The Ethics Bowl Way: Answering Questions, Questioning Answers, and Creating Ethical Communities

The Ethics Bowl Way introduces the Ethics Bowl to the larger educational community, including those involved in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Ethics Bowl espouses a new way to engage in discussions about complex ethical issues. Although it resembles debate, in that two teams prepare for and present arguments on an ethical dilemma, participants are rewarded not for taking adversarial positions but rather for the degree to which they work together to bolster each other’s arguments by asking more incisive questions, asking for greater clarity, and providing more thoughtful, reflective, logical answers. Changing positions is rewarded rather than penalized; civil discourse is a key value; critical thinking, public speaking, and listening skills are also nurtured. Ethics Bowl’s foremost practitioners explain why this model is often more productive than debate; and how it fosters the very qualities that produce more responsible, informed citizens in a democracy, as well as model co-workers, family and community members, and friends. The book also offers practical, hands-on advice for those who participate in Ethics Bowl (coaches, judges, case writers, organizers) and looks ahead to the ways in which it can be expanded and improved. Ethics Bowl, which began as a classroom activity, is always evolving to become more inclusive, fair, and challenging.

Roberta Israeloff has directed the Squire Family Foundation, devoted to advancing philosophy education, since its inception in 2007. The Foundation co-founded several national organizations, including Philosophy Learning and Teacher Organization (PLATO), and the National High School Ethics Bowl.

Karen Mizell is Professor of Philosophy at Utah Valley University and Director of the Minor in Ethics and the Ethics Certificate program. She is founder and past director of the Utah High School Ethics Bowl, co-founder of the Wasatch Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, and the recipient of several teaching and service awards, including the State of Utah Award for Excellence in Service-Learning.