What is LD Debate?
LD Debate is an acronym for “Lincoln Douglas Debate,” a form of debate that
seeks role play and in some way embody the debate between Abraham Lincoln
and Stephen Douglas for the Illinois Senator position.
Lincoln Douglas debates center around a value and a value
criterion.
A value is something in a debate round that signigies something that you seek
to uphold in the round, which is fundamentally a good thing to hold valuable.
- Two examples of values include morality and justice.
A value criterion, sometimes referred to as a standard, is something that you
will frame the round around which that will allow you to uphold you value, but
it requires proof for why that methodology or philosophy of framing is justified
and the best.
- The two most famous examples of value criterions/standards are
“Structural Violence” and “Utilitarianism.”
So what do you do in LD Debate
Basically, you argue on why your side is better.
What are the sides in LD Debate
There are two sides in an LD Debate: Affrimative and Negative.
- The affirmative affirms the resolution and has the burden of proof to
prove why the resolution is a good praxis.
- The negative negates the reolsution and proves why the reolsution is
intherenly bad.