Academic Year 2025-2026
Spring Semester 2026
- Disputation CCCXXIV: 5/7/26 — Oh! Give Me Freedom of Thought
- Disputation CCCXXVIII: 4/30/26 — Kill Your Heroes
- Disputation CCCXXVII: 4/9/26 — A Roundtable Discussion on Photography
- Disputation CCCXXVI: 4/2/26 — Forgive Everyone
- Disputation CCCXXV: 3/26/26 — Judge Not By Comparison
- Disputation CCCXXIV: 2/26/26 — Stop Reasoning in Mysticisms
- Disputation CCCXXIII: 2/19/26 — Too Many of Us Are Becoming Lawyers
- Disputation CCCXXII: 2/12/26 — Strive for Utopia
- Disputation CCCXXI: 2/5/26 — Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother
- Disputation CCCXX: 1/29/26 — To Demand Clarity Is To Destroy Wisdom
- Disputation CCCXIX: 1/22/26 — Live for Possibility
Fall Semester 2025
- Disputation CCCXVIII: 12/11/25 — The Restoration of the Arts and Sciences Contributed to the Purification of Our Morals
- Disputation CCCXVII: 12/4/25 — Vive L’Avant-Garde!
- Disputation CCCXVI: 11/13/25 — Write the Next Great American Novel
- Disputation CCCXV: 11/6/25 — Whether One Ought Dedicate One’s Life to Philosophy or to Poetry
- Disputation CCCXIV: 10/23/25 — Abolish Private Education
- Disputation CCCXIII: 10/16/25 — Nations Ought Expect Assimilation From Their Immigrants
- Disputation CCCXII: 10/4/25 — We Need a Renaissance
- Disputation CCCXI: 10/2/25 — Free Yourself From the Binds of Duty
- Disputation CCCX: 9/25/25 — Liberty Needs No Virtue
- Disputation CCCVIX: 9/18/25 — Omelas Must Not Stand
- Disputation CCCVIIII: 9/11/25 — Live Forever
Academic Year 2024-2025
Spring Semester 2025
- Disputation CCCVII 5/8/25 — Flee the City
- Disputation CCCVI: 5/1/25 — Science Disenchants Nature
- Disputation CCCV: 4/10/25 — Our Best Ideas Are Found Online
- Disputation CCCIV: 4/3/25 — Wage War with Yourself
- Disputation CCCIII: 3/27/25 — What Are Men For?
- Disputation CCCII: 2/27/25 — Belief in the Human Soul Enriches the Life of the Individual
- Disputation CCCI: 2/20/25 — I Would Rather Be a Great Man than a Good One
- Disputation CCCI: 2/13/25 —
- Disputation CCC: 2/6/25 —
- Disputation CCXCIX: 1/30/25 — Forge Your Own Personhood
- Disputation CCXCVIII: 1/23/25 — The Digital Enriches Human Life
Fall Semester 2024
- Disputation CCXCVII: 12/12/24 — Kill Socrates
- Disputation CCXCVI: 12/5/24 — Happiness is Subjective
- Disputation CCXCV: 11/14/24 — Reject Greatness in Art
- Disputation CCXCIV: 11/7/24 — Live Unhistorically
- Disputation CCXCIII: 10/24/24 — The Undergraduate Ought Refrain from Politics
- Disputation CCXCII: 10/17/24 — We Are a Culture in Decline
- Disputation CCXCI: 10/10/24 — Commit Yourself to a Place
- Disputation CCXC: 9/26/24 — Abstain from Casual Relationships
- Disputation CCLXXXIX: 9/19/26 — Belief in the Afterlife Promotes Morality
- Disputation CCLXXXVIII: 9/12/24 — Strive for a Life of Leisure
Academic Year 2023-2024
Spring Semester 2024
- Disputation ???: ??? — Celebrate the Sacrifice of Motherhood
- Disputation CCLXXXVII: 5/2/24 — Consider How You Want to Live in Your Body
- Disputation CCLXXXVI: 4/18/24 — Emphasize the Western Canon in Liberal Education
- Disputation CCLXXXV: 4/11/24 — Abolish the Executive
- Disputation CCLXXXIII: 3/7/24 — Embrace Tradition
- Disputation CCLXXXII: 2/29/24 — Knowledge is Conducive to Happiness
- Disputation CCLXXX: 2/15/24 — Free Yourself from Free Will
- Disputation CCLXXVIII: 2/1/24 — Extremism in Defense of Liberty is No Vice
Fall Semester 2023
- Disputation CCLXXVI: 12/8/22 —
- Disputation CCLXXV: 12/1/22 — Dance Naked in the Town Square
- Disputation CCLXXIV: 11/16/22 —
- Disputation CCLXXIII: 11/9/23 — Consider Liberal Education
- Disputation CCLXXII: 11/2/23 — Genetically Modify Your Children
- Disputation CCLXXII: 10/26/23 — Banish the Authorities of the City
- Disputation CCLXXI: 10/12/23 — Legislate Morality
- Disputation CCLXX: 10/5/23 — The Artist Ought Create With Political Aim
- Disputation CCLXIX: 9/28/23 — Embrace the Irrational
- Disputation CCLXVIII: 9/21/23 — Reject Equality
- Disputation CCLXVII: 9/14/23 — Befriend Bad People
- Disputation CCLXVI: 9/7/23 — It is Better to Do Injustice Than to Suffer Injustice
Academic Year 2022-2023
Spring Semester 2023
Fall Semester 2022
- Disputation CCLVIII: 12/8/22 — Athena Bestows Her Gifts Most Abundantly Through Elite Institutions
- Disputation CCLVII: 12/1/22 — To Do Good, First Make Money
- Disputation CCLVI: 11/17/22 — Love is a Choice
- Disputation CCLV: 11/10/22 — Burn the West Gallery (of the National Gallery of Art)
- Disputation CCLIV: 11/3/22 — Live Forever
- Disputation CCLIII: 10/20/22 — Embrace Virtual Reality
- Disputation CCLII: 10/13/22 — Some Things Ought Be Beyond Questioning
- Disputation CCLI: 9/29/22 — American Culture Ought Be Unified Through Patriotism
- Disputation CCL: 9/22/22 — Love Your Labor
- Disputation CCXLIX: 9/15/22 — Our Lives Are Not Our Own
- Disputation CCXLVIII: 9/8/22 — Belief in the Human Soul Enriches the Life of the Individual
Academic Year 2021-2022
Spring Semester 2022
- Disputation CCXLVII: 5/5/22 — The United States Ought Pay Reparations for Slavery
- Disputation CCXLVI: 4/14/22 — We Ought Seek Greatness In Our Lives
- Disputation CCXLV: 3/31/22 — Drop the “Standard” in Standard American English
- Disputation CCXLIV: 2/24/22 — Commit Yourself To A Place
- Disputation CCXLIII: 2/16/22 — We Ought Embrace Prenatal Genetic Modification
- Disputation CCXLII: 2/9/22 — Terraform Planet Earth
- Disputation CCXLI: 2/2/22 — Memes Degrade The Imagination
Fall Semester 2021
- Disputation CCXL: 12/1/21 — Technological Advancement Is The Key To Human Flourishing
- Disputation CCXXXVIX: 11/17/21 — The Art Basel Banana Is A Work Of Art
- Disputation CCXXXVIII: 11/10/21 — There Is A World Beyond Our Senses
- Disputation CCXXXVI: 10/20/21 — Forget The Children
- Disputation CCXXXV: 10/7/21 — The Novel Is Our Greatest Tool For Unifying Culture
- Disputation CCXXXIV: 9/29/21 — You Have A Moral Duty To Vote
- Disputation CCXXXIII: 9/15/21 — The Death Penalty Is Never Justified
- Disputation CCXXXII: 9/9/21 — Craft Your Beliefs Through Conflict
**disputations for Academic Year 2020-2021 are currently being archived, and will be made available on this page soon**
Academic Year 2019-2020
Spring Semester 2020
- Quarantine Colloquium 4: 4/23/20 — Consider States of Exception
- Quarantine Colloquium 3: 4/9/20 — Seek the Knowledge of Good and Evil
- Quarantine Colloquium 2: 4/2/20 — Humanity Needs World Government
- Quarantine Colloquium 1: 3/26/20 — Forum on Photography
- Disputation CCXV: 2/27/20 — The Elgin Marbles Belong to Greece
- Disputation CCXIV: 2/20/20 — We No Longer Need Religion
- Disputation CCXIII: 2/13/20 — Pornography Harms Society
- Disputation CCXII: 2/6/20 — Kill Our Heroes
- Disputation CCXI: 1/30/20 — Believe in Meritocracy
Fall Semester 2019
- Disputation CCX: 11/21/19 — Transcend this Corporeal Rind
- Disputation CCIX: 11/14/19 — Seek To Travel
- Campus Event: 10/29/19 — Is Tolerance A Virtue?
- Disputation CCVIII: 10/24/19 — Consider Transracialism
- Disputation CCVII: 10/10/19 — The Constitution is a Living Document
- Disputation CCVI: 10/3/19 — Automate Everything
- Disputation CCV: 9/26/19 — No Art is Off Limits
- Disputation CCIV: 9/19/19 — We Flourish Best in Isolation
- Disputation CCIII: 9/12/19 — Colonize the Galaxy
Academic Year 2018-2019
Spring Semester 2019
- Disputation CCII: 4/18/19 — Society Needs Noble Lies
- Disputation CCI: 4/11/19 — Dissolve the Union
- Disputation CC: 3/28/19 — Bowdoin College Needs the Peucinian Society
- Disputation CXCIX: 3/7/19 — Colleges Should End Racial Preferences in Admission
- Disputation CXCVIII: 2/28/19 — Marriage Damages Society
- Disputation CXCVII: 2/21/19 — Artificial Intelligence Can Achieve Personhood
- Disputation CXCVI: 2/14/19 — Never Mind the News
- Disputation CXCV: 2/7/19 — States Should Recognize a Human Right to Migration
- Disputation CXCIV: 1/29/19 — Belief in a Human Soul Enriches People’s Lives
Fall Semester 2018
- Disputation CXCIII: 11/29/18 — We Should Dismantle Categories of Identity
- Campus Event: 11/15/18 — Human Nature Forum
- Disputation CXCII: 11/8/18 — I Would Want to Live in a World Without Suffering
- Disputation CXCI: 10/25/18 — Think of the Children!
- Disputation CXC: 10/18/18 — I’d Rather Be a Cog in Some Great Machine than a Snowflake
- Disputation CLXXXIX: 10/11/18 — Social Protest Should Always Be Non-Violent
- Disputation CLXXXVIII: 9/27/18 — Artistic Expression Must be Central to a Liberal Arts Education
- Disputation CLXXXVII: 9/20/18 — The Written Word is the Most Powerful Tool for Social Change
- Disputation CLXXXVI: 9/13/18 — The Well-Informed Should Have a Greater Voice in Government
- Disputation CLXXXV: 9/6/18 — Strive for a Life of Leisure
Academic Year 2017-2018
Spring Semester 2018
- Disputation CLXXXIV: 5/3/18 — Compulsory Military Service is Immoral
- Disputation CLXXXIII: 4/19/18 — Nature is Ours for the Taking
- Disputation CLXXXII: 3/29/18 — Social Media Platforms are Undermining Democracy
- Disputation CLXXXI: 3/1/18 — Conventions of Politeness Enrich Human Relationships
- Disputation CLXXX: 2/22/18 — The Western Canon Should Be Fundamental to a Liberal Education
- Disputation CLXXIX: 2/15/18 — Consider Non-Monogamy
- Disputation CLXXIX: 2/15/18 – CLXXIX Terms
- Disputation CLXXVIII: 2/8/18 — We Have an Obligation to Raise Children
- Disputation CLXXVII: 2/1/18 — We Ought Strive for Greatness in Our Lives
Fall Semester 2017
- Disputation CLXXVI: 12/6/17 — Become a Vegetarian
- Disputation CLXXV: 11/30/17 — Repeal the Second Amendment
- Disputation CLXXIV: 11/16/17 — Capitalism is Unjust
- Disputation CLXXIII: 11/9/17 — Whilst Shame Keeps Its Watch, Virtue is not Wholly Extinguished from the Heart
- Disputation CLXXII: 11/2/17 — A Liberal Arts Education Ought Prepare us for Service to Society
- Disputation CLXXI: 10/19/17 — Embrace Domestic Surveillance
- Disputation CLXX: 10/12/17 — Live Forever
- Disputation CLXIX: 9/18/17 — Take Down the Confederate Monuments
- Disputation CLXVIII: 9/21/17 — Gender Roles Benefit Society
- Disputation CLXVII: 9/14/17 — We Have the Right to Die
- Disputation CLXVI: 9/7/17 — Disregard Physical Beauty
Academic Year 2016-2017
Spring Semester 2017
- Disputation CLXV: 5/4/17 — Nations Should Expect Assimilation from their Immigrants
- Disputation CLXIV: 4/20/17 — Work Hard, Play Hard
- Disputation CLXIII: 3/30/17 — The College Ought to Enforce a Strict Social Code
- Disputation CLXII: 3/2/17 — We Should Liberate Ourselves From the City
- Disputation CLXI: /2/23/17 — Psychology Ought to Supplant Philosophy in Our Lives
- Disputation CLX: 2/16/17 — The Internet Has Tainted Our Sense of Wonder
- Disputation CLIX: 2/9/17 — Religion Strengthens Democracy
- Disputation CLVIII: 2/2/17 — Political Correctness Advances Social Justice
Fall Semester 2016
- Disputation CLVII: 12/1/16 — We Can Live Without Tradition
- Disputation CLVI: 11/17/16 — Humility is a Virtue
- Disputation CLV: 11/10/16 — America is Exceptional
- Disputation CLIV (0.5): 11/3/16 — We Ought Genetically Engineer Our Children
- Disputation CLIV: 10/20/16 — The Works of Art Offer Greater Inspiration than the Works of Nature
- Disputation CLIII (0.5): 9/29/16 — The Hookup Culture is Good for Bowdoin
- Disputation CLIII: 9/22/16 — Democracy is Overrated
- Disputation CLII: 9/15/16 — Great Leaders Need Not Ground their Decisions in Morality
- Disputation CLI: 9/8/16 — Reverence for the Law Ought be Our Political Religion
Academic Year 2015-2016
Spring Semester 2016
- Disputation CL: 5/5/16 — Voting is Sufficient For Good Citizenship
- Disputation CXLIX: 4/21/16 — Kill Our Heroes
- Disputation CXLVIII: 4/14/16 — To Thine Own Self Be True
- Disputation CXLVII: 3/10/16 —We Ought to Strive for More than Earthly Pleasures
- Disputation CXLVI: 3/3/16 — Humanity Needs Myths
- Disputation CXLV (0.5): 2/25/16 — Quality Should Outweigh Quantity of Life
- Disputation CXLV: 2/18/16 — Usage Ought Determine Meaning in the English Language
- Disputation CXLIV: 2/4/16 — Elected Representatives Ought to Obey their Conscience over their Constituents
Fall Semester 2015
- Disputation CXLIII: 12/3/15 — Society Needs Noble Lies
- Disputation CXLII: 11/19/15 — We Ought Defy Human Nature
- Disputation CXLI: 11/12/15 — The College Ought Restrict Identity Demeaning Speech
- Disputation CXL: 11/5/15 — The State has a Responsibility to Accept Refugees
- Disputation CXXXVIX: 10/22/15 — We Ought to Get Married
- Disputation CXXXVIII (0.5): 10/8/15 — The Earth Belongs to the Living
- Disputation CXXXVIII: 10/1/15 — The Privileged Ought Quietly Listen
- Disputation CXXXVII: 9/24/15 — Personal Technology Harms out Relationship with the World
- Disputation CXXXVI: 9/17/15 — Democracies Should Embrace State Paternalism
Academic Year 2014-2015
Fall Semester 2014
- Round Table Discussion: 12/11/14 — A Liberal Arts Education Ought Prepare us for Service to Society.
- Disputation CXXX: 12/4/14 — Capital Punishment Is Justified in a
Democratic Society. - Disputation CXXIX: 11/20/14 — Man Has a Duty to Nature.
- Disputation CXXVIII: 11/13/14 — Honor Thy Mother and Thy Father.
- Disputation CXXVII: 11/6/14 — We Cannot Be Ourselves in Isolation.
- Disputation CXXVI: 10/16/14 — I’d Rather Be a Cog in Some Great Machine than a Snowflake.
- Disputation CXXV: 10/2/14 — Shame is a Greater Motivator than Glory
- Disputation CXXIV: 9/25/14 — Political Parties are Disadvantageous to
Society. - Disputation CXXIII: 9/18/14 — Art is For The Artist.
- Disputation CXXII: 9/11/14 — All Is Fair In War.
Academic Year 2013-2014
Spring Semester 2014
- Disputation CXXI: 3/27/14 — The pen is mightier than the sword.
- Disputation CXX: 2/27/14 — Bowdoin’s academics are improved by identity studies.
- Disputation CXIX: 2/20/14 — Enter the academy.
- Disputation CXVIII: 2/13/14 — The great leader need not be morally good.
- Disputation CXVII: 2/6/14 — We ought to transcend human nature.
- Disputation CXVI: 1/30/14 — ‘Tis better to laugh than to cry.
Fall Semester 2013
- Disputation CXV: 12/5/13 — Hell is other people.
- Peucinian Forum: 11/21/13 — The life of Don Juan is better than the life of Socrates.
- Disputation CXIV: 11/7/13 — Fiction is more enlightening than non-fiction.
- Disputation CXIII: 10/24/13 — Cultural diversity is good for our democracy.
- Disputation CXII: 10/17/13 — Humility is a virtue.
- Disputation CXI: 10/3/13 — It is better to live in the city than the country.
- Disputation CX: 9/26/13 — Democracies ought to enforce justice beyond their borders.
- Disputation CIX: 9/19/13 — Science disenchants nature of its beauty.
Academic Year 2012-2013
Spring Semester 2013:
- Disputation CVII: 4/4/13 — Humanism ought replace religion as a common source of morality.
- Disputation CV: 2/7/13 — It is better to be a jack-of-all-trades than a master of one.
- Disputation CIV: 2/7/13 — We should have the right to bear arms.
- Disputation CIII: 1/31/13 — Whether our professors ought provide answers or pose questions only
Fall Semester 2012:
- Disputation CI: 11/15/12 — Martyrdom is Noble.
- Disputation C: 11/8/12 — Bowdoin College Needs the Peucinian Society
- Disputation XCIX: 10/25/12 — The World Needs America
- Disputation XCVIII: 10/18/12 — Artists should be attentive to the political ramifications of their work
- Disputation XCVII: 10/11/12 — Historical consciousness doth make cowards of us all
- Disputation XCVI: 10/4/12 — Work hard – play hard
- Disputation XCV: 9/27/12 — Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
- Disputation XCIV: 9/20/12 — Resolved: The great books must be central to the American liberal arts education
- Disputation XCIII: 9/13/12 — Resolved: Voting is sufficient for good citizenship
Academic Year 2011-2012
Spring Semester 2012:
- Disputation XCII: 4/19/12 — Resolved: ‘Tis better to give than to receive
- Disputation XCI: 4/12/12 — Resolved: Contemplation of man must begin at the “State of Nature”
- Disputation XC: 3/28/12 — Resolved: We must preserve the Union
- Disputation LXXXIX: 2/29/12 — Resolved: The Common Good is an integral facet of a liberal arts education
Academic Year 2009-2010
Spring Semester 2010:
- Disputation L: 02/04/10 — Resolved: The search for the Common Good is enriching liberal education at Bowdoin College
- Disputation LI: 02/11/10 — Resolved: The Green Movement is a threat to our liberty
- Disputation LII: 02/18/10 — Resolved: All atheism leads to the crisis of nihilism
- Disputation LIII: 02/25/10 — Resolved: National identity is an elevating force in society
- Disputation LVI: 04/08/10 — Resolved: Humans should strive for utopia
Fall Semester 2009:
- Disputation XL: 09/24/09 — Resolved: The “Psychopharmacological Revolution” is making us happier
- Disputation XLII: 10/08/09 — Resolved: There is no such thing as a noble lie
- Disputation XLIII: 10/16/09 — Resolved: Religious faith is an obstacle to intellectual freedom
- Disputation XLIV: 10/22/09 — Round Table Discussion
- Disputation XLVI: 11/12/09 — Resolved: Bowdoin should adopt gender-neutral living facilities
- Disputation XLVIII: 12/10/09 — Resolved: The rise of the internet has been to the detriment of artistic genius
Academic Year 2008-2009
Spring Semester 2009:
- Disputation XX: 01/29/09 — Resolved: Israel is a legitimate nation
- Disputation XXI: 02/05/09 — Resolved: Liberate humans from gender
- Disputation XXII: 02/12/09 — Resolved: Nation states should devolve more power to international bodies
- Disputation XXIII: 02/19/09 — Resolved: The works of art incite more curiosity than the works of nature
- Disputation XXIV: 03/05/09 — Resolved: It is possible for excessive laughter to yield cultural decline
- Disputation XXV: 04/02/09 — Resolved: Social democracy would strengthen America
- Disputation XXVI: 04/09/09 — Resolved: All consensual sex is moral
- Disputation XXVII: 04/16/09 — Resolved: Humanitarianism corrupts American liberals
Fall Semester 2008:
- Disputation XV: 09/11/08 — Resolved: Too many of us are choosing financial careers
- Disputation XVI: 09/18/08 — Resolved: The War in Iraq is a failure
- Disputation XVII: 10/24/08 — Resolved: Science impoverishes our souls
- Disputation XVIII: 11/13/08 — Resolved: Popular Music Inspires Good
- Disputation XIX: 11/20/08 — Resolved: The quest to save the environment ought to replace religion as the goal to unify culture
Academic Year 2007-2008
Spring Semester 2008:
Disputation VIII: 01/31/08 — Resolved: Man must be forced to be free
Disputation IX: 02/14/08 — Resolved: Violence is always evil
Disputation X: 02/28/08 — Resolved: Federalism has outlived its usefulness to America
Disputation XI: 03/27/08 — Resolved: Secularization is bad for America
Disputation XII: 04/10/08 — Resolved: The 1960s were a disaster
Disputation XIII: 04/17/08 — Treatises for Guardianship
Disputation XIV: 05/01/08 — Resolved: Men can be happy without government
Fall Semester 2007:
Disputation I: 9/13/07 — Which should assume preeminence, justice or greatness?
Disputation II: 9/27/07 — Are state governments necessary?
Disputation III: 10/11/07 — Free trade v. fair trade and the consequences of neo-liberalism
Disputation IV: 10/21/07 — Guest Lecturer Mr. Bruce C. Clark of The Economist
Disputation V: 11/08/07 — Should the nation-state gradually devolve powers towards international organizations and authorities
Disputation VI: 11/15/07 — Power in the executive (in America)
Disputation VII: 11/29/07 — The merits of feminism and gender equality
