Speech, Debate

DEBATE 03_16_24

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By smileyriley1

Bio-tech

Bio-enhancement ; the practice that encompasses a range of procedures or technologies aimed at augmenting or altering human capabilities (physically and cognitively) beyond what is typical for an average individual or pool of individuals  
  1. physical enhancements vs. cognitive enhancements
    1. physical enhancements are performance-enhancing drugs (intervenes with physical/ traits such as muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, agility, or such)
      1. only some people have access
      2. side effects
      3. traditional methods involve performance-enhancing drugs (steroids)
      4. emerging methods involve new technology such as CRISPR
        1. increased height of individuals
        2. other genetic-derived traits 
      5. intrinsic value to human efforts vs. artificial enhancements
    2. cognitive enhancements are procedures that alter cognitive functions that do not regard the intrinsic intelligence level an individual is born with
      1. drug for mental illnesses (i.e. ADHD)
        1. tiger moms in South Korea “fake” their child’s ADHD to receive medicine that enhances a student’s focus and attention span
          1. ADHD people now cannot get it due to “fake” and “phony” ADHD people
  2. emotional enhancements vs. social enhancements
    1. emotional enhancements aim to enhance emotional experiences and responses and to extend and regulate one’s emotional capabilities
    2. social enhancements focus on enhancing an individual’s interpersonal skills, communication skills, and relationship-building abilities
      1. social skills training programs, empathy-building exercises, virtual reality simulations
  3. moral bio enhancements
    1. morality (characterization) → a set of principles accepted by individuals meeting specific intellectual or volitional (acting as a consequence of a decision) conditions
      1. moral enhancements aim to augment moral behavior and motives through biomedical means including drugs to reduce aggression, impulsive actions, and such

Debate: TH would make moral bio enhancement compulsory for prisoners.

Gov:

  1. societal trust
  2. better rehabilitation
  3. cost-efficiency

Opp: 

  1. diversion of gov’t investment and responsibility
  2. risks of abuse
  3. violation of prisoners’ autonomy