Debate: Selfishness Is The True Basis Of Morality

Welcome to London's new and exclusive debate society where the style is formal but the passion unbridled, as we delve into the current and philosophical issues of our age.

The motion for the next meeting is: This House Believes Selfishness Is The Highest Virtue

Dress code: smart attire

We are told that selfless sacrifice and altruism are the truly moral ways to act, with Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for mankind as the great moral ideal. The shallow self-interest of modern man is often condemned as the reason for the moral rot of our contemporary society.

But have we got it all upside-down? Is selfishness the true basis for morality? And if so, what about charity? There will be two speakers on each side, and guests will be able to ask questions or make comments during the Q&A session.

OUR SPEAKERS:

On The Proposition:

Thomas Walker-Werth is a writer, instructor, and speaker specializing in personal development, philosophy, history, and science. His first book, Reason for Living, about using the principles of rational philosophy to live a flourishing life, was recently published. Mr Walker-Werth has been a panellist at Battle of Ideas and in other fora. He is associate editor at The Objective Standard and a fellow at both Objective Standard Institute and Foundation for Economic Education.

William Hagerup is a translator and author, and a co-founder of the Agora Debate Club. Originally from Norway, where he was a youth politician from the age of 16-21 in that country’s libertarian party, Mr. Hagerup studied political and ethical philosophy at the University of Trondheim, and 18th century British society at Kings College London, and has lived 22 years in Britain. He is an active debater and debate coach, and is currently writing a book on the subject of debating as well as finishing a crime novel called Vegan Slaughter. His first book In Good Faith was published in 2015.

On the Opposition:

TBC

TBC

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Agora Debate Club is a unique debate club in London that allows you to debate on the side you feel most strongly in favour of. Unlike other debate clubs, we do not assign you a side, instead you choose the side and you argue your own case without the need to coordinate your argument with the other debaters on your side.

Votes will be taken before and after debates, and the side with the greatest swing in its favour, is declared the winner.

We adhere to the Chatham House rules, which means that it is strictly forbidden to name any speaker, whether a debater or anyone else, if you share any statements made during the debates outside of the meeting.

Formality and ceremony are central to our debates to engender respect for opponents and audience as well as to provide a framework for true passion.

We aim to meet six times a year for debates on current or philosophical issues.

The name "Agora" comes from the ancient Greek word for the marketplace and town square where debates were held. A debate is an expression of the marketplace of ideas, and as we believe in the free trade of ideas, the name Agora Debate Club perfectly expresses what we are all about.

Our logo has three pillars, each representing one of the basic values the club is based on: Reason, Logic and Free Speech.

Each pillar has two ends, six in all, representing the six gatherings we aim to have per year.

Join us and experience the thrill of rational Enlightenment discourse in the heart of legal London