Philosophy Q1. How likely is the multiverse? Would it change anything if (somehow) we came to know the theory was true?
Q2. If our actions are a consequence of our capacities and preferences, and if those things are, in turn, a result of our genetic inheritance and the external world in which we happen to find ourselves, are we ultimately responsible for our choices?
Q3. Is it moral to take money from people through the force of law in order to pay philosophers to philosophize?
Q4. When, if ever, can acts involving only consenting adults be morally wrong?
Politics Q1. Should we allow political donations?
Q2. What, if anything, do rich nations owe poor nations?
Q3. Is there such a thing as a common good?
Q4. Is the good citizen always a good person? Is the good person always a good citizen?
Economics Q1. Is Bitcoin a blessing or a curse?
Q2. What’s wrong with the housing market? How can we fix it?
Q3. Should Amazon pay people more? What would happen if they immediately increased every worker’s salary by twenty percent?
Q4.? Is Henry George’s land value tax fair, efficient, both, or neither?
History Q1. Was there anything good about the British empire?
Q2. Is China an imperial power?
Q3. Is Western civilization in decline?
Q4. Do leaders make events or do events make leaders?
Psychology Q1. Are we getting nastier?
Q2. Are men and women psychologically different? Does it matter
Q3. Is there any mental illness that isn’t ultimately physical?
Q4. Does it even make sense to hate someone for his or her opinions?
Theology Q1. Why would God be so coy?
Q2. “The God of the Bible and the Koran is a primitive human’s idea of a great being… But that is not what an actual supreme being would be like.” Is there a holy book that manifests divine authorship?
Q3. “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Can one be a Christian without believing in the miraculous resurrection of Jesus?
Q4. Is faith anything other than uncertain belief on incomplete evidence?
Law
Q1. Does prison work?
Q2. “People who serve on juries are ill-informed, prejudiced, and not clever enough to avoid jury service.” Should we abolish Trial by Jury?
Q3. Should “hate crimes” be punished more severely than the same crime with different motives?
Q4. What is the relationship between justice and law?
JUNIOR prize Q1. Which existential threat are humans underestimating?
Q2. What should the age of consent be for irreversible sex reassignment surgery?
Q3. Were the lockdowns worth it?
Q4. What does it mean for people to be equal?
Q5. What would happen if there was a 100% inheritance tax?
Q6. If you could travel by time machine for your next holiday which time and place would you visit? What preparations would you make for your journey? What challenges would you face in the first twenty-four hours, and how would you handle them?
Q7. Should some things be legal to give away but illegal to sell?For Question 7 we recommend you read Markets Without Limits: Moral Virtues and Commercial Interests by Jason Brennan and Peter Jaworski and Why Some Things Should Not Be for Sale by Debra Satz.