Why study debate?
One reason for learning debate is the personal benefit. Debate was the most useful class I ever took, in any school. Debate teaches intensive analytical reasoning, logical analysis, how to think on your feet and public speaking. These are skills that you can use in any class, in any career.
We use debate in Theory of Knowledge not to imply that only one perspective is correct, but as a learning tool to understand an eclectic range of perspectives and gauge the value each one might have in our lives.
The second type of reason to study debate is our obligation as citizens in a democratic state. Participation in a democracy assumes an informed and skeptical populace. Democracy requires debate, it requires the free and open examination of positions and evidence that supports or contradicts those positions. When citizens don´t know how to debate, or fail to value debate, they give up their stake in democracy and tyranny inevitably takes over. And the first action of a tyrant is to suppress opposing voices, to suppress debate.
So learn how to defend yourself as a free man, or free woman, using the only weapons that really matter: ideas.
Below are some resources I have found on the internet.
One reason for learning debate is the personal benefit. Debate was the most useful class I ever took, in any school. Debate teaches intensive analytical reasoning, logical analysis, how to think on your feet and public speaking. These are skills that you can use in any class, in any career.
We use debate in Theory of Knowledge not to imply that only one perspective is correct, but as a learning tool to understand an eclectic range of perspectives and gauge the value each one might have in our lives.
The second type of reason to study debate is our obligation as citizens in a democratic state. Participation in a democracy assumes an informed and skeptical populace. Democracy requires debate, it requires the free and open examination of positions and evidence that supports or contradicts those positions. When citizens don´t know how to debate, or fail to value debate, they give up their stake in democracy and tyranny inevitably takes over. And the first action of a tyrant is to suppress opposing voices, to suppress debate.
So learn how to defend yourself as a free man, or free woman, using the only weapons that really matter: ideas.
Below are some resources I have found on the internet.
Here is a great place to start: http://idebate.org/debatabase
Lincoln Douglas Debates are based on values. Attached is a great introduction to value debate.
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Here is an overview of values most commonly used in value debate.
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Here is a modified format for value debate.
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Here is an evaluation rubric.
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This is a brief description of the speeches in value debate
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Here is a very brief sample debate.
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Who controls the definitions controls the debate. Here are a couple of good places to start
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Dictionary of legal terms
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Definitions used in philosophy
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Click here for some sample value debate topics. Note that these need to be rewritten to form resolutions.
Here are a few of my favorite logical fallacies
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