Chris Girouard, Mississippi House of Representatives Refutation 2010 Advocacy Institute International Debate Education Association and Willamette University

Principles of Refutation Refutation Defined Standards of Argument Quality Parts of Arguments to be Refuted Methods of Refutation

Refutation Defined Refutation involves criticizing arguments opposing your own, according to certain standards of argument quality. Refutation is a process in which all debaters (except the Prime Minster) will engage.

Standards of Argument Quality Acceptability – Standard related to evidence – Is the evidence presented acceptable or believable? Relevance – Standard related to reasoning – Is the evidence related to the claim? Sufficiency – Standard related to reasoning – Is the evidence sufficient to support the claim?

Evidence. Is the evidence true or acceptable? Reasoning. Does the reasoning provide a proper connection between the evidence and the claim? – Does the reasoning demonstrate how the evidence is relevant to the claim? – Does the reasoning demonstrate how the evidence is sufficient to make the claim convincing? Parts of Arguments to Refute

“They say...” “But I say...” “Because...” “Therefore...” Methods of Reputation