Debaters are thinking people. They think about the world. They think hard. Then they debate. But only after they've thought a lot. Here are some ways of thinking about common debating topics.
Posted 25th October 2024
Posted 4 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Should Britain apologise for the slave trade?
The slave trade was monstrously evil. But should we apologise for it?
Posted 13th October 2024
Posted 4 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Posted 3rd September 2024
Posted 5 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Should social media companies be regulated?
Will regulating social media keep us safe, or curtail free speech?
Posted 10th May 2024
Posted 9 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Double effect
Is it ever all right to do something bad in the interest of doing something good?
Posted 29th April 2024
Posted 10 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Posted 15th April 2024
Posted 10 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Posted 2nd March 2024
Posted 11 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Posted 18th February 2024
Posted 12 months ago
By julianbellwebsite
Should we take down statues of racists?
Many statues in public places are of people whose actions and words we now find unacceptable. Should we take them down?
Posted 31st January 2024
Posted 1 year ago
By julianbellwebsite
Should smoking be banned?
The government wants to stop anyone born after 2009 buying tobacco. Is this a good idea?
Posted 14th January 2024
Posted 1 year ago
By julianbellwebsite
Should the Elgin Marbles be returned to Greece?
Many museums are full of objects taken from other countries. Should they be returned?
Posted 20th November 2023
Posted 1 year ago
By julianbellwebsite
Posted 1st November 2023
Posted 1 year ago
By julianbellwebsite
Are quotas the best way to combat racism?
Is positive discrimination on the grounds of race fair? Is it effective?
Posted 2nd October 2023
Posted 1 year ago
By julianbellwebsite
Combating climate change: rules or markets?
Which is a better way of dealing with climate change: making people do the right thing, or encouraging them to do the right thing?
Posted 18th September 2023
Posted 1 year ago
By julianbellwebsite
Posted 19th June 2023
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Equality or equity?
Should we treat everyone the same? Or should we take into account the circumstances of individuals and groups?
Posted 4th June 2023
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
The story of the five farmers
How can a story about farmers and cows help us to think about climate change?
Posted 3rd May 2023
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Is private education fair?
Should parents be able to buy their children advantages by sending them to a private school?
Posted 28th January 2023
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 24th November 2022
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Is being online bad for us?
We're all plugged in to the online world whether we like it or not. But is it bad for us?
Posted 31st October 2022
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Should we have a general election?
We've had three prime ministers in two months. Isn't it time for a general election?
Posted 10th October 2022
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Should we ration energy use?
Supplies of gas and electricity may run low this winter. How should we deal with this?
Posted 2nd September 2022
Posted 2 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 21st June 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 13th June 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 23rd May 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 19th April 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 21st March 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 1st March 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 7th February 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Why do people commit crimes?
Whose fault is when people do bad things? Theirs? Or society's?
Posted 15th January 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Should vaccines be compulsory?
Vaccines save lives, ours and other people's. Should it be against the law to refuse them?
Posted 3rd January 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Social liberalism vs social conservatism
Should society be closeknit, or open? Is freedom of choice more important than tradition? Which matters more, the community or the individual?
Posted 3rd January 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Neo-liberalism vs social democracy
How should we run the economy? An introduction to two key economic theories.
Posted 3rd January 2022
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
What is democracy?
What democracy is and what it isn't; how it works; how it might work better.
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
What if free speech is not true?
What are, or should be, the consequences for not telling the truth?
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
What if free speech causes offence?
What can you and what can't you say? What should you and what shouldn't you be allowed to say?
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Posted 15th November 2021
Posted 3 years ago
By Unknown
Is it ever all right to break the law?
Why some laws might, actually, be made to be broken.