China Debate Education Network Debate as a Social and Educational Process

Making Decisions Critically: Two senses of the word “critically.” In the negative sense: “My professor is critical of everything I say.” “My parents treat me very critically.” In the positive sense: “A critical decision is better than an uncritical one.” Critical decision-makers examine argument for and against the potential alternatives.”

Making Decisions Critically: Critical Decisions are Better than Uncritical Ones When subjected to critical argument, weaker ideas are less likely to survive than stronger ideas When subjected to critical argument, even better ideas have the potential to emerge

Internal and External Decision-Making: Two Methods Internal: Members of the group argue about an issue and make the decision themselves. – Capitulation – Compromise – Majority vote – Consensus External: Situations that require an outside adjudicator. “Debate” applies most unambiguously to external decision making. Skills of debating before an adjudicator (external decision making) do not automatically transfer to internal decision-making situations.

Debate and Critical Decision Making: “Debate” applies most unambiguously to external decision making. Skills of debating before an adjudicator (external decision making) do not automatically transfer to internal decision-making situations. The closest example of debate in an internal situation is legislative debate. Even legislative debate is different from other external debates which use an adjudicator.

Importance of Debate in Society Debate is useful when people are unable to work out their differences and must find an outside adjudicator. Debate helps create good citizens.

Debate in Educational Systems Debate contributes to the development of communication skills, especially public communication. Debate helps create well-informed citizens

Educational Debate as a Laboratory Competitive, educational debate is not an end in itself. The skills learned in competitive, educational debate can be transferred to situations which include an adjudicator Competitive, educational debate does not produce “generative debate.” The most thoughtful and reflective debaters can learn to enact “generative debate.” Debaters need to be very careful not to apply what they learn in competitive, educational debate to interpersonal argument situations.