© 2003 The Great Issues
The great issues are those in which human choicees (to accept or recognize) are of vital importance. They define entire cultures, national and personal agendas.
| Issue | Discussion | Parties | Status | Defining Events | Notes |
| Heliocentric Theory | Church held Earth at center of Universe, planets revolve about Earth in perfect circles. | Copernicus, Catholic Church | Resolved | Kepler's Law | Elliptic Orbits, Sun in one of Foci. Earth 'just another planet' deals setback to religious arguments and perspectives. |
| Darwinian Theory | Theory of evolution suggests 'man' evolved from lower forms; Church held direct creation. | Church, 'Community of Science' | "Resolved" | ||
| Slavery | Slavery not accepted by Modern / Western Civilization; the War between the States in the U.S. set the tone for the Modern World. NO MORE SLAVERY! | Resolved | Civil War (~1860) | Emancipation Proclamation | |
| Abortion | Certain Religions' point of view equates abortion with murder; Counterview - life begins at birth, mother's right to choose. | Supreme Court (Roe V Wade) permits abortion, issue still contested. | |||
| Gay Rights | |||||
| Equal Rights | |||||
| Cloning | 'on hold' | Highly restricted in US; no human cloning, restricted stem cell research | |||
| 'Rights of Man' | Improving | Magna Carta, Habeas Corpus | Not Universally Resolved | ||
| 'Universal' Male Suffrage | Resolved (in Western Culture) | Not Universally Resolved | |||
| 'Universal' Female Suffrage | Resolved (in Western Culture) | Not Universally Resolved | |||
| Universal Suffrage | Resolved (in Western Culture) | Not Universally Resolved | |||
| Animal Rights | Emerging | ||||
© 2003