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
Trust the Science
During the COVID-19 pandemic, news organizations were at the front of relaying scientific information to the public. Due to the rapidly-changing manner of news, as well as trying to retain the trust of news consumers, news organizations were faced with issues as it related to the pandemic. Many times, news organizations would have to report something opposite of what they had previously, such as the effectiveness of masks and whether or not vaccinated people could contract COVID. News organizations also could not properly portray the statistics, which led to further confusion and resistance to science.
All the Opinions Fit to Print?
The New York Times masthead proudly proclaims that "All the News Fit to Print," which serves to remind its consumers that they are committed to impartiality. Following a wave of police killings of black men, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) wrote an opinion piece, which was featured in an issue of the Times, claiming that the US military should be deployed to quiet the civil unrest in the country. The release of Cotton's opinions sparked horror for readers and NYT employees as they felt his language could lead to further violent outcry. The Times apologized days after the op-ed's publication. Critics of the new's organization think that readers should know the positions their elected officials hold and that their response reveals liberal bias, which is not impartial reporting.
Support for Paris
In the aftermath of the 2015 Paris terrorist attack, many around the world expressed strong support for Paris. On the same day as the Paris attacks, there were suicide bombings in Beirut and Baghdad that received relatively little global attention. Is it unreasonable for Americans to express support for Paris but not for Beirut or Baghdad?
Acting Unnaturally
A struggling minority actor is offered a major part in a new sitcom. He will have many lines in what will likely be a hit show, but his character would essentially be acting out racial stereotypes for easy laughs. Should he accept the role?
One Child Too Many
Under what conditions, if any, should a government be allowed to limit the number of children people can have? In the US, families with many kids become famous through reality TV. What is the media's responsibility in covering these stories?