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File Name | S22-LD-NCFCA-Resolutional-Overview.docx |
File Size | 37.46 KB |
Date added | August 5, 2021 |
Category | Lincoln-Douglas (NCFCA) |
Author | Breck Frauenholtz |
Resolved: In the context of innovation, the proactionary principle ought to be valued above the precautionary principle.
Imagine a small forest in front of you. You’re sitting there without shelter or firewood. Picture the forest with all its lumber as a perfect opportunity to build yourself a house. However, as you ponder the sight of the trees, you envision the possibility of exploiting the use of the lumber for home building, ultimately depriving you of possible firewood to keep you warm. You are met with a dilemma. You are presented with the opportunity to build a house, but the possible risk of losing future warmth and comfort.
This is the struggle between the proactionary and the precautionary. The proactionary looks at the opportunity and decides it’s too good to pass up, so you build your house. The precautionary deems it dangerous to risk the destruction of the forest and is more cautious in its use. Both have valid points: the proactionary without firewood and the precautionary without shelter. This is the question of the resolution: within innovation, is it better to take the opportunity now and risk future harm, or is it better to be cautious now and risk missing an opportunity?
This resolutional overview is meant to give you a jump on your preparation this year by examining various terms presented in the resolution. The first three parts define key terms presented in the resolution: innovation, the precautionary principle, and the proactionary principle. The fourth section goes into what it means for something to be a principle. Each of the six sections contains at least one dictionary definition of the term in question, plus an explanation of the term’s deeper meaning and impact on the resolution.