How to Debate

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6-10-2016, 22:00
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There are many types of debates, ranging from British Parliamentary, Asian Debate Format, Policy Debates to regular old backyard sparring sessions. Whether you're in a team or going at it solo, this article will go over some general facts about debating, as well as offer you tips on how to improve your technique.

Formal Team Debate

  1. Be ready to receive a topic to get to go debate on. One team must debate the "affirmative" stance, and the other must debate the "negative" stance. The team that agrees with the topic is called the affirmative, while the team that disagrees is called the negative.
    • Both teams will be seated near the front of the room they are to speak in — affirmative team (Government) on the left, negative team (Opposition) on the right.
    • The chairperson or adjudicator will start the debate, and the first speaker will present their speech. The order of the speakers is generally affirmative, negative, affirmative, negative, and so on.
  2. Define the topic, if necessary. Debating "That the death penalty is a just and effective punishment" is probably already pretty clear, but what if you're given a topic like "That happiness is a nobler trait than wisdom?" You might need to offer a definition before you proceed.
    • The affirmative always gets the first and best opportunity to define the topic. The first affirmative should offer the "person on the street" test:
      • How might an average person on the street define the topic? Is it reasonable to expect a "normal" person to think of the topic in a certain way?
    • The negative team is given an opportunity to refute the definition (otherwise known as challenging the definition) and offer their own, but only if the affirmative's definition is unreasonable or it renders the negative's position obsolete. The first negative speaker must refute the affirmative's definition if s/he wishes to challenge it.
  3. Write your argument according to the designated time limit (Usually 7 minutes). Depending on what position you argue, you must follow certain protocol such as defining the topic or presenting a main argument.
    • Support your opinions/contentions. If you say "I think the death penalty should be abolished," be ready to prove why this is the best course of action.
    • Use religion only when appropriate. Things that are written in the Bible, Torah, Quran, etc, are not usually sound resources to use to prove your argument, as not everyone takes these sources to be the truth.
    • If you don't know it, don't debate it unless you have no other choice. If you don't know much about the topic, try to at least come up with some vague, ambiguous information so that your opponents will have a hard time refuting your contentions. If they don't understand it, they can't refute it. Keep in mind that the judge probably won't understand you so well either, but trying is probably better than saying, "I know nothing. I give the case to my opponents."
    • Don't use rhetorical questions. Always give a clear answer to every question you ask. Leaving a question open-ended gives your opponents room to refute.
  4. Present your argument. When it is your turn, go ahead and present your argument. Be passionate in your speech—a monotone voice will cause people to drift off, and they may miss the point of what you're trying to say. Speak clearly, slowly, and loudly.
    • Make eye contact with whomever decides the winners of the debate. While it's okay to look at your opponents every once in a while, try to direct your argument at the judge.
    • Give a layout of your argument before you make it. That way, your audience will know what to expect and your judge won't cut you off unless you run way overtime.
  5. Strike a balance between presenting your team's point(s) and rebutting the opponent's point. Since teams take turns debating, it's always possible to offer rebuttals unless you are the first affirmative speaker. Here is a rundown of how both teams might organize their debate strategy:
    • 1st affirmative:
      • Define the topic (optional) and present the team's main line.
      • Outline, in brief, what each affirmative speaker will talk about.
      • Present the first half of the affirmative's argument.
    • 1st negative:
      • Accept or reject the definition (optional) and present the team's main line.
      • Outline, in brief, what each negative speaker will talk about.
      • Offer a rebuttal of a few of the points presented by the first affirmative.
      • Present the first half of the negative's argument.
    • 2nd affirmative:
      • Reaffirm the affirmative's main line.
      • Offer a rebuttal of a few of the points presented by the first negative.
      • Present the second half of the affirmative's argument.
    • 2nd negative:
      • Reaffirm the negative's main line.
      • Offer a rebuttal of a few of the points presented by the second affirmative.
      • Present the second half of the negative's argument.
    • 3rd affirmative:
      • Reaffirm the affirmative's main line.
      • Offer a rebuttal of any of the remaining negative's arguments.
      • Offer a summary of the affirmative's case.
      • Conclude debate for the affirmative team.
    • 3rd negative:
      • Reaffirm the negative's main line.
      • Offer a rebuttal of any of the remaining affirmative's arguments.
      • Offer a summary of the negative's case.
      • Conclude debate for the negative team.
  6. Note the three rules of rebuttal. When rebutting a team's argument, remember three essential rules:
    • Offer evidence for your rebuttal. Do not rely on vigorous assertion alone. Show the chairperson why the other team's argument is fundamentally flawed; don't just tell.
    • Attack the most important parts of their argument. It's not very effective if you pick bones with an obscure part of the opponent's argument. Go for the crux of their argument and pick it apart with the ruthless efficiency of a surgeon.
    • No ad hominem attacks. An ad hominem attack is when you criticize another person instead of his or her ideas. Attack the idea, not the person.
  7. Use up all your time (or most of it). The more you talk, the more you'll convince the judge. Note that this means you should come up with many examples, not that you should ramble. The more the judge hears about why you are correct, the more inclined s/he will be to believe you.
  8. Know what aspects of the debate you will be judged on, if appropriate. For the most part, debates are judged on three main areas: matter, manner, and method.
    • Matter:
      • Amount of evidence. How much evidence does the speaker marshall to support his/her claims?
      • Relevancy of evidence. How strongly does the evidence used support the argument?
    • Manner:
      • Eye contact. How well does the speaker engage his or her audience? Does the speaker spend too much time on his or her cue cards?
      • Voice. How well does the speaker's voice accentuate his or her argument? Does he or she offer a diversity of volume, pitch and speed to highlight important parts?
      • Body language. How well does the speaker use his or her body to emphasize arguments and communicate authority and calmness?
      • Nervous habits. How well does the speaker avoid verbal and bodily tics when he or she speaks? Does the speaker stammer, fidget, or pace?
      • Elocution. How clearly does the speaker pronounce words? Does the speaker use words, or do the words use him or her?
    • Method:
      • Team cohesion. How well does the entire team organize their arguments and rebuttals? How well do the individual arguments mesh together, as well as the rebuttals? How clear and consistent is the team line?
      • Individual prowess. How well does the individual stand out as he or she speaks? How clearly does he or she mark the end of one argument and the beginning of another?

Conversational or Informal Debating

  1. Ask questions to gradually reveal an argument. Since you're not engaging in a formal debate, you don't really know what side of the argument the other person is going to take, or what they necessarily believe in. Ask questions to narrow things down.
    • "So do you believe that the gap in the fossil record says anything serious about Darwinism?"
    • "Do you have an opinion on the question of nature v. nurture?"
    • "So what's your position when it comes to affirmative action?"
  2. Clearly understand the other person's position or ask them to clarify any confusing areas. Nobody's Weltanschauung is perfectly coherent. But it's hard to debate someone when they're all over the place. Try to gently get them to adhere to one line of arguments that are more or less consistent.
    • If you're not sure about what their argument is, help them out in a non-threatening way: "So, if I understand what you're saying, you mean that the penny should be abolished because it costs more than a penny to produce a penny?"
  3. Introduce your counterargument. Introducing your counterargument after the other person has made their argument clear makes things feel less antagonistic, even if it's still a debate.
    • Offer examples along with your thesis for why you hold a particular belief:
      • "Here's what I think: I think overabundance of political correctness has actually made us afraid to say anything at all. Instead of saying what we actually mean, we say what we think people want to hear. We're more worried about offending other people than we are about telling the truth."
  4. Offer rebuttals to the other person's argument. State your counterargument first, and then offer any rebuttals that you can think of.
    • "Does it really make sense to say that any form of government — municipal, state, or federal — should legislate sexual morality? It's not a question of "could" — they're more than capable of doing it; it's more a question of whether it's right for them to say how we should treat our own bodies in the privacy of our own home. Where does it stop if we let them get a foot in the door? Wouldn't that be inviting them to pass judgment on more and more private aspects of our lives? When do our lives stop becoming their own?"
  5. Respond to any of the other person's rebuttals. More than likely, the other person you're debating will take issue with some of the things you are saying. Remember their rebuttals and tackle them when the other person has finished speaking.
  6. Pay attention to some informal (and unspoken) conversational etiquette. It pays to be nice to the other person, even if you're debating them. Remember to:
    • Not hog the conversation. It's a debate, which should mean a free-flowing exchange of ideas, not you rambling on and on about why you're right and s/he's wrong.
    • Assume the other person means well. S/he might misspeak or the debate could get unintentionally heated. It's best to assume that the other person is coming at the debate expecting only some friendly verbal sparring, and isn't out to hurt you.
    • Don't raise your voice or let things get heated. Try not to get so wrapped up in the debate that you lose your cool. A debate should be civilized and enlightening, not a lesson in browbeating.
  7. Don't rehash the same arguments over and over again. Some debates come full circle and then keep on going because neither party is willing to admit defeat. If you become involved in a debate that never ends, don't push it. Just say: "I respect your opinion. I don't agree with you, but maybe I will in the future. Give me a little bit of time to think it over?"
  8. Wrap things up amicably. No one will want to debate you if you're a sore loser or if you refuse to treat your sparring partner with respect. However heated the debate might have been, try to be friendly as you wrap things up. You may disagree with someone, but that doesn't mean you can't be friends.

Sample Debates

Tips

  • When the chairperson invites you to speak, you should be ready immediately, or within five seconds.
  • Try practicing every now and then, so you get comfortable in the debate/argue environment.
  • In your vote of thanks, thank the opposing team first, then the adjudicator, chairperson, timekeeper and audience.
  • Study previous debates. That being said, don't steal the contentions made in that debate word-for-word.
  • There are no rules set in stone. Do what you think makes the most logical sense. If you want to make one hundred contentions, do so. If you want to make just one contention and argue for it the whole debate, do so. There's no "right" or "wrong".
  • There will be a single bell a minute before the time limit, a double bell on the time limit, and a triple bell at thirty seconds over.
  • Never argue with the adjudicator.
  • Make your argument simpler, it will not help to state your arguments in highfalutin words, as it may worsen the impression of the adjudicator towards you
  • Just relax — make sure you gather key terms from the rebuttal.
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