SEED (Ethics Bowl)

The Society of Ethical Evaluation and Debate (SEED) -- formerly known as the SMU Ethics Bowl Team -- SMU’s Ethics Bowl team, was established in 2002 by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility.  SEED is made up of motivated SMU undergraduate students who enjoy researching, reflecting upon, and debating ethical issues.

SEED usually competes in two ethics competitions each year: the Regional Ethics Bowl in the fall in San Antonio, followed by a spring competition at the National Ethics Bowl sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics or another national ethics competition (such as the National Undergraduate Bioethics Bowl in 2008, where the SMU team advanced to the semi-final round in its first appearance in the competition).

ETHICS AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT

 An ethics bowl competition resembles a debate tournament: all teams participate in a preliminary round-robin competition, and the most successful teams move on to the elimination rounds. In each round, two cases are debated.

Unlike many debate tournaments, the primary focus of an ethics bowl is on the quality of the case presentations rather than tearing down the opposing teams’ arguments.

Prior to the competition, between 10 and 15 cases are distributed to all teams participating in the upcoming competition. The topical focus of the cases depends on the competition. The cases for the Regional competition deal with contemporary moral problems prevalent in popular culture and news.  Cases can come from any field of ethics, including environmental ethics, animal rights, free speech, and medical ethics.

Commitment

SEED meets weekly for at least six weeks prior to every ethics bowl competition to:

  • review the cases that will be debated at the upcoming competition,
  • research cases,
  • prepare argument presentations for cases, and
  • practice argument presentations to SMU faculty and Maguire Center staff for further guidance and to further strengthen arguments.

Before every competition, SEED schedules an intensive all day retreat to work on case arguments.

GETTING INVOLVED

SEED is a Student Senate-chartered organization whose meeting and travel budget and advisor are provided with the support of the Maguire Center.  Information about SEED can be obtained by contacting the Center's Coordinator.