Best Debate Topics

There are thousands of debate topics that need attention and resolution. Educational institutions are the best way to start discussing these problems and learn how to debate correctly.

How To Debate Using Pro And Con Arguments?

There are several debating techniques all oriented on supporting or criticizing arguments. All of them are based on several simple rules some people forget to consider when starting an argumentative speech or debate.

  • know your audience
  • treat opponents with respect, avoid insulting them
  • be conversational
  • smile, but not too much and not sarcastic
  • don’t try to win the opponent, concentrate on the audience
  • stay calm
  • admit good points of your opponent

Following these rules will make you a good person for the audience, and that is the goal of every debating process. You may lose the debate, but you can definitely make the public think differently.

How To Choose A Debate Topic?

One of the easiest and most obvious methods to choose interesting debate topics is to google the list of topics and choose the one that you find attractive, and you feel confident at. On the other hand, there is another way that needs a more thoughtful approach, but that allows people to educate themselves and to boost the skills of argumentative speech. This approach is time and energy consuming.

First, choose a topic that always sounded thrilling to you, but you never had time to research it deeper. For example, how does healthy sleep influences our body or how to discover the correct sleeping phases or how does nicotine addiction works on a cellular level, and many others? Note that the topic must be debatable. For that reason, find the weakest parts of the topic and put them into a question. It will help you, your opponent, and the audience not only to boost skills in argumentation and conversation but will also educate and will help to research such an important topic you never have time for. Read news, watch YouTube recommendations, analyst what do you discuss with friends most of the time and put the discussion into a higher level.

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The Extensive List of Good Debate Topics

Motion is a main topic or issue of the debate. It is important to keep in mind the difference between motion and topic. It is also necessary to remember that THBT stands for This House Believe That and THW stands for This House Would.

Three types of debate motions/debate topics:

  1. Motions of fact are similar to a court: in factual determination guilty or not. In other words, something is true or false.
  • THBT state-run media cannot serve the function of a free press.
  • THBT viewing violent media leads to violent behavior.
  • THBT that standardized testing prevents studying.
  • THBT quitting smoking is not reasonable.
  • THBT same-sex marriages should be legal.
  1. Motions of value define something to be of inherent value or not.
  • THBT Vincent van Gogh was a great artist.
  • THBT Mao Zedong was not as great as Deng Xiaoping.
  • THBT it is not right to eat sharks and whales.
  • THBT believes that parents should not hit their children.
  • THBT Asian Values are better than Western liberalism.
  1. Policy motions have required the actions to be taken. These are social, international, or governmental problems.
  • THW require all candidates for national office to undergo lie detector with various questions including those submitted by their opponents.
  • THBT the US foreign policy has to seek to restrict Iran’s influence over Syria.
  • THBT the US Democratic Party have to move to the left in candidate selection and policy platform.
  • THBT Canada should let all the foreigners have the right to die policy.
  • THBT government should support students in their decision to attend MOOCs instead of Universities.

Debate Topics By Levels Of Education

Some of the topics are appropriate only for high school education, other stay actual in all ages. We can discuss art starting with elementary school and up to an undergraduate level of education while some of the political questions make no sense at middle or high school.

Elementary School

At this level, it is necessary to show children the concept of debating. They should learn that it is possible to express their thoughts and desires in an appropriate format that is efficient. It is also necessary to explain the concept of research and argumentation. It helps children to develop adult behavior.

Some of the examples are:

  • THBT boxing is harmful and it should be banned.
  • THBT people should not change their way of dressing because of the opinion of the others.
  • If a person finds $50 on the street, what should he or she do?
  • THBT there should be separate schools for boys and girls.
  • Would you report cheating on the test?

Middle School

At this age, pupils are already know how to debate and need to practice their skill. debate topics for high school must always be up-to-date and somehow connected with their current position at a school. At the middle school, they also tend to question the rules and explore the borders of allowances.

  • THBT schools should have a single dress code for everyone.
  • THBT banning teens from going to malls is inappropriate and unfair.
  • Would you attend school all year round?
  • THBT teens have too much homework and other obligations.
  • THBT teens judging in a teens cord is a good idea.

High School

At this point of educational period pupils have already formed plenty of views and have learned enough information to hold debates on an adult level. It is necessary to give them such an opportunity at school. Let them discuss the following:

  • THBT music can and should be rated by the government before going on air.
  • THBT space exploration requires too much money that needs here, on earth to fight poverty and other global problems.
  • THBT every Olympic athlete should be tested for drugs.
  • THBT every celebrity must response for the product or service they promote.
  • THBT believes that hunting is not an appropriate sport that should be banned.

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College Or University

Students have formed personalities that are in a stage of confirming or rejecting their own views. Therefore it is necessary to let them choose appropriate debate topics for college students.

  • THBT SpaceX should be a national program on Mars.
  • THBT food industry should be reconsidered for the point of view of meat production.
  • THBT too many people refuse to visit elections that affect the result. Where do these voices go?
  • THBT college education is too expensive. Should government consider
  • THBT pharmacy production should not turn into a business.

For Undergraduates

At this point, people decide whether they want to take part in debates or not. In any way, if they have practiced starting with elementary school, they have learned how to form an opinion and defend it correctly. This skill is very helpful in life.

Types Of Debate Topics By Format

Argumentative Debate Topics

Research and arguments are two keywords of this type of debating. It is necessary to research the topic and choose the strongest arguments relying on trustworthy sources. It would be helpful to make a list with all the references.

Controversial Debate Topics

The main characteristic of these topics is multiple opinions. The initial debating question can’t be answered with a single statement. During the productive discussion, it is necessary to arise as many opinions as possible and collect them together. These questions are ‘big’ and thrilling. They are always a good reason to have a debate.

Persuasive Debate Topics

The main aim of those topics is to peruse the opponent and the audience in the validity of your opinion. There is only one way to do so – to research the topic carefully and to provide strong argumentation to your position.

List Of Debate Topics By Field Of Knowledge

Education

  1. Student loans are too high and require many years to return. Can there be more loyal ways to invest in education?
  2. Are there enough scholarships for foreign students?
  3. Are online educational assistants supportive or harmful for the educational process?
  4. How to avoid bullying at high school?
  5. Should there be a course of partner choosing, marriage, and family creating at high school?
  6. Should there be a course of nutrition basics for students and graduates?
  7. Educational institutions should pay more attention to remembering techniques for students.
  8. Why there are no differences in the educational process for English native speakers and foreigners?
  9. Should primary education be bilingual?
  10. Is it possible to develop bilingual minds due to early education practices?
  11. Should teachers use applications for navigation, materials loading, homework check, and messaging with others?
  12. Can parents be present at some of the classes? How will it affect children and other students?
  13. Should there be a course in informal education opportunities at school?
  14. THBT educational institutions should provide obligatory proficiency testing and help students to choose a career.
  15. THBT a gap year must be obligatory.
  16. Should there be a course in financial studies where main principles of money earning, spending, and saving are explained?
  17. THBT all students must be able to choose all the courses themselves.
  18. THBT there must be at least two different professors at the same discipline to provide diversity and exclude personalized perception of information.
  19. Can online education replace in-sight one?
  20. Can informal education including online courses replace formal one?

History

  1. THBT the so-called liberators were not justified in trying to kill Caesar.
  2. THBT the interaction of the UK to the World War I was not justified.
  3. THBT the UK should not have signed the Peace Accord with Germany after Dunkirk.
  4. THBT there is no winner in the War of 1812.
  5. Was it necessary for the US to enter World War II before December of 1941?
  6. THBT the British operations in North Africa is a waste of resources.
  7. Was the Russian Revolution of 1917 a rebirth of the Socialist dream?
  8. THBT King Harold didn’t have the right to engage the Normans at Hastings in 1066.
  9. What were the origins of World War I?
  10. Was Napoleon Bonaparte great or horrible?
  11. Was the role of Genghis Khan great in history?
  12. THBT the ultimate role or Roman Empire was more negative than positive for humanity.
  13. THBT it was enlightened, not religion, who had created the foundation of western culture.
  14. THBT there is not enough evidence for the existence of King Arthur.
  15. THBT the USA was a provocateur for Japan.
  16. THBT all the alternative views of the World War II cannot exist.
  17. THBT presentism plays a more important role in modern society than historicism.
  18. THBT is were South Korean provocateurs who became the reason of the Korean War.
  19. Considering that the history repeats, should we be preparing for the World War III?
  20. THBT it was the Korean War that leaded North Korea to the modern situation.

Health And Medicine

  1. Should health insurance be obligatory for everyone?
  2. How is it possible to prevent teenagers from smoking?
  3. Does everyone require psychotherapy?
  4. How eating meat affects the health of human being?
  5. Can the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetable treats diseases?
  6. What is the stage of cancer exploration and what is the progress?
  7. Can genetic engineering be ethic?
  8. Why genetic treatment is applicable only to seniors?
  9. Why do parents refuse to vaccinate their children?
  10. What decreases are crucial in Africa and why?
  11. THBT aging is a disease. Is it possible to cure it?
  12. THBT antibiotics must be treated with more respect.
  13. THBT air pollution and soil contamination affect our heals significantly.
  14. THBT sedentary life is one of the reasons of the current state of obesity.
  15. THBT believes that obesity is the reason for the most diseases we experience.
  16. THBT euthanasia must be legalized.
  17. THBT alcohol consumption can be helpful when treated responsibly.
  18. Can social network addiction lead to mental diseases?
  19. THBT drugs for sportsmen must be banned or regulated properly.
  20. THBT overpopulation affects general health condition.

Political

  1. THBT insider training by Congress should be allowed.
  2. THBT the US shouldn’t have attacked Iraq.
  3. THBT it would be reasonable to adopt the Indian Supreme Court decision in Pakistan.
  4. THBT negative voting is applicable in all the countries of the world.
  5. THBT financial stability of the country is the reason for its liberty.
  6. Should the world community consider overpopulation to be one of the global problems for the next fifty years?
  7. Should governments consider the bees problem seriously?
  8. THBT universal basic income should be considered as a real option to fight against poverty and hunger.
  9. Should we trust in the banking system?
  10. THBT bank loans harm people.
  11. Do refugees get too many benefits in Europe?
  12. THBT costs of allowing more immigrants outweigh the benefits.
  13. Is Mueller probe investigation and other worth the investments?
  14. How does media affect the gun-related violence?
  15. THBT midterms hold too much over a president.
  16. THBT the notion “reverse-racism” is not valid and can’t exist in modern reality.
  17. Is “white guilt” relevant?
  18. THBT intervention is necessary and inevitable to subdue North Korea.
  19. THBT the death penalty is not relevant in the US.
  20. THBT femininity is going too far in modern society.

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Psychology, Sociology, And Ethics

  1. How can educational institutions respect all the religions?
  2. THBT science is a modern religion to believe in.
  3. THBT optimistic nihilism is an answer to many questions.
  4. Can loneliness be considered as a real disease which requires special medical care?
  5. Can robots have their rights as humans?
  6. THBT it is necessary to implement a family and marriage course into the high school program.
  7. THBT every student must attend psychotherapists every month.
  8. THBT all circuses must be banned and fined for cruelty against animals.
  9. THBT all zoos must be banned.
  10. THBT every dolphinarium must be banned and closed.
  11. Is human consciousness the result of brain activity and structure or is there something that we are about to explore yet?
  12. Would integration of computer technology into the human brain be loyal?
  13. Does free-will really exists or is it an illusion for society?
  14. Is abortion a new method of birth control?
  15. Can following fashion trends be harmful to a person?
  16. Should real fur garments be banned for cloth and fashion entrepreneurs?
  17. THBT there is no difference in ethnic fashion and a regular one.
  18. THBT believes that it is necessary to investigate the fair labor of big corporations.
  19. THBT LGBT studies can harm children at schools.
  20. THBT it is necessary to explain pupils the consequences of bullying.

Policy And Finance

  1. THBT mobile banking should be explained before applied.
  2. THBT it is reasonable to consider universal basic income as a basis for financial stability and success of the states.
  3. THBT there are too many debts on the planet.
  4. THBT banking should be explained properly before offering services.
  5. THBT wars can appear economically profitable for some countries.
  6. THBT oil is not the main reason Dubai is becoming one of the richest cities on the planet.
  7. THBT basics of financial education must be applicable at school.
  8. THBT it is time to adopt a free-only standard for financial advice.
  9. THBT taxation is a bad idea.
  10. THBT it is possible to destroy a country by the financial crisis?
  11. THBT that the financial consultation is the must before starting a business.
  12. THBT education loans are a bad idea.
  13. THBT believes that universal basic income is a bad idea for the financial state of most countries.
  14. THBT cash is more stable and convenient for people than credit cards.
  15. THBT it is better to invest savings than to save it for the future.
  16. THBT index funds are better than individual stocks.
  17. THBT there will be no cash in a few decades.
  18. THBT corporate social responsibility is one of the most important questions to invest
  19. THBT believes that digital finance worth investment.
  20. THBT cryptocurrency will be much more popular in all types of enterprises in a few years.

Leisure

  1. THBT students who play for the university should be paid.
  2. THBT it is possible to learn languages through the gaming experience.
  3. THBT music develops every skill necessary for effective learning.
  4. THBT sports activities must be promoted better at schools.
  5. THBT music therapy can affect better treatment and wellbeing.
  6. THBT shopping and visiting fast food restaurants can’t be considered as leisure.
  7. THBT professors should attend sports events together with students.
  8. THBT games are the best way to learn anything.
  9. THBT animals and pets help children to improve wellbeing.
  10. THBT sports and leisure must be better financed by universities.
  11. THBT leisure is a requires time, efforts, and money investments.
  12. THBT sports is the best leisure.
  13. THBT people should devote more time to handcraft.
  14. THBT most adults neglect to have quality time with close friends.
  15. Swimming must be obligatory for all undergraduates.
  16. Most educational institutions don’t offer enough leisure opportunities for their students.
  17. There are too many social networks that disrupt us from the real world.
  18. It is necessary to invest in parks rather than in new buildings.
  19. The best corporate spirit develops under the circumstances of common interaction into leisure time.
  20. Music classes are one of the most important leisure types and must be obligatory at schools.

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Environment

  1. Should plastic be banned in the world?
  2. THBT it is necessary to finance ocean cleaning on a better level.
  3. THBT overpopulation is a bigger problem than we can imagine at the moment.
  4. THBT global warming should be reconsidered with strong argumentation.
  5. THBT meet production is one of the biggest high-runner for the environment.
  6. THBT fashion industry should find ways to cut expenses and think more about the environment.
  7. THBT space debris will be one of the biggest problems in one hundred years.
  8. THBT air pollution should be monitored more.
  9. THBT there is nothing bad with genetically modified products.
  10. THBT nuclear energy can be beneficial if treated correctly.
  11. There are not enough activities learning to treat the environment with respect in high schools.
  12. Electric cars will contribute to the better quality of the air.
  13. Malls must refuse from plastic bags.
  14. What is the next step in global warming regulation?
  15. How can a single person influence a climb change?
  16. Is climate change a disaster or normal development for earth?
  17. Why recycling is a significant step in environmental studies?
  18. How the bad economics of the third world implement environment?
  19. How can smoking ban affect the local environment?
  20. Are improving living standards and protecting the environment have the same connotations?

Science And Technology

  1. THBT the future of VR glasses is underrated.
  2. THBT VR glasses can significantly improve medical training.
  3. THBT collegiate should allow the use of mobile phones at school.
  4. THBT SpaceX is a great enterprise that creates our future.
  5. THBT personal relations influence progress more than we expect.
  6. THBT students generate the most awesome ideas for technology development.
  7. THBT in fifty years no gas car will be available.
  8. THBT 2019 is the year, where data science takes the leading position in development.
  9. THBT Boston Dynamics will represent a human helper in the market soon.
  10. THBT robots are closer than we think.
  11. Does cryptocurrency have more benefits than negative effects?
  12. Is it loyal to use phone’s navigation to find a person for governmental purposes?
  13. Is it loyal to access personal messages to investigate crimes?
  14. How modern are police investigation methods today?
  15. Can genetic engineering become a new scientific breakthrough?
  16. Is autopilot helpful or dangerous for drivers?
  17. What is the next great innovation in technology?
  18. How can technological singularity be explained?
  19. How human-like robots affect the psychological state of people?
  20. Is it possible and realistic to turn nuclear energy into an important power source?

Conclusion

The art of debating grants people with the gist of pursuing others. It helps convince parents that you need another pack of candies with strong argumentation, win a grant for study and avoid taking a loan, and to convince your boss that you need a higher salary. Adult life is tailored for discussion. If to practice the skill constantly starting with funny controversial topics such as who is better skiers or snowboarders and ending with a speech supporting circus banning. You will easily write any essay and forget about brainstorming. Arguments will pop up instantly in your head. You never appreciate the skin until you gain it.