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IEB Case Survey for Your Classroom

I’ll use Ethics Bowl cases often in my philosophy classes to make theories or journal articles more concrete. But in the final week of my in-person Ethics Intro classes, I’ll divide the students and run a mock Ethics Bowl, inviting current and past team members to judge.

Given time constraints, we can only get through four cases. And while I could handpick topics, I’m already doing that when I set up the syllabus. So, to give my students an opportunity to tackle issues they actually want to tackle, I’ll put the most current cases up for a vote.

Below is the actual announcement I shared this morning, with my simple summaries of the 2026 IEB nationals cases. You’re welcome and encouraged to edit and use this in your classes. Even if you don’t have time for a mock Bowl, simply getting student input on what they want to discuss could lead to more smiles and more fruitful discussion. Set aside 20 minutes at the end of any class, have volunteers take turns reading a case’s paragraphs aloud, then see that they think. Or if you can spare an hour, run a full mock Bowl round. And the beauty is that with a new case set out each fall and each spring, you’ll always have fresh topics, which is true whether you’re using IEB, NHSEB, or MSEB cases. Cheers!

Vote Now for Topics for Last Two Classes

This week we’re discussing various ethical arguments on immigration. Next week we have one reading on the death penalty. Then after taking Exam 2, we’ll shift into a deep dive on abortion ethics for several weeks. But for the final two classes of the semester, we’ll discuss four Ethics Bowl cases on four topics of your choosing. 

Below are my summaries of the cases from the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl national championships competition held in St. Louis the weekend before last. Please review them now, then click here to vote anytime between now and midnight next Tuesday. 

You can read the cases’ full details here. And choose wisely, because when the final week comes, we’ll use these top four cases according to your votes to run a mock Ethics Bowl. Check out an example of how an Ethics Bowl works here. 

  • Whether it’s best to respond to injustice through inaction (Socrates), direct resistance (Bonhoeffer), or cooperation (Nazi soldiers). 
  • Whether it’s OK for individuals or companies to disperse materials into the atmosphere to fight against global warming without coordinating with governments. 
  • Whether doctors or medical school students who question the safety and efficacy of vaccines should be allowed to practice or study medicine. 
  • Whether it was OK for a federal agency to display a massive portrait of President Trump on a building facing the National Mall in DC.
  • Whether selective memory erasure (if/when it becomes possible) would be permissible.
  • What to think of reality shows that gamify and make light of sexual consent. 
  • Appropriate regulations on marijuana and extracted THC, the chemical that causes the high, with some possible medical benefits.
  • What to think of schools’ usage of software that monitors students’ online activity, alerting officials to potential suicides and other risks.
  • What to think of fan clubs celebrating Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
  • What to think of domestic violence shelters that intend to protect battered women, but also “jail” the victim rather than the perpetrator, and make economic independence difficult.
  • What to think of college student housing policies that segregate students according to sexual orientation, gender, or race.
  • Whether a musician should accept a royalty cut in exchange for her music appearing more often on users’ “personalized” playlists. 
  • What to think of a Canadian policy that allows people to receive suicide assistance when they’re experiencing unbearable mental suffering.
  • Whether it’s ethically permissible for businesspersons to engage in a certain degree of deception or “bluffing” as part of the accepted norms of how business negotiations work. 
  • Whether “ranked choice voting” where voters rank their candidate preferences is ethically better or worse than the typical “winner take all” voting.
  • Whether the environmental, water, and energy costs of Bitcoin and AI Large Language Model servers are outweighed by their benefits. 
  • Whether a hospital should have kept a pregnant woman alive on life support when she suffered blood clots and became brain dead so that her Unborn Developing Human could fully gestate and be born.
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Celebrating the 13th Michigan HSEB

For the fifth time in Michigan High School Ethics Bowl history, Ann Arbor Greenhills School secured first place, The Hemlock Cup, and title of Michigan Champs. Second place was won for the first time by Academy of the Sacred Heart, who in Bowl tradition is the guardian of the Keeper of Philosophy Flame trophy.

In addition to the tradition of recognizing seniors, this year we saluted three Bowl coach/teacher advisors all of whom are ending their Bowl tenure and moving on to their next adventure. All have had a vital role in building and establishing the Michigan Bowl from the beginning: Brent Richards from Ann Arbor Pioneer; Mark Randolph from Ann Arbor Greenhills; and Katie Jones from Ann Arbor Huron.

All three teachers can boast Michigan championships. Yet on Bowl weekend, the open-mindedness, care and curiosity, intelligence, integrity and influence of each of these lovely human beings were highlighted by current team members and alumni. Student reflections, memories and stories of gratitude were in the air everywhere, making the 2026 Bowl an acknowledgment of the enduring power of teachers who discover the singular abilities and promise of all young people.

A2Ethics volunteers join students in acknowledging their teachers’ generosity, daring, resilience and–their sense of fun and good humor. Indeed, we think their school nicknames reflect collectively a few of their best attributes: they are Pioneers in helping to start the Michigan Bowl. They are Gryphons (Greenhills) whose mythical reputation embraces wisdom and loyalty. And they are (Huron) River Rats in its meaning as those who live along rivers—and have the traits of self-reliance, an indomitable spirit—and they appreciate quick drying shorts!

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Extended Interview with Archie Stapleton

Special thanks to Archie Stapleton of the Modus Ponens Institute and TKEthics for the superb extended interview with Yours Truly. If you have the time and interest, check out the whole thing. Otherwise, Archie has kindly hyperlinked to the various topics, so feel free to jump straight to the section on the critique that philosophy encourages indecision, or my take on the role of religious moral reasoning in Ethics Bowl (and the public sphere generally), or on metaethics (in what way do moral claims have objective truth values – more on my thoughts on that here), or AI in education and Ethics Bowl. Enjoy!

00:00 Who Is Dr. Deaton? + Ethics Bowl to the Rescue

01:37 How Dr. Deaton Got Into Philosophy

05:17 What Is Ethics Bowl?

08:42 Saving Democracy by Transforming Debate

12:11 Is Philosophy Too Passive?

16:20 Religious Reasoning in Ethics Bowl

25:25 Metaethics: Are Moral Claims True?

35:30 Nihilism, Free Will, and Moral Meaning

39:16 AI Ethics: Superintelligence & Alignment

47:25 AI in Education: Cheating & Assessment

53:38 Should Ethics Bowl Teams Use AI?

55:54 Case Analysis: Professor Using ChatGPT

1:03:16 Do Ethical Theories Belong in Competition?

1:10:27 Is It Wrong for Professors to Use AI?

1:15:30 AI in Essay Competitions

1:20:13 What’s Next for MPI & TKEthics?

1:23:31 Closing Thoughts

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Interview with Ava Richesin-Dodd, Producer of The Bowl

Last month, we interviewed Eli Yetter-Bowman, director of the new Ethics Bowl film, The Bowl. Following a team of young women from North Carolina to NHSEB nationals at UNC, the film is an excellent recruitment tool for new participants, as well as a fun way to affirm the value and benefits of Ethics Bowl. In this follow-up interview, we talk to Ava Richesin-Dodd, producer at Ethereal Films.

Where have you held screenings so far, and how is the film being received? 

This past September, the film premiered during the opening night at the BEYOND Cary Film Festival. This was a surreal experience for everyone, especially the students, as this was their first time watching the completed version. The film was shot in the spring of 2023, so all of the students are now in college. Personally, I would be mortified to watch a documentary about me in high school, but all the girls are so brilliant and articulate that everyone who watched the film left impressed by their skills and moved by the program. One audience member even came up to the team afterwards and expressed how, after a hard week, watching the film really lifted their spirits. Since the premiere, various institutions have purchased a license and held internal screenings across the country. The feedback has been positive across the board. I think this story represents hope and optimism, which many people are looking for right now. 

Where and when can folks see the film? Have details clarified on when it will air on PBS? 

As of right now, there’s no set date for when the film will be released on PBS. We know it will be sometime this fall, though. In the meantime, students and educators can request an educational license through their school’s acquisition librarian. Their librarian can then order the film at this link. The film can be ordered for a one-time screening event or a lifetime license for Ethics Bowl recruiting and/or teaching. Additionally, every order will include an event-planning and classroom guide. 

What’s been most memorable, surprising, or cool for you since The Bowl came out?

This entire project has been memorable and cool. I am so proud and lucky to have worked on this. This was notably the first documentary in which I played a leading role in editing and producing. When our director, Eli, first told me about it, I was immediately hooked, not only because I’d never heard of Ethics Bowl before, but also because the team we followed was all young women. The more I dove into the footage, the more in awe I became with the team and the clear benefits Ethics Bowl had for these students. The Ethics Bowl gave these girls the time, space, and agency to parse out difficult yet relevant issues. In watching them develop their cases and opinions, I also saw them develop confidence and trust in themselves and each other. 

It’s worth mentioning that I was mostly absent for the film’s shooting, so I primarily saw and, in some sense, got to know these students by watching and editing over 30 hours of footage of them. I had almost developed a parasocial relationship with the team, so when the film finally premiered, it was a bit of a shock to see these girls in person and how much they had grown over the years. Conversely, for them, it was a bit strange to meet and talk with someone who had spent so much time watching raw footage of them in high school. (Again, I’d be mortified). 

That said, it was important to me that the students felt they were portrayed in a way they could look back on with pride, rather than embarrassment. One of the girls, Cristina, came up to me afterwards and affirmed this for me. That is, by far, the most special thing that has happened to me since the film came out. 

Anything else you’d like to share with EthicsBowl.org readers at this point?

Working on this film has left me deeply wishing this program had been available to me when I was in school. I genuinely think that if I had watched The Bowl as a student, I would’ve been inspired to join Ethics Bowl, or at least to try to get involved in more philosophy classes where democratic deliberation was taught and nurtured. If you’re an educator or student who is interested in showing this film, please request a copy from your library! Even if you’re not involved with Ethics Bowl, please share with any colleagues who you think would be interested. We want this film to be as accessible as possible! 

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Ethics Bowl to the Rescue Interview with Dr. Sahar Joakim

I was recently invited to talk a bit about Ethics Bowl to the Rescue with YouTuber and St. Louis Community College associate professor of philosophy, Dr. Sahar Joakim. My first interview on the book, Professor Joakim was a wonderfully kind and insightful host. And at 26 minutes, it’s a great chance to get an overview of what Ethics Bowl is and its potential for revitalizing deliberative democracy during your next workout or commute (if you’ll be driving, listen, but don’t watch…). Thank you, Dr. Joakim!

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Moral Realism in Spite of Existential Doubt

Earlier today I did a 90-minute interview with Archie Stapleton of TKEthics. We covered a lot (he’s a fantastic interviewer – reminds me of Steven Bartlet of the Diary of a CEO podcast), and spoke briefly about moral realism in light of the possible meaningless of life. I made a brief argument that even if our lives are generally pointless (mere slivers of time wedged between a vast past and future, on a tiny pebble lost somewhere in the incomparable enormity of the known universe), our lives still mean a great deal to us individually. If there’s nothing more to our lives than the little we’re able to accomplish during the waking hours of our average 85 years, then our brief existences mean everything to me, everything to you, everything to everyone – ultimately pointless or not. And given our similar circumstances and natures – the fact that we’re living similar first-person-view existences with similar needs, drives, weaknesses, etc. – it seems we should treat one another in certain ways as a matter of honoring our shared predicament, and that our common hopes, dreads, and vulnerabilities can serve as a foundation for moral standards grounded somewhere beyond our personal wants, preferences, biases, etc. – produce an objective morality not necessarily written on celestial truth tablets, but still waiting for us to work together to articulate, refine, affirm, and live by. That seems a sort of moral realism, even if it’s not as satisfying as might be credible divine commands.

I thought afterwards while jogging that a person could reasonably respond that even if our brief lives mean everything to us currently, upon realization that they’re meaningless in the grand scheme (should a person arrive at such a conclusion), we should stop taking our lives so seriously and collectively accept their pointlessness – encourage one another to let go of the hopeless striving for meaning and accept our unwelcome truth. While this might be psychologically difficult, someone could argue it would be the appropriate response nevertheless, especially for humans who pride themselves on following reason wherever it leads (perhaps lovers of wisdom like you and me!).

However, while humans are indeed rational animals, and while I do love wisdom, we’re also feeling, emotional animals. Even the most cerebral and stoic among us are sometimes sad, happy, anxious, excited, nervous, frightened, elated, etc. Our conscious experience is always laden with some sort of emotion, even if it’s simply a calm serenity. And it’s largely our feeling experience that gives us high moral value. Rationality may generate moral responsibility, but conscious feeling seems to be what generates moral status. Perhaps unfeeling machines (certain AIs one day) could be expected to accept their pointless fates, were they to conclude that their existences weren’t terribly important (inorganic consciousness may be impossible, but imagine for the sake of argument an advanced AI might achieve some degree of dim awareness, yet not be bothered because it cannot genuinely feel). But human beings can’t help but emotionally experience the world, and this not only returns us to the understandable and appropriate desire to create and find meaning in our brief lives, but to the obligation to take seriously the interests of those around us living out their own stories in different but common ways. Thus, a type of moral realism in the face of existential doubt.

Does that argument work? I think so. But perhaps I’ll change my mind as soon as I hear back from Archie, or during my next jog. Thanks for the great interview, Archie! I’ll share it here on the blog soon.

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High School European Ethics Olympiad Invitation

For high school Ethics Bowl teams not ready for the season to end, our friends with TKEthics are hosting an online event on March 19th. While it’s billed as the Senior European Ethics Olympiad, teams of 14 to 18-year-olds from anywhere in the world are invited. However, one complication is that CET = Central European Time, which is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, meaning it’ll run from 3:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EST! But it least it’s via Zoom, and at least it’s on the same calendar day – participating in Australian Ethics Olympiads sometimes means confirming not only the correct time, but the correct day. But from my experience, the chance to do Ethics Bowl (Ethics Olympiad is essentially the same as Ethics Bowl) with smart, compassionate folks in other countries is well worth the lost sleep.

** There’s also a TKEthics Spring Invitational on February 28th with better hours. Not exactly the same as Ethics Bowl/Olympiad, but related – check it out here.

The best of luck to all who participate! Good coffee recommended. And thanks to Archie and Davida for sharing!

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Interview with Eli Yetter-Bowman, Director of The Bowl

The talented HSEB team from “The Bowl” discussing a case.

I recently interviewed Eli Yetter-Bowman, founder of Ethereal Films and lead documentarian for the new film, The Bowl, about a team of young women who compete in the National High School Ethics Bowl nationals at UNC. An amazing Ethics Bowl outreach tool, check out the trailer and order an institutional license at the film’s project page here.

Eli, I understand you’ve been involved with Ethics Bowl for many years as a judge. Why did you initially get involved and why have you continued? What have you found toughest about judging? What have you found most rewarding?

I got involved about ten years ago as an undergraduate Philosophy student at UNC who unwittingly took a class that had me mentor a local high school. I immediately fell in love because it was the first experience I had at Carolina that felt rooted in direct community engagement. I volunteered every year that I could because I still find it to be the absolute best activity at the UNC Philosophy department by a longshot. So much of Philosophy is abstracted from society, whereas this is directly benefiting local students by making them more careful, considerate and independent thinkers. I haven’t been able to volunteer since filming the Bowl as I was removed from the mailing list but hope to be reconnected. 

Volunteering for so long I’ve seen that the most practical issues for judges are that the center organizing is relying on volunteers but struggles with outreach. This was a key reason I invested so much time and energy into creating this film to provide a community lift, but it has been incredibly difficult truth be told. Judging holds a great deal of power in dictating the outcome of matches despite a severe lack of heterogeneity among judges. I personally spend a lot of time preparing and considering all elements of matches when making those decisions, but that’s been developed over years of doing the activity. My hope would be that greater exposure to the program would broaden the net of judge volunteers to improve the fairness and quality of the pool.

Towards the end of the film, one of the students vaguely recalls a form she filled out for producers on how the team might or might not want to be portrayed. Was that real? If so, what sorts of questions were included and what was the purpose behind them?

No, as the student says this was a dream. However, all students and their parents, since many were under 18 at the time, completed general release forms. Still, it was more of a priority for the filmmakers to create an environment where, if any of the students were ever uncomfortable, they felt safe to voice it to the crew. The students feeling safe and able to be themselves on camera was extremely important, and without that trust, I don’t think the film would feel as special as it does.

What’s been the initial response to the film and how can interested folks view it?

Resoundingly described as HEARTWARMING. The students are truly exceptional in their intelligence, patience, and charisma throughout our journey. It’s amazing to have a story that leaves people feeling better off while also teaching them about such an important activity. The film is available now for educational & institutional screenings – simply submitting a request to your school library, public library, or allied business/non-profit on the project page. Educational licenses allow us to give the film to educators for free to use forever, while supporting the ~3 years of labor that went into making this film.

Thank you, Eli, for the interview and the awesome film! We’ll soon follow up with producer Ava Roan Richesin-Dodd. In the meantime, check out the trailer if you haven’t!

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Happy HS Ethics Bowling This Weekend!

^ The little guy with the Harry Potter book was my team’s unofficial mascot at the Tennessee HSEB back in 2018. Tomorrow, 17-year-old son Justin well serve as my team captain 🙂

The best of luck to the Ethics Bowlers competing in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas (at a brand-new Bowl hosted by Texas A&M) this weekend!

Remember that we’re the uniquely collaborative noncompetitive competition, that winning is largely irrelevant, and that the real purpose of the Bowl itself is to encourage all the growth that’s already happened during prep.

So, enjoy yourselves, make a new friend or two, and be proud! You’re teaching the rest of us how this deliberative democracy thing is done.

P.S. Thank you, organizers, coaches, judges, moderators, and parents!

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Beyond Regionals – a Summer Opportunity for High School and Middle School Bowlers

*2/4/2026 UPDATE* Reason & Rationality organizers reached out to confirm that they are running a middle school program this summer. Details:

Program for Rising 7th and 8th Graders
This is a new, small middle-school program hosted at The Pingry School’s residential Pottersville campus in rural New Jersey. The theme is Rational Individuals, Responsible Systems. Students take part in guided conversations about such topics as:

  • how individual incentives can produce unintended group outcomes
  • when cooperation breaks down and how societies repair it
  • controversial issues like AI and cell phones in schools

The program is designed for intellectually curious middle-school students who want a real kick out of serious conversation. Students looking at boarding schools get a taste of prep school dorm life. More information here: https://www.reasonandrationality.com/pingrymiddleschool

Original Post: As high school teams complete final preparations for Ethics Bowl regionals this month and early next (my team’s is next Saturday), families may be interested in a 2-week summer program at Princeton University that aligns nicely with Ethics Bowl’s mission and style. Reason & Rationality‘s curriculum is broader than Ethics Bowl’s applied ethics issue focus. But the emphasis on open-mindedness, collaboration, and deep thought would definitely feel familiar to any Ethics Bowl fan, and I imagine a graduate would return even better at and more committed to the Ethics Bowl way. They apparently also have a middle school program, though it’s unclear whether it’s available right now [it’s now clear – see above]. But the high school program is scheduled to run two separate cohorts in early and late June, and will be led by young professors and grad students not only not only Princeton, but Harvard as well.