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
In Prime Health
In 2022, online commerce giant Amazon sought to purchase One Medical, a membership-based and technology-driven provider of primary care and preventative medical services to over 700,000 American in both digital and physical locations. Some applaud Amazon's approach to revolutionize the sector amidst rising prescription drug costs in the United States. Others, however, worry that the deal would provide Amazon with enormous amounts of patient data and would widen disparities between those who have access to private primary care services and those who do not.
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied?
In 1955, three days after allegedly harrassing then-twenty-one-year-old Carolyn Bryant in a store, fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was found burtally murdered by the Tallahatchie River. Bryant's husband and his half-brother were tried for Till's murder and found not guilty by an all-white jury. Later, Carolyn Bryan recanted her claims and revealed that Till never harrassed her. In July of 2022, an unserved arrest warrant for her accomplice in murder was found in a courthouse basement, but the grand jury refrained from issuing an indictment over cocerns of insufficient evidence. Decades later, what might securing justice for Emmett Till look like?
Our Baby, My Body
Melinda is pregnant and is commited to raising the future baby with its father, Tom. However, Melinda has recently participated in activities Tom deems risky for their future child's health. Are Tom and Melinda equal partners in the pregnancy, or does Melinda's autonomy take precedent? What obligations does Tom have to the health of his partner and future child?
21 Candles
61% of countries have a drinking age of eighteen or nineteen, yet the United States' was raised to 21 in 1984. This amendment has resulted in a 16% decline in motor vehicle crashes, though critics argue it is illogical to give an eighteen-year-old the right to vote and join the military yet prohibit alcohol intake. Additionally, this results in unsupervised and/or binge drinking, a hazard to young adults' health. What factors are morally relevant in determining the legal drinking age?
Parental Controls
From July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, 1,145 books were banned across the United States, 41% and 33% containing characters of color and LGBTQ+ themes or main characters, respectively. One instance of mandated censorship is Flordia's HB 1557 "Don't Say Gay" bill. Legislation supporters emphasize concern about parental rights to control what children are taught about gender and sexuality, whereas critics of the bill point to the LGBTQ+ youth suicide rate and the benefits of representation. What is the relationship between parents, teachers, and the content of classroom discussion? When, if ever, is it morally permissible to ban books?
To Pledge or Not to Pledge?
Aria believes the institution of college Greek life is incompatible with her desires to address racial injustice and promote female empowerment. However, she feels the community it could bring would improve her mental heath––maybe she could even use the sorority's substantial audience to promote change from the inside. To what extent is Aria obligated to sacrifice personal satisfaction for the betterment of her community?
Do Innocents Pay the Price?
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. In response, Western nations have implemented an aggressive series of escalating sanctions against the Russian state and individual powerful oligarchs. One such example is the Wimbledon tennis tournament's ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes, impacting a handful of top players including Danill Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka, the second and fourth best men's and women's players, respectively. To what extent, if any, are individuals responsible for the actions of their governments?
Forget Me Not
For sixty years, Joan has been married to Roy. He recently developed severe Alzheimer's and fails to remember her when she visits him. Joan has fallen out of love for him and, instead, has developed romantic interest in her old friend Dennis. What is Joan's moral obligation to her husband, Roy? Is engaging in a relationship with Dennis morally permissible?
Floss or Get Lost
Dr. Pearly White is a world-renowned general dentist who has devleoped a reputation for shaming his patients with lackluster flossing habits. By not flossing, his patients put themselves at unnecessary risk for health issues. However, his ostracization tactics lead to increased dental anxiety and aversion to returning for six-month cleanings. Is it morally permissible for a medical professional to ignore patients' feelings in the name of health?
Not In My Backyard!
Arevia Power's Battle Born Solar Project would have created 2,600 jobs for Nevada and contributed to its goal of producing more renewable sources. However, residents argue it would ruin the beauty and character of their neighborhood. Under what circumstances is it morally permissible to align with community preferences over economic and environmental improvements?
Separate But Ethical?
Are special interest schools, or schools that cater to particular communities and minority groups, democratic safe havens or drivers of inequality? Should our schools preserve and maintain group identities and cultures or produce a single civic identity?
Happy To Be Alone
Happy the elephant has lived in the Bronx Zoo's one-acre enclosure for forty-five years. The Nonhuman Rights Project garnered 1.5 million signatures in support of her release and personhood status, while zookeepers assure protestors that she receives extensive care and interaction. Some suggest ruling in favor of Happy's personhood would provide an opportunity to consider the improved treatment of non-human sentient beings, whereas others point out that doing so would drive up research costs and threaten to impede critical medical breakthroughs that benefit humans and animals. Should Happy be granted personhood status?
So Sue Me!
After Gawker Media published a scandalous video of wrestler Hulk Hogan, he sued the company for privacy violation, and a third party invesited $10 million to help Hogan win. Aside from personal motivations, litigation financing can be a profitable investment. At its best, the practice can help poor and powerless underdogs achieve reparations for the harms rich and powerful Goliaths have caused them. At its worst, the practice can stimulate further fiscal corruption within the U.S. legal system and ruin businesses on account of mere personal vendettas. Should litigation financing be permissible? Or does it carry too many troubling risks?
Helping the Bush Boys?
In Vernon, Ontario, two teenagers camped behind a grocery store. When onlooker Tami sought to help, the boys claimed to have been disowned by off-the-grid parents. Tami and others secured them basic necessities and a room in a hostel, though others desired more information before agreeing to help. It was a hoax: the boys were from a loving, middle-class California family and simply wanted be on their own. When the truth came out, Tami claimed she did not regret helping; other helpers felt manipulated. Is there a relevant relationship between charity and what a donation is used for?
I’m Afraid
In 2022, Google employee Blake Lemoine publicly suggested that the artificial intelligence program LaMDA (Langauge Model for Dialogue Applications) had become sentient upon its claim that it was "afraid of being turned off." To protect it, Lemoine attempted sought lawyer representation for LaMDA. Some philosophers suggest that, because harming a sentient being is morally high stakes, we ought to be cautious when sentience is known. Others point out that powerful artificial intelligence doesn't require sentience and that a non-human, intelligent labor force might be socially useful. Ought we extend moral consideration to artificial intelligence?