Technology & AI

​

• Can one fall in love with ChatGPT?

• Could a robot ever think like a human?

• Assume that automated face recognition technology is completely reliable. What restrictions, if any, should there be on its use?

• With easy access to vast amounts of information through the Internet, what advantage is there to remembering facts?

• "Privacy is only good because people aren't good. In a perfect world we wouldn't need privacy." Is that right?

• Is the Internet truly revolutionary, or does it just bring printing and the telephone to a different scale?

​​

Justice & Rights

​

• Should convicted criminals be allowed to vote?

• When, if ever, is forgiveness wrong?

• Should we have a right to choose when and how we die?

• If humanitarian intervention is acceptable, why shouldn't Europe invade the USA to stop it using the death penalty?

• Should Western nations refuse to trade with countries in which child labor is used?

• Are drone strikes morally different from military campaigns fought on the ground?

​​

Economics & Markets

​

• Should parking fines be based on the driver's income?

• Do countries benefit from immigration?

• Why do we need banks?

• Should a government impose a legal maximum ratio between the highest and lowest pay of individuals in companies?

• Do patent laws encourage or hinder development?

• Should the main objective of a business be to make money?

​​

Democracy & Governance

​

• Every citizen has one vote. A scheme is proposed which allows anybody to buy additional votes, with the proceeds being used to pay for good causes. Would this be a good scheme?

• Would society be better if there were more scientists in positions of political power?

• Does a country's ideal political system depend on its level of economic development?

• Should journalists only be allowed to follow their profession if licensed to do so, like medical doctors?

​​

Science & Innovation

​

• Should we bring Woolly Mammoths back from the dead?

• Should governments only fund scientific research if it is of direct benefit to society?

• How much should we test a medicine before making it widely available?

• How should we evaluate advances in science?

• Is the general understanding of science damaged by the way it is presented in the media?

• Albert Einstein wrote that "The whole of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking." Do you agree?

​​

Education & Youth

​

• Should statistics be a compulsory subject of study at school? Why, or why not?

• Should children strike to demand action on a major issue such as climate change?

• Can we learn about intelligence by studying how humans and other animals learn?

• Why is vision so important to human beings?

​​

Philosophy & Consciousness

​

• Can you ever know whether anyone else has thoughts and feelings like yours?

• If you can give reasons for your actions, does that mean that your actions are rational?

• Do non-human animals have opinions? Do they have beliefs?

• If two reasonable people claim the same fact as evidence for opposing conclusions, does it follow that it can't actually be evidence for either?

• Is humanism a religion?

​​

Social Issues & Ethics

​

• What changes in society will follow from increased life expectancy?

• Should the supply and use of all drugs be legalised?

• Should we care more about the survival of animal species or the welfare of individual animals?

• Could somebody choose to change their race?

• "The cause of gender inequality is in the hands of men, but the solution is in the hands of women." Do you agree?

​​

Leadership & Power

​

• In order to be a successful leader, is it better to be loved or feared?

Don't see your question? We encourage writers to propose their own topics. The best questions are specific, relevant, and require genuine analysis across disciplines​