Issue 12: "Some educational systems emphasize the development of students' capacity for reasoning and logical thinking, but students would benefit more from an education that also taught them to explore their own emotions."
Position: Teaching students to explore their own emotions as well as their reasoning ability can help them develop an integrated personality.
A. The current educational system tends to train students as automatons, neglecting their spiritual development, which has resulted in serious problems such as lack if creativity, introversion, or eccentricity.
B. On the contrary, the cultivation of a whole human being depends on a balanced development of both intelligence and emotion.
C. It is widely believed today that EQ is even more important than IQ for a person to gain success.
Issue 14: "Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence, and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity."
Position: Technology cannot change the condition of humanity; human beings themselves can.
A. The past century witnessed unprecedented war and violence as well as unprecedented technological progress.
B. Technology can change the physical conditions of human existence.
C. However, only through our ceaseless conscious efforts as well as our firm belief in the dignity, the goodness of humanity can we essentially improve human conditions, bringing about a world of mutual understanding, trust and cooperation.
Issue 16: "With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society—including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences—will benefit greatly from international influences."
Position: Generally speaking, individual societies will benefit greatly from the globalization trend initiated by international economy and communication.
A. In the realm of education and the sciences, cross – cultural communication and international cooperation have brought in an unprecedented prosperous era in human history.
A. In the realm of politics, globalization has opened up new vistas for individual governments to learn from each other in running their own countries and for the international community to take concerted action against global problems.
B. However, in the realm of arts, diversity and originality are being threatened by the blurring of national boundaries and cultural identifications in the face of the accelerating speed of transportation, and the homogenizing effect of mass communications and multinational corporations.
Issue 19: "At various times in the geological past, many species have become extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. Thus, there is no justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species."
Position: Since human processes have greatly accelerated the extinction of many species, human beings should spare no efforts to save endangered species.
A. Natural processes did eliminate some species through natural selection; however, it did not break the balance of the ecosystem.
B. Due to human processes, including pollution and exterminatory exploitation of natural resources, our natural environment is being threatened, and the extinction of rare species has been accelerated.
C. Since the diversity of species is beneficial for human beings, measures must be adopted to protect endangered species.
Issue 22: "It is often asserted that the purpose of education is to free the mind and the spirit. In reality, however, formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather than set them free."
Position: Formal education might restrain our minds and spirits on the surface, but it helps to set free our minds and spirits in the long run.
A. Formal education emphasizes the learning of basic skills, methodologies and knowledge, which might be mechanical and dull.
B. However, this basic training is a necessary foundation, based on which we can freely imagine and create.
C. Admittedly, there exist many aspects in formal education that need reforming.
