Dr. Seals
Computer Ethics COMP4730
DEBATE
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:



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
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 1996-1997 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