From 'honor and reputation' to 'competition and fairness' and 'the utility of school'
Topic discussions that deepen thought and improve writing logic
Selected past college entrance exam essay questions and organized into a pros and cons debate format.

"Debate Battle for Thinking Teenagers: Essay Battle" is a book based on actual college essay questions, which helps students think independently about topics and develop a balanced perspective through arguments for and against.
It is based on actual humanities and social sciences essay exam questions from Yonsei University and Sungkyunkwan University over the past five years. It goes beyond simply introducing the questions; it faithfully organizes the main arguments for and against each topic, providing context for the debate.
For example, each chapter poses fundamental questions about the society we live in, such as, “Is obesity the responsibility of the individual or of society?”, “Which is more important, fame or reputation?”, “Should we invest in basic science or focus on technologies that will yield immediate results?”, and “What is the true role of schools?”

The most striking feature of this book is its vivid 'debate scenes'.
Various perspectives intersect in scenes structured as if actual youth are having a discussion.
Beyond simple theoretical explanations, the book embodies a practical flow of words, arguments, questions, and a process of stepping back and reflecting.
When reading a book, you experience a sense of immersion as if you are participating in the discussion.

There is a mysterious power in an unknown part of our brain.
It is the power of endurance.
When it's time to endure, then endure.
Even if it hurts, I endure it, even if I'm thirsty, I endure it, even if I want to eat, I endure it, even if it's painful, I endure it.
That's what makes them different from animals.
In Confucianism, this is called ‘the Doctrine of the Mean.’
In a word, moderation is patience.
No matter how strong the drug, no matter how persistent the addiction, we can endure.

---p.12

Far more important than fame is honor.
I think the name that the Talmud speaks of is honor.
Honor is something like an external expectation placed on a person's name.
The phrase 'that person is an honorable person' means 'that person is a great person.'

---p.27

When conducting research and development, where should the government invest more? It should invest more in basic science.
Because no one but the government will invest in basic science.
Leonardo da Vinci paints? Of course he invests.
Building an airplane? Of course you invest.
But digging up fossil shells in the mountains to prove that the Alps were originally a sea? No one would invest.
There is no way a company would invest in such a 'money-waster'.
Nevertheless, science is something that must be studied.

---p.79

It is an indisputable truth that competition breeds efficiency.
It is natural that good products that have been innovated are priced well, and those that are not are priced low.
Through this, the productivity of our society increases and everyone becomes wealthy.
That is, Hobbes's failure can be cured by Hobhouse.
Just because Hobbes failed doesn't mean we should give up on competition.

---p.91

Music can do this.
Music is synonymous with miracle.
A portion of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is now used as the national anthem of the European Union. BTS danced at the UN headquarters, sending a message of peace to the world.
There are countless examples of how music has touched people's hearts and transformed them.
This is why we cannot help but emphasize the social role of music.

---p.109

An animal that knows how to control its desires, follow rules, and empathize with the pain of others—that is a human being.
I didn't learn it from anyone else.
This is the result of our brain evolving that way over a long period of time.

---p.125

It is said that once carbon dioxide is produced, it stays in the atmosphere for 100 years.
Even if we stop emissions right now, we'll still have to work to eliminate that much carbon dioxide over the next 100 years and return the Earth's temperature to normal.
I really don't have time now.
If the end of the world is at midnight, the Earth's Doomsday Clock is currently pointing to 9:47 PM.
We must all work together to prevent a disaster from befalling Earth.

---p.146

Schools must fulfill the function of imparting skills on the one hand, and the function of providing fair recruitment on the other.
In that sense, school is a place where we learn and decide what we will do in the future.
That's why the government invests huge amounts of money into this.

---p.166