college admission. How should the editor weigh her journalistic responsibilities against a student's right to privacy?
Technology’s Graveyards
Millions of tons of electronics are discarded each year and end up in developing nations, where they hurt the environment. Is it morally permissible for nations to sell potentially hazardous e-waste to willing buyers in developing nations? Do manufacturers have a moral obligation to create products with longer lifespans, even if they would earn less money as a result? How should manufacturers, governments, and consumers solve this problem?
Fire at the Louvre
Should the curator of a burning art museum risk his life to rescue anything? If so, he can either save the Mona Lisa or an unconscious museum visitor. How does the value of art and a person compare?
Reacting to Racist Chants
During a match, a black soccer play responds to racist chants with an "unpleasant gesture." He was suspended for two matches and the area where the most vocal fans sit was closed. Are athletes obligated to act professionally in the face of racist chants? Is it fair to punish a large number of fans because of the actions of a few?
A For-Profit 21st Century School
AltSchool is a for-profit school AND tech company. It collects data on enrolled students for research and the development of operating system for education that it will market to schools. However, this technology may further inequality since it is too expensive for many schools. Should schools partner with tech companies? Should schools conduct research on students?
Ice Water Ethics
The ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" raised millions of dollars for ALS research but drew criticism for encouraging "slacktivism." Furthermore, ALS is much rarer and more difficult to treat than diseases like malaria. Is it unethical for a charity to solicit more donations than it needs or for donors to give to charities when the money could be better used elsewhere?
Selecting for Deafness
A deaf couple decides to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis to select for a deaf child so they can be in a better position to parent the child. Is it morally wrong to select for a disability? Are they harming their child if the alternative is that embryo remains frozen?
Too Young to Vote?
Given that minors are directly affected by political decisions, should the voting age be lowered to 16? On what should the right to vote depend?