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 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2022-2023 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

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?

Read More

Married to the Name?

Marriage has become a widespread and enduring practice across the world, but many worry about the aspect of marriage where the woman assumens the husbands last name. In 1981, Quebec adopted a policy that effectively prevented women from taking their husbands’ last name on legal documents, but could still use it socially. While this could be seen as a protection of women’s rights, it was also seen as paternalistic as well, not giving women the choice to choose which name they want.

Read More

23 & Memaw

Nancy was given an ancestry test from her maternal cousins, and it led to a startling discovery; Nancy has a different grandfather than her two cousins, meaning their grandmother must have committed infidelity. Nancy is torn over telling her mother this, as both her grandparents, as well as her cousin’s mothers, are dead. Nancy wants to know if her mother knew this, but also knows with her family’s religious background it may alter her mother’s view on Nancy’s grandmother.

Read More
2019-2020 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2019-2020 National Case Set Katie Leonard

The Wishes of the Dead

Yvonne and Zaina have been married for years, until Yvonne passed away and made 3 wishes before her death. One, for Zaina to never drink coffee again, due to her believing this was the cause for her terminal illness without any proof. Two, Yvonne wants the money she left to be dedicated towards research on the negative effects of coffee. Third, Zaina can never marry again. After years of following through with her promise, Zaina begins to wonder if there's any point to the silly demands, especially since she has found a new love interest who is ready to be married. Would Zaina be wrong to break her promises?

Read More
2019-2020 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2019-2020 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Nandi’s Choice

Briefly after marriage, Nandi was fortunate enough to receive great news. One, he and his wife was expecting a daughter, and he was offered the opportunity to get his bachelor's degree in America. He promised his family he'll come back after his education and left. 4 years later, he was awarded another opportunity to pursue his Ph.D. After a few years, his father dies and they rush back home. Upon Indian tradition, the son must take the mother into his home, but it makes it difficult when they both see different places as home. Should Nandi abandon his academic pursuits in the name of his family?

Read More

Trolling for a Refund

Linda is planning to get married on a budget so she decides to do her own planning, including picking the photographer. Turns out, the photographer that was sent to take the photos the day of was a completely different photographer than the one she met with, and the pictures he took a bit short of ordinary quality. Linda tries multiple times to contact the company for a refund, but each time was met with no response. Linda's reaction was to notify everyone who attended the wedding to blast the company with bad reviews, but Linda's best friend, Viola, has always been against trolling. This hesitation is causing conflict in the relationship. Should Viola give into what her friend wants for the sake of the relationship?

Read More

Plantation Wedding

Mallory and Ross want to have a beautiful wedding like any other couple. They both grew up in the South and their families heritage traces back to pre civil-war days and slavery. Their families want them to get married on a plantation that has a good chance of being connected to slavery, and offered to fund every dime being spent. The couple thinks the plantation is the most beatiful of option, and not having to pay helps as well. On the other hand, the couple doesn't want their marriage to begin on the backbone of something resembling such a hateful and harmful period of time. Should Mallory and Ross choose to have their dream wedding paid for, or choose a less wanted and more expensive option in avoidance of what the plantation symbolizes.

Read More
2017-2018 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2017-2018 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

Sperm of the Dead

A recent widow wants to have a child with her deceased husband's sperm. Some of his family members are uneasy about this and argue that she does not own or have a right to his sperm. Husband and wife had previously agreed that they would like to have a child together. How relevant should their prior conversations be in this decision? How relevant should his family's opinion be? Would it make a difference if her husband's religious beliefs precluded organ donation after death?

Read More
2017-2018 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2017-2018 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

Best Man or Worst Man?

Bijan's best friend Mike is getting married. Bijan does not like his friend's fiancé and is unsure whether he should tell Mike about these feelings. If Bijan doesn't confront Mike, is he to blame for anything? What is the morally best way for Bijan to confront Mike if he chooses to? If Bijan shares his feelings, how should or could Mike feel about them?

Read More
2016-2017 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2016-2017 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Stuck in Love

Sarah and Chris were happily married until Chris became a paraplegic after a tragic climbing accident. Since then, their interests have diverged and Sarah no longer feels happy. Is there something morally bad about leaving your partner as a result of this kind of development? Is Sarah blameworthy for feeling unfulfilled?

Read More