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

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

2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

An Immodest Proposal?

Jade emails high school acquaintance Antonio with a request to help her conceive a child naturally through sex. She is single, almost forty, and skeptical of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination (IUI). Jade reassures him that he would not be expected to be financially or emotionally responsible for the child in any way. Antonio is torn: he doesn't feel comfortable fathering a child he may never meet, yet he worries that turning Jade down would deprive her of a child likely to be happy and healthy. How should we evaluate Jade's request? How should Antonio feel in response?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Operation Paperclip

In the aftermath of World War II, seeking to gain a military advantage over the Soviet Union, United States intelligence smuggled over 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians into the U.S. in a covert programed called Operation Paperclip. Some of these former Nazis were involved in despicable war crimes, yet the operation led to the design of rockets putting America on the moon and might have allowed the United States the edge in the Cold War. Is it ever morally permissible to excuse moral evils for the sake of scientific or social progress?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

An Honest Chat

ChatGPT is a natural language processing tool that uses machine learning algorithms to generate written content. Some argue that it is an efficient and cost-effective solution for producing large quantities of work, useful both for news organizations to generate articles quickly and businesses to save time and resources. However, as automation's prevalence increases, there is a risk that tools like ChatGPT may displace human workers. Others worry who ought to be credited as an author when employing ChatGPT, the spread of misinformation, or even the homogenization of written content. What impacts ought to be considered as we adopt AI technologies?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

A Random Sample?

In randomized controlled trials (RTCs), one group receives an intervention, while another does not. In a social science research RTC, for over twelve years, non-profit GiveDirectly issued direct cash transfers of $22 per month to randomly selected adults in a Kenyan village to test direct cash transfers' effectiveness in poverty alleviation. Some suggest RTCs like GiveDirectly's are exploitative, rendering human beings as experimental subjects. Others suggest benefitting only a portion of the population might provoke tension within the community. Are random selection effects inherently unfair?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Penniless Portraiture

Arists Sophie Calle and Vito Acconci and the galleries, collectors, and museums buying their work profit from photographs of people in public spaces. However, the subjects neither have knowledge of their being photographed nor received compensation for the sales. Relatedly, subjects in commercials are used to sell products, whereas background individuals in for-profit news channels are not; in the former, lack of compensation would be considered theft, but the strategy in the latter is typically accepted. Art is often considered distinct from the aforementioned media. Is it ethical for artists and art institutions to profit from work depicting uncompensated subjects?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Formula for Disaster

Shirley runs out of baby formula to feed her newborn and heads to the grocery store. After swiping her card at checkout, the distracted cashier tells her she is good to go. Later, when Shirley checks her bank account, she notices that the grocery store payment did not go through. However, after paying her utility bill upon returning home from the store, Shirley no longer has money to go back and pay for the formula. Is it morally wrong for Shirley to keep the formula? To what extent is one morally responsible for an act done in ignorance?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

See Spot Gun

Robots are often used by emergency services to ensure the safety of first responders. On November 29, 2022, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to allow the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to deploy robots equipped with lethal weapons in extraordinary circumstances. Supporters argue that technology able to help end violence and save lives should be used, while the opposition suggests that lowering consequences of aggressive policing could increase the likelihood of police violence. Does the benefit of potential lives saved override the ethical concerns accompanying use of lethal robots?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

It’s Corn!

Bt-corn, a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), is produced to make corn toxic to European corn borer larvae. More broadly, genetic modification produces crops with increased nutritional value and further health benefits that boost quality of life across the world. However, some express concern about unknown health effects of GMOs, as well as potential biodiversity loss their growth prompts. When a specific type of crop (e.g., bt-corn) displaces other strains, different varieties of that crop grow rarer. How should the immediate benefits of GMOs be weighed against future risks posed by a loss of biodiversity?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

In a Pickle

Adults Deborah and Joe have been pickleball partners since childhood. Deborah is eager to face tougher opponents than Joe. When the partner of a more advanced pickleball duo, both of whom pick on Joe, is sick, Deborah desires the opportunity to test her skills against better competition. Joe is appalled at her impulse and gives Deborah and ultimatum: if she plays with the other pickleballer, Joe will never play with her again. Deborah prizes friendship over pickleball, but she doesn't think Joe is being fair. What obligations come with friendship?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Oh, the Humanity!

On November 6, 2022, Italian port authority accepted 144 migrants from German charity vessel Humanity I but refused to accept the ship's remaining 35. Protesting Italy's refusal to process all migrants on board, the captain refused to leave the port until remaining migrants were allowed to disembark. European Union humanitarian law dictates that someone seeking asylum is permitted entry if found to qualify under the United Nations' definition of an asylum seeker. However, the Italian Government claims Italy is not obligated to host non-citizens. Should the Italian government prioritize the well-being of its citizens or its humanitarian aims?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

NIL-lionnaire

Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunne has amassed over 8.3 million social media followers and earns over $2 million as a result of the legalization of a college athlete's ability to earn money from name, image, and likeness (i.e., NIL). Dunne's following grew as a result of posting suggestive, flirty videos known as "thirst traps." Supporters deem it empowering, whereas critics suggest it upholds sexism. How should athletes receiving NIL earnings consider traditional beauty standards, if at all? What obligations do female athletes have as role models to young women?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Mushroom Magic

Psychoactive drugs have become repopularized in the United States. Most are banned under 1970 Controlled Substances Act, though new research supports their mental health benefits. Some citics of a law change argue that psychedelics are addictive and may cause erratic behavior, and others point out that drug companies stand to make huge profits from a legal market. Advocates, however, point out their spiritual significance in some communities and suggest reported health threats are exaggerated. Should psychedelic drugs be legal for individual consumption in the United States?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

A LINE in the Sand

In response to the growing climate crisis, Saudia Arabian company NEOM has begun developing a "city of the future," THE LINE. This community will depend entirely on renewable energy, running roughly 100 miles long across the desert. Its interior will be climate-controlled, emissions-free, and carbon negative, providing residents with a high-speed rail and five-minute walk to all facilities. However, this project is sponsored by the Saudia Arabian government, a power notorious for human rights violations and control of 17% of the world's petrolium reserves. Is this futuristic city worthy of critique or praise?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

#Sharenting

Children on monetized YouTube channels have no legal protections to guarantee they will profit from participating in videos, yet youth working in the entertainment industry are protected by stringent labor laws. Money incentivizes family vloggers to shape "life" according to profitability, and children's understanding of authentic emotion and non-work activities may be fundamentally disrupted. On the other hand, such profits may be used to fund the children's education or help caretakers share positive messages to a large online audience. What qualifies an activity as labor, and what rights can children featued on monetized channels claim against their parents?

Read More
2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Trouble on Rocky Top

Following many major sporting upsets, fans of the winning team celebrate victories that result in damages including uprooted goalposts and hospitalized fans. With fines in place to try to prevent such chaos at universities, the act of rushing the field becomes expensive and dangerous for many institutions. But for most fans, it's an experience they'll never forget. To what extent, if at all, are universities and individual fans obligated to curtail participation in these celebrations?

Read More