In high school Ethics Bowl, it’s not about winning, but how you play the game

Ethics Bowl may look superficially similar to debate—with two teams discussing a controversial or difficult topic—but they are actually very different. “So, Ethics Bowl more broadly describes an activity for students of varying ages to come together and approach these really challenging topics, ethical dilemmas,” says Leo Kirby, director of the National High School Ethics Bowl program, housed at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill. “And the goal is to help them learn how to talk about those challenging topics deliberately, collaboratively, reach consensus.” In Ethics Bowl, teams are not assigned a specific position on an issue that they have to defend, regardless of their beliefs. Instead, team members are given a set of cases to discuss and make their own decisions about what they believe to be the true or best position. Teams can, and often do, come to similar conclusions. It is OK for them to agree. Scoring is based on how deeply they explore the issues, including other viewpoints. One of this year’s cases: “If it were possible to erase painful or distressing memories, would it be ethical to do so?” The high school program at UNC started in 2012. “We’re trying to steer away from the type of crushing victory over your opponent that something like debate might encourage,” says Kirby, who discovered ethics bowl as a UNC undergraduate. “We absolutely do not reward putting down the other team.” Dr. Jenny Lyman watched her older daughter compete in debate and thinks ethics bowl is a kinder, gentler pursuit. “It’s not about beating somebody … I think the judges care about how you present, how you respond, how you react to their questions, and I think all of that matters, which I like,” she says in between rounds at the UNC student union recently. “You know, politeness and civility and open discussion instead of just me convincing you I’m right and you’re wrong. And I think we need a little bit more of that in the world these days. This article was provided by The Associated Press.