Workshop
Week 4
Debate questions
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Imagine that a CEO must make a decision whether to downsize the company, causing significant
financial harm to employees, or risk bankruptcy by continuing operations. Does the CEO's ethical
obligation lie with the employees or the shareholders and stakeholders?
•
Suppose a soldier is faced with the dilemma of following orders to kill innocent civilians or disobeying
orders and facing severe consequences. Does deontological ethics support the soldier's decision to
follow orders, or does it demand that the soldier acts on their moral obligation to protect the
innocent?
•
Imagine a person who must choose between stealing food to feed their starving family or risking their
safety to earn an honest living. Does the moral relativist argument that the person's actions are
justified in their cultural context hold water, or does it demand that the person act with universal
ethical principles?
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March 10, 2022
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Forming Teams
• The class will be divided into two to four teams. Each team will represent one side of
the argument. There will be a pro (affirmative) team that supports the topic and a
con (negative) team that opposes it.
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Assign Roles
• Lead Speaker: Opens the debate for their team, outlining their
main arguments.
• Second Speaker: Builds on the lead speaker's points and
refutes arguments presented by the opposing team.
• Rebuttal Speaker: Focuses on rebutting the opposing team's
arguments and reinforcing their own team's points.
• Conclusion Speaker: Summarizes the team's arguments and
why their side has won the debate.
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Research and Preparation
• Time will be allocated for teams to research their side of the topic, develop
arguments, and gather evidence.
• Consider looking at a wide range of sources to strengthen your case.
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Debate Structure
A standard debate structure can include the following segments:
Opening Statements
• Each team's lead speaker presents their main arguments (typically 4 minutes per speaker).
Rebuttal Rounds
• Teams respond directly to the arguments presented by the opposing side (typically 4 minutes per
speaker).
Closing Statements
• The conclusion speaker from each team summarizes their arguments and states why their team should
win (typically 4 minutes).
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Any questions?
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