Dr. Seals Computer Ethics COMP4730

What is Debate?  A debate is a contest, or, perhaps, like a game, where two or more speakers present their arguments intent on persuading one another.  Men have been debating with one another since the beginning of time when the serpent first debated with Eve the benefits of eating certain fruits in the Garden.  We shall limit ourselves here with discussing formal contest debating between educational institutions, or, in the world of homeschooling, between families that choose to bypass educational institutions and educate their children at home.

Why debate?  "He [the student debater] learns to use a library, and to find the exact information he needs in the shortest possible time.  Learns to be thorough and accurate.  Learns to analyze; to distinguish between the vital and the unimportant.  Learns the need of proving his statements; of supporting every statement with valid evidence and sound reasoning—and he learns to demand the same sort of proof for the statements of others.  Learns to present ideas in a clear and effective manner, and in a way which wins others to his way of thinking.  Learns to think under pressure, to "use his head" in a time of need, to make decisions quickly and accurately.  In a word, the essential point in any debating situation is that of convincing the listener that your side of the proposition is desirable." (from How to Debate by Harrison Boyd Summers)

Four types of debate  Parliamentary Debate.  Lincoln-Douglas Debate  Cross Examination Debate  Academic Debate

Four types of debate  Parliamentary Debate  Parliamentary Debate. This is the debating that goes on in colleges and universities. For more information on this type of debate see the web pages we link to on our Trivium Pursuit Links.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate  Lincoln-Douglas Debate (also called value debate) is modeled after the namesake for the activity. In an Illinois election of the mid-1800s, Abe Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas debated the slavery issue before audiences in different towns around the state.  Two contestants will debate topics centered around moral issues or propositions of value or preference.  Examples of topics appropriate for LD debate:  capital punishment  abortion; or euthanasia.  Typically, all public and private schools will debate the same topic. A new topic is chosen every two months (the topics are chosen by some public school debate organization).  The public/private school topic for November and December of 1996 was:  Resolved, when in conflict, a business' responsibility to itself ought to be valued above its responsibility to society.  The topic for January and February of 1997 is:  Resolved, In United State's policy, the principle of universal human rights ought to take precedence over conflicting national interest

Cross Examination Debate  Cross Examination Debate (also called policy debate or team debate).  Two teams (two students each ), one representing the affirmative position and one representing the negative position, will debate topics of public or government policy.  Examples:  Resolved, that chain stores are detrimental to the best interests of the American public (1931)  Resolved, that all electric utilities should be governmentally owned and operated (1937)  Resolved, that the federal government should own and operate the railroads (1940)  Resolved, that a federal world government should be established (1943).  Typically, all public and private schools will debate the same topic all year long (some public school debate organization picks a new topic each year).  The public/private school topic for the school year is: Resolved, that the federal government should establish a program to substantially reduce juvenile crime in the United States. See also our links to Cross Examination Debate.

Four types of debate  Parliamentary Debate.  Lincoln-Douglas Debate  Cross Examination Debate  Academic Debate  Academic Debate. These are debates of a purely academic nature. An example of this type of debate would be creation/evolution debates.

How to Get Started in Debate  Two things you will have to study if you want to participate in debate:  The principles of debate—logic, evidence, case construction, proof, refuting arguments, rebuttal, the brief, etc.  Pick 3 or 4 debate books out of the debate bibliography located elsewhere on this web page and study them thoroughly (I especially recommend An Introduction to Argumentation and Debate by Christy Farris).  View the debate video put out by Home School Legal Defense (watch it several times). Observe as many debates as you can. This will be difficult for some, but you might look into attending some college debates or government high school debates or private school debates.  The more you observe and study the more familiar you will become with the procedures and terminology of debate.  Current debate topic.  Each year there will be a different topic. It is best if you can start studying in June the topic for the coming school year.  Studying the current debate topic is the most important part and the most time consuming part of debating. You must study the subject thoroughly, to learn all that is to be known about it. The more time and effort you give to preparation, the more effective debating you will do. The following are a few ideas on how to approach the study of ANY debate topic. Some of this information is taken from How to Debate by Summers, Whan, and Rousse.

Four Tips  Read for background information about the subject.  Prepare a comprehensive bibliography.  Collect as much material as you can find.  Read and study the material discovered.

1.Read for background information about the subject.  Get a good general knowledge of the proposition (topic) you are to debate.  Study the historical background of the topic and why this topic is a matter of current interest  Reading order should be from the general to the specific, from background to present-day facts and figures, from books to magazines to newspapers.  One will use all of these sources more or less concurrently, but for real understanding of the broader aspects one needs background material early in his research.

Debate Details  Debate Cross-Examination Debate Cross-Examination