DEBATE 101

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DEBATE 101

• A VERY quick guide to VALUE debate.

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a VALUE debate

• A value debate involves a moral argument. ie
  capital punishment is wrong or the apartheid
  is evil
• Usually includes the following
• Evaluation of a given act, principle, or
  condition
• Is it right or wrong, just or unjust, good or
  evil?
• Comparison of competing values
• When two values are in conflict (such as one
  persons right to free speech and anothers right
  to privacy), which should prevail.

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strategies to WIN a VALUE debate

• Use analogies
• ie When President Lincoln was running for
  reelection, he used this analogy it is not best
  to swap horses while crossing the river
• Analogies may lend credence to predictions
• Analogies may draw the opponent onto unfamiliar
  ground
• Analogies may place the opponent in an uncertain
  position (one that will be hard to defend)

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how to REFUTE an analogy

• argue that the cases are not the sufficiently
  similar
• deny your opponents analysis of the analogy
• deny the virtue of consistency
• use the opponents analogy against them
• construct a counteranalogy

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other ways to WIN a VALUE debate

• Discover anomalies and exceptions to the
  opponents principle
• Enforce the consequences of the opponents
  principle
• Reduce the opponents principle to absurdity
• Extrapolate the opponents principle
• ie what would happen if everyone did thatthink
  Harrison Bergeron and the Handicapper General

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Debate Format 101

• 1st Affirmative Constructive (pre-written) (5 m)
• Cross examination by 2nd negative (2m)
• 1st Negative Constructive (5m)
• Cross examination by 2nd affirmative (2m)
• 2nd Affirmative Constructive (5m)
• Cross examination by 1st negative (2m)
• 2nd Negative Constructive (5m)
• Cross examination by 1st affirmative (2m)
• 1st Negative Rebuttal (3m)
• 1st Affirmative Rebuttal (3m)
• 2nd Negative Rebuttal (3m)
• 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal (3m)

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so WHAT does this all MEAN?

• The affirmative case Supports the proposition in
  the resolution
• The negative team refutes the proposition
• The 1st AC presents the case
• The 1st NC refutes the arguments and present
  their teams position
• The 2nd AC rebuilds the case, refutes the points
  the negative presents, and points out what
  arguments the 1st AC made that the negative team
  dropped.
• The 2nd NC can extends the argument of the 1st
  NC, answer arguments made by the 2 AC, this is
  the LAST TIME a new issue can be raised in a
  debate!!!

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REBUTTALS

• The rebuttal time is designed to argue the case
  made. A lot of information has been given, and
  this is your time to point out the
  inconsistencies, absurdities, and illogical
  arguments of your opponents.
• No new information can be presented during the
  rebuttal time

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Cross Examination

• Best put to use for three good reasons
• Information- gain details needed in order to
  refute the answerers position
• Ask what they mean by vague terms, like evil
• Focus- narrow the audiences attention to what
  you believe to be the most vulnerable aspect of
  your opponents arguments
• Consensus- the most important strategic function
  of cross-x is its ability to generate agreement
  between the two sides, so that they may be used
  for the questioners benefit later!

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terms to KNOW

• T-Topicality-is what the team talking about
  even topical?
• SQ- status quo- what is the status quo? Can we
  use that to support a point?
• Weighing mechanism- what you use to show the
  higher good
• ie using a quotation saying that money is the
  root of all evil as your weighing mechanism. You
  balance your ideas based on a popular philosopher
  or Biblical idea, for instance.

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Before you Go

• Your team has 6 minutes prep time total. There
  will be someone keeping track for you, just ask
  prep please and say stop prep when youre
  done
• As the affirmative team, your responsibility is
  to prove the case
• As the negative, your responsibility is to
  disprove the case.
• Watch for dropped arguments, irrelevant sources,
  or analogies that dont make sense. These are key
  to helping you WIN!
• Use your prep time wisely, but remember, that
  your prep time is being used by the other team,
  too!
• Remember, this is a VALUE debate. One position is
  BETTER than another. Its your job to convince us
  which is best!!