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

Boy, Bye: Or, On the Ethics of Ghosting

Ghosting is the practice of cutting off communication (via text or otherwise) with no explanation or excuse from the person. Imani is a first year college student who wants to meet new people, so she downloads a few dating apps. Later, she decides online dating isn’t good for her and wants to prioritize her wellbeing, as well as avoid the demeaning or inappropriate comments from guys. Her friend Jake tells her that there’s nothing wrong with ghosting and that she should do it if it’s for her wellbeing.

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Dating After Prison

Antoine and Jack recently sat down and talked about what dating was like after being released from prison. Antoine went to prison at eighteen for a crime he didn't commit, while Jack admits to committing the crime, but has changed his ways while in prison. When the two of them are looking for a relationship now that they are free from prison, they struggle with when and how they should tell their dates, or even if they should since it does not define them as anymore.

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2018-2019 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2018-2019 National Case Set Katie Leonard

It’s Just a Preference

Jason was recently encouraged by his friends to try online dating. After a few days of no hits, he finally matches with someone only for them to send a message saying, “Sorry, accidentally swiped right. Not into Asians.” While racial preferences seem to be common in online dating many claim that these trends in dating preferences are racist. Others argue that desire is deeply rooted and one shouldn’t feel obligated to go against it. To what extent are racial preferences in dating an individual character flaw? A broader social problem? Neither? Both?

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2018-2019 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2018-2019 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Family Spies

Location tracking services and apps have become popular among smartphone users. Sasha’s and Jules’ mother uses an app to track their whereabouts. However, for Jules it has become overwhelming to deal with the tracking and all the subsequent questions. Due to this Sasha is now stuck in between their mother and her younger sister Jules, questioning whether these apps are really good or bad. To what extent, if any, do family (or friend) locator apps conflict with their users’ privacy? If it depends, what does it depend on?

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2018-2019 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2018-2019 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

Unauthorized Dumping

A month ago, Jessica heard a rumor that Amit cheated on her with one of her friends. Devastated, she confronted him and he admitted that it was true. Determined to make it work, Jessica stayed. But then, out of nowhere, Amit sat Jessica down and told her that he was ending the relationship. Is there anything morally praiseworthy about someone who attempts to mitigate the harms caused by their future bad behavior, when they are not willing to do what they can to not behave badly in the first place?

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2018-2019 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2018-2019 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

Love Drugs

In the United States, approximately 40% to 50% of marriages end in divorce. With new scientific interventions, we may be able to reduce this number by increasing or prolonging feelings of love. What, if anything, makes loving relationships (including romantic relationships) valuable or important? How, if at all, would “love drugs” add to or detract from that value or importance?

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2017-2018 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2017-2018 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Feminist Choice

Brandy was just accepted to law school but isn't sure if she should attend. She also deeply wants to be a stay-at-home mother, and she and her partner want to have children right away. She is deeply divided by these two options but her friend Wynona thinks it's obvious that Brandy should go to law school. If she didn't, she would throw away an important opportunity, she would be wasting her talents, and she would be betraying feminists who fought to expand opportunities for women. What values are at stake in this debate? Is the decision about what career path to pursue a purely personal decision?

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

Taking Care of Parents

Charlotte is a college senior with a high-paying job waiting for her after she graduates. As they age, her extremely supportive grandparents ask her to provide for her financially irresponsible mother. To what degree is Charlotte obligated to financially support her mother? To what degree is she obligated to obey her grandparents' wishes?

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Katie Leonard Katie Leonard

Eating for Free

Milan is fired from her restaurant job for making herself free food when the restaurant closes at night. She did so because her manager and close friend Kai sometimes gave her permission to do so and she knew the leftover food was thrown away. What constitutes stealing? What moral obligations do managers have to subordinates who are also their friends?

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2013-2014 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2013-2014 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

The After Party

Tom's dad was supposed to give Christine and Tom (who are dating) a ride home from a post-prom party. They cannot yet drive and are the only sober party-goers. When he picks them up, Christine notices that Tom's dad has been drinking. Christine doesn't want to disrespect an adult, but wants everyone to get home safely. What should she do?

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