The Philodemic Society held its 75th annual Hamilton Homecoming Debate on Sunday afternoon debating the resolution that “globalization is good for human kind.”

Marc Gersen (SFS ’04) was awarded the Hamilton Medal after the alumni present at the debate voted him the best extemporaneous speaker during the debate.

The Philodemic Society invited previous members to chair the debate and give keynote speeches on the resolution. Andrew Maher (COL ’02), president of the society in 2000, returned to chair the event. Maher thanked the society and the officers on behalf of the alumni and proceeded to introduce the keynote speakers.

Craig Leen (COL ’97), president of the society in 1996, recalled Theodore Roosevelt’s address to Congress in 1902 and complimented the former president’s forward-looking view. Leen then said that isolationist policies would only cause harm and that globalization is good for foreign countries. “We are meant to globalize,” Leen said.

Richard D. Chema (CAS ’68), who spoke against the resolution – referred to as the negative side – questioned the true definition of globalization and said that the affirmative side only addressed why globalization was “not bad, but didn’t say why it was good.”

Dr. John Brough (CAS ’63), a Georgetown philosophy professor, arguing in favor of the resolution- the affirmative side – contended that globalization was a fact and that people had to decide whether it was good or bad. He then criticized the opposing side’s “narrow” definition of globalization and said that globalization “helps rather than harms” factors such as the environment and political instability.

Dr. Richard Hayes (SFS ’64) then closed with a reiteration of the negative’s view. Hayes said that globalization destroys traditional government and diversity, citing the specific examples of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the spread of deadly diseases.

After about an hour of debate, the society voted on the resolution, affirming the resolution by a 34-19 vote.