Ethics debates

Ethics debates start with a hard case

People rarely change their mind about "Is lying wrong?" They do change it when a case forces a tradeoff. Start with a situation, name who is affected, and ask each side what the right call is and what it costs.

Good ethics rooms separate what is legal, what is kind and what is right. They are not the same, and the gaps are where the argument lives.

Ethics questions to argue

Use these as they are, or add a real case to sharpen them.

• Is it ethical to eat meat?
• Should wealthy people be required to give a share of their income?
• Is it wrong to bring a child into a world with climate risk?
• When is whistleblowing a duty?
• Should we judge people from the past by today's standards?
• Is privacy more important than security?

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