Resolutions for consideration at the October 28th business meeting

[Richard Rinaldi]

Please post your proposed resolutions here! Best, Rich

[Nick Iacono]

Culture and Politics:

RESOLVED: The Occupy Wall Street movement is legitimate.
Or
RESOLVED: The Occupy Wall Street movement is a positive force.
Or
RESOLVED: The Occupy Wall Street movement seeks legitimate goals.
(Not sure the best way to phrase this, I welcome input).

(When I am gone, let them say my doctrine was, if the world, or the
country is faced with it, we should take it up it as long as it
presents a clear dichotomy that can be sufficiently debated).

RESOLVED: The War in Iraq was a worthwhile endeavor.

(For the record, I do not believe the Society has EVER debated the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan….the closest we came was debating
Resolved: The War on Terror has been a failure which is an entirely
different question. I truly believe it is essential that we take on
this topic that has been perhaps the most significant military and
political issue for the past decade....especially now since the troops
will be coming home).

RESOLVED: The individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act is
unconstitutional.

RESOLVED: Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the
others that have been tried.


Religion and Philosophy:

RESOLVED: Religious belief has hindered the progress of mankind.
(Such an awesome topic! The Society has learned the benefits of not
rejecting a topic simply out of nervous quibbles about the proper
structure of the resolution or the potential for the debate to get off
track. This debate is not dense, the issue at hand is pretty
straightforward).

RESOLVED: Human rights are innate.

RESOLVED: Humanity is progressing towards greater freedom.


Sports: (Wouldn’t it be awesome if the Society debated a sports
topic!?)

RESOLVED: American Universities should not award athletic
scholarships.

RESOLVED: Pete Rose should be admitted to the MLB Hall of Fame

RESOLVED: Competitive sports have a positive effect on human society.
(if you think this is a silly question…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be-3JH-ocGI)



On Oct 23, 11:19 pm, Richard Rinaldi <richard.rina...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Jacob Arber]

Resolved: Brutus was justified in killing Caesar.

Resolved: We live in a post-racial society.

Resolved: Romeo and Juliet did not truly love each other.

Resolved: Might makes right.

> (if you think this is a silly question….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be-3JH-ocGI)

[Richard Rinaldi]

From Mr. Scott Garosshen (who can't post on the group -- if you have
this problem, let me know and I'll post for you!):

"Resolved: Elitism is bad for the Philodemic Society"

By "elitism" I mean "the active marginalization of one's perceived
lessers so as to surround oneself with one's betters." A LOT of the
feedback I get from people who make a conscious choice not to join
Philodemic though they have shared interests revolves around this
point. It behooves both our Jesuit and intellectual heritage to
examine who teaches us more, the homeless guy at Union Station or the
IR expert from Princeton. Issues include the "use" of friendship,
what learning we truly must obtain, and social justice in dialogue.
Specific to the Philodemic, one might also ask what effect the
endorsement of elitism has on debate (what sources are perceived as
"legitimate" versus derided as "mere anecdote" etc.), membership, and
the pursuit of Truth.

"Resolved: Rights are pre-political"

This one needs a flashier name, but the question is essentially:
¿Social Contract or Natural Law? I'll be curious to hear people's
reactions at the meeting, because if it's too one-sided I'll just
retract it. Fantastically interesting question though; the foundation
of all Western thought on politics and morality.

On Oct 24, 12:21 am, Nick Iacono <iacono.nicho...@gmail.com> wrote:

> (if you think this is a silly question….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be-3JH-ocGI)

[Samuel Biesiada]

Resolved: Metternich was a greater statesman than Bismarck.

This debate has been waiting for over a year.  Philodemicians need a very policy-oriented history debate.

Resolved: Decolonization did more harm than good.

Resolved: Saudi Arabia is an American ally

Resolved: Full employment as a policy goal is justified

Resolved: China should revalue its currency

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[Madeline Revier]

Dear Philodemicians,

Some ideas for consideration:

HAMLET WAS MAD.
HAMLET IS GUILTY OF MULTIPLE HOMICIDE.
HAMLET WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE MURDERS OF POLONIUS, LAERTES, AND
CLAUDIUS.
Variations on a Hamlet theme:
Defense: It's been awhile since the society has done a literature
debate, and Hamlet is a play I believe most people are familiar with.
The great thing about plays is that they are quick reads and one can
watch a film adaptation and still get the same text. We might even
have a film night of the Kenneth Branagh version.

CAPTAIN AMERICA IS THE AMERICAN HERO OF THE 20TH CENTURY
or
BATMAN IS A GREATER HERO THAN SUPERMAN.
Superheroes make wonderful debate topics. I do not know whether the
society prefers DC or Marvel comics...

SEVERUS SNAPE DID MORE HARM THAN GOOD
Harry Potter is the epic saga of our generation, like the Iliad or
Odyssey for ancient Greeks or the Aeneid for Romans. Snape is the
most morally ambiguous character in the series, and in my mind the
most interesting.


Best,
Madeline Revier

On Oct 23, 11:19 pm, Richard Rinaldi <richard.rina...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Jesse Whitfield]

Would the president kindly request that Mrs. Revier not shout her topic ideas.

[Richard Rinaldi]

Before my resolutions, a note: I feel very strongly that we need to
pick relevant, intellectually stimulating discussion. Our strong
attendance this semester has been strongly correlated with our good
choice of debate topics, especially at the beginning of the semester.
We should not pick obtuse topics; rather, by selecting topics that are
accessible, inspire good rhetoric, and are intellectually stimulating,
we make the Philodemic Society as relevant as possible.

Resolved: Religion and science are intellectually compatible.
OR
Resolved: Religion and science are incompatible
Let's do this debate or a variation. It's compelling, relevant, and
extraordinarily powerful. I urge you to suggest alternate resolutions
if you don't like mine but like the topic.

Resolved: Steve Jobs has fundamentally changed humankind.
Let's talk relevant technology in a philosophical context. We get to
delve into the psyche of Jobs, whose biography was just published and
is maybe the Edison of our time. I love this topic and am open to
wording changes.

Resolved: Mitt Romney should be the Republican nominee for president.
Maybe too early?

Resolved: The world's financial systems should be overhauled.
Another way of approaching an Occupy Wall Street debate.

Resolved: #hashtags are ruining the English language.
Kind of funny, kind of true.

[gavin bade]

Resolved: The Occupy DC movement is a positive political force. 

I like Nick's ideas as well, I'd just rather talk about the one that's right in our backyard. It'll likely be easier to speak about accurately than the New York movement. And I mean McPhearson Square, not the Stop the Machine movement in Liberty Plaza.  

On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 10:24 AM, Madeline Revier <m.f.j....@gmail.com> wrote:

[Madeline Revier]

I couldn't figure out how to use the bold font in google groups.

On Oct 24, 10:36 am, Jesse Whitfield <napole...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Would the president kindly request that Mrs. Revier not shout her topic
> ideas.
>

[Madeline Revier]

I rescind the Hamlet topics. It has been brought to my attention that
the society debated Hamlet within the last two years.

On Oct 24, 10:24 am, Madeline Revier <m.f.j.rev...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Nick Iacono]

Gavin--> When I say Occupy Wall Street, I don't necessarily just mean
the protests in NYC, but the totality of the occupy movement (in
America at least).

[gavin bade]

Nick----> fair enough. We'll just have to be clear about our boundaries. I don't really think it'd be that constructive to talk about the occupy movement around the globe. It's just too much and the debate would be more productive and applicable if we focus on US politics. 

[Jordon Nardino]

"Resolved: Macbeth was the better man than Hamlet" was one of my favorite keynotes, as was "Resolved: Nixon was the better man than Kennedy."

Defend the undefendable...

Jordon Nardino C'00

[Samuel Biesiada]

I want to keynote against Occupy Wall Street.

-Sam

[Jesse Whitfield]

If we manage to get this debate through, I would love to Keynote for it.

[Jordon Nardino]

Why not pit Occupy Wall Street against the Tea Party?

"Resolved: Occupy Wall Street better represents America's values than the Tea Party."

Or if someone were very brave, you could pit Wall Street against Occupy Wall Street.

"Resolved:  Wall Street better represents America's values than its occupiers."

You could tweak the language so the resolution is about America's future, or potential, or greatness, instead of its values.

[Jesse Whitfield]

For clarification,  I was replying to Sam's message in relation to the Occupy Wall St. debate.

Since the much needed Metternich debate has already been added, I would humbly like to resubmit these two topics from last meeting:

Overpopulation is the greatest threat of the 21st Century.

The 21st Century belongs to the United States.

For new debate subjects:

Theological Subject matters:

The  evidence of Science is the Evidence of God

All Faiths lead to the same Divinity.

The loss of Faith is the loss of civilization.

The Crusades were justified.

The state of nature is corrupt.

A Virtuous state is a Godly state.
( I would like both versions of this debate, one where it is a state of being, and two where it refers to the State of Government)

Economic/Political topics:
Imperialism benefited the colonies more than Europe

Scotland Should become an independent state.

A World government is in the interest of Humanity

States have no allies or enemies, only interests.

Cultural Debates:
The Ancients are superior to the Moderns

Post Modernism is without meaning

Historical debates:
Talleyrand was superior to Napoleon as a statesman

Lord Palmerston was superior William Pitt the younger as a statesman

The French revolution was justified.

Ireland gained more from English rule than it lost.

The height of Civilization is found at the height of Empire.

Literature Debates:
Chauncey Gardner was enlightened.

Macbeth was justified.

The fears of  the novel Brave New World have been realized.

[Robert Silverstein]

Nick, I STRONGLY support your Iraq resolution and would be highly honored to keynote on the negation. Think this can be arranged if we do it?

Anyway, here are some more:

RESOLVED: America is not a democracy.

RESOLVED: Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro deserve Hall of Fame inductions.

RESOLVED: The mainstream media is liberal.

RESOLVED: Steve Jobs did more harm that good.

RESOLVED: Barack Obama owns this economy.

RESOLVED: The death penalty is unethical (in light of recent events, I think this is worthwhile).

RESOLVED: The United States ought to make slavery reparations.

RESOLVED: Hydraulic fracturing is ecocide.

RESOLVED: The CIA has caused more harm than good.

RESOLVED: The assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki was constitutional. (This might also be extremely worthwhile) 

[Michael Manchester]

And I see that Nick already mentioned this, so take my comments as
agreement and support

> On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:57 PM, Jesse Whitfield <napole...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > If we manage to get this debate through, I would love to Keynote for it.
>
> > On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:27 PM, Samuel Biesiada <sj...@georgetown.edu>wrote:
>
> >> I want to keynote against Occupy Wall Street.
>
> >> -Sam
>

> >> On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 11:44 AM, gavin bade <gavinb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> Nick----> fair enough. We'll just have to be clear about our boundaries.
> >>> I don't really think it'd be that constructive to talk about the occupy
> >>> movement around the globe. It's just too much and the debate would be more
> >>> productive and applicable if we focus on US politics.
>

> >>> On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 11:37 AM, Nick Iacono <iacono.nicho...@gmail.com

[Michael Manchester]

Just Two:

Resolved: Malcolm X was justified

Resolved: Pete Rose should be elected into Baseball's Hall of Fame*

*It's time Philodemic makes at least an attempt at a sports debate, as
organized sports are a large part of our national culture. The Pete
Rose situation is rich with nuance, bias, intricacy, and most
importantly ethics. It's the story of the all time hits leader in the
MLB and arguably the greatest player in the game's history betting on
his team to win, and subsequently being banned from the Hall of Fame
by tech fault.

On Oct 24, 1:42 pm, Jesse Whitfield <napole...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:57 PM, Jesse Whitfield <napole...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > If we manage to get this debate through, I would love to Keynote for it.
>
> > On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:27 PM, Samuel Biesiada <sj...@georgetown.edu>wrote:
>
> >> I want to keynote against Occupy Wall Street.
>
> >> -Sam
>

> >> On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 11:44 AM, gavin bade <gavinb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> Nick----> fair enough. We'll just have to be clear about our boundaries.
> >>> I don't really think it'd be that constructive to talk about the occupy
> >>> movement around the globe. It's just too much and the debate would be more
> >>> productive and applicable if we focus on US politics.
>

> >>> On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 11:37 AM, Nick Iacono <iacono.nicho...@gmail.com

[Jesse Whitfield]

The only two  sport debates I will ever support is whether or not we should bring back dueling, and a debate defending Fox Hunting.

[Jacob Arber]

Partially inspired by one of Jesse's debates:

Resolved: The dystopia of Brave New World, not 1984, is the one we
should fear.

Granted, this may be somewhat poorly phrased, but I think it is a
critical debate to have, and provides a very substantial area of
debate.

[Colleen Wood]

Resolved: Baseball is the best American sport.
(Mike, if we want to talk sports, it might be best to ease our way
into the discussion with a broader connection of sports to American
culture, rather than a specific athlete in a specific sport. This
allows us to talk about baseball and other sports within a broader
context.)
Resolved: Hoyas have a duty to enter national service.
Resolved: America is a Christian nation.
Resolved: Afghanistan is a lost cause.

Jacob/Jesse: Maybe this? Brave New World, not 1984, presents the more
realistic dystopia.

[Jacob Arber]

I like Colleen's rephrasing and endorse it to replace mine.

[Richard Rinaldi]

I like the idea of a 1984 OR Brave New World debate. Otherwise, won't
it feel like a book review? ("Huxley's use of prose is better than
Orwell's stark language!")

Resolved: 1984's dystopia is relevant today.
Resolved: We should still fear Brave New World's dystopia.

[John Lim]

First, I like most of the topics being suggested.

Second, if we do the Pete Rose debate, I would like to keynote on
behalf of the all-time hits leader.

That is all.

[Alex Henderson]

Resolved: The United States should draw down its global military presence.

Resolved: The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world.

Resolved: Violence should be banned from civil society.

Resolved: The top 1% of earners should be taxed significantly more than their fellow citizens.

Resolved: Procreation is probably a mistake.

-Alex

[Emma Green]

Woah there kiddies, people are already claiming theoretical keynotes for theoretical debates and we haven't even started the business meeting!  Calm, calm... Resolved: The suburbs are good for America. Resolved: Today's youth lacks virtue. Resolved: Humans should labor for the greater glory of God. Resolved: In all things, style, and not sincerity, is essential. Resolved: William Jefferson Clinton did more harm than good. Resolved: Sexuality is a moral issue. Resolved: Procreation with Alex is probably a mistake. ELD, Emma --- On Mon, 10/24/11, Alex Henderson <aln...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Richard Rinaldi]

I accidentally deleted Alex's resolution (thinking he was being Alex,
and then I read Emma's. Sorry Emma.):

"Resolved: Procreation with Emma is unlikely."

On Oct 24, 8:37 pm, Emma Green <emmaogr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Woah there kiddies, people are already claiming theoretical keynotes for theoretical debates and we haven't even started the business meeting!  Calm, calm...

> Resolved: The suburbs are good for America.Resolved: Today's youth lacks virtue.Resolved: Humans should labor for the greater glory of God.Resolved: In all things, style, and not sincerity, is essential.Resolved: William Jefferson Clinton did more harm than good.Resolved: Sexuality is a moral issue.Resolved: Procreation with Alex is probably a mistake.

> ELD,Emma
>
> --- On Mon, 10/24/11, Alex Henderson <aln...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Alex Henderson <aln...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Philodemic Society] Re: Resolutions for consideration at the October 28th business meeting
> To: philodem...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Monday, October 24, 2011, 6:29 PM
>
> Resolved: The United States should draw down its global military presence.
> Resolved: The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world.
> Resolved: Violence should be banned from civil society.
>
> Resolved: The top 1% of earners should be taxed significantly more than their fellow citizens.
> Resolved: Procreation is probably a mistake.
> -Alex
>

> For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/philodemicsociety?hl=en.

[Alex Henderson]

Rich,

Can't follow you but it sounds plausible, sorry for our senior silliness will leave rest of thread to real resolutions.

-ARH

[Jesse Whitfield]

I actually like your last four topics a great deal Colleen. I for one feel that your summation realistically captures at least partly the essence of my initial debate, as well as from my perspective part of Mr. Arber's. With that said, I do like my original debate as a method to focus in on the instant gratification culture that is present in our society. I think this would be a refined, academic way of doing so

   As someone willing to go to fisticuffs over the inclusion of "sports" into the hallowed halls of our elevated societal discourse, the only way I could stomach its relative mention is through its utilization as a lens to focus or view on a different issue. Even then however, I am very hesitant to accept that. I realize of course that my views are hardly  universal for our fine society, but I do think I somewhat accurately represent the more conservative, traditional wing that would object to said debate.  I could see a debate on the importance of sport, or how sport shapes our society as being viable in some way.

All of that being said I like the "Hoyas have a duty..." debate. In that same vein would you consider refocusing it to a National Service debate? Something like "The United States should institute mandatory National Service", like the model they have in European countries such as Switzerland? That would be a debate for which I would have great enthusiasm.

[Sean Rosenthal]

How about making the sports debate relevant to the school?

Resolved: College sports distract from the educational mission of
schools.
Or
Resolved: College sports represent a beneficial unifying force for a
campus.

or some variant of that kind.

Or maybe some sort of philosophical topic?

Resolved: Sports provide a safe outlet for the animal-like desire of
humanity to conquer its enemies.

(That one might be serious, or it might not, ahaha. It could be a near
topic on human nature, as to whether humans are cooperative peaceful
angels or vicious animals)

> ...
>
> read more »

[Richard Rinaldi]

From Mr. Josh Donovan (I am trying to resolve the posting problems.)

I second Nick's "Humanity is progressing toward greater freedom."
Nothing like a bit of Hegel (of course there are other ways of
approaching this too)!

Resolved: There is more than one path to God
(This connotes religious pluralism--not different anecdotes in the
context of the same religion).

Resolved: The Constitution is a living document

Resolved: Replacing the progressive income tax with a flat tax is
immoral (or would do more harm than good).
Or if we wanted it to be more "catchy," Resolved: The "Fair Tax" is
unfair. (Considering the increasing number of calls for a flat tax,
eg. Cain's 9-9-9 deal, make this a very timely debate!)

Resolved: Intelligent design should be taught in public schools

Resolved: Jon Stewart is more reliable than Fox News (or a better
sources of news?).

Resolved: Ann Coulter should not have been paid to speak at
Georgetown.
(Maybe a little touchy, but this was a HUGE debate on campus, and I
think we could have a great discussion about it! Plus this delves into
more philosophical questions like censorship and free speech. I think
it would be a fantastic debate.)

> ...
>
> read more »

[Alex Henderson]

Resolved: The spread of the modern chain store is doing more harm than good.

> ...
>
> read more »

--

[Peter Prindiville]

I'll throw a couple in the ring:

Resolved: Georgetown lives its Catholic identity

Resolved: the 21st Century is One of Individualism

Resolved: WalMart does more harm than good

Resolved: the American two-party system does more harm than good

Resolved: American needs a third party

Resolved: Gerrymandering is un-American

Resolved: the Current American Political Culture is Damaging

Resolved: Corporations Should be People in the Eyes of the Law

Resolved: Super PACs are Harmful to the United States

Resolved: Campaigns should be publicly funded

And... rearing its ugly head....

Resolved: the Constitution of the Philodemic Society of Georgetown University is a living document

All the best,
Peter