Debating
Some basics
An argument
• is an idea or statement
– which we want the others to believe
– which we want to prove to be right or better
than some other argument
the basic block of a DEBATE
An assertation
• is a statement that states a fact
– without giving reasons or evidence why we
should accept the fact.
– for example:
– The internet is dangerous.
• Is it? How can you prove this?
The A-R-E components
•
•
•
•
Basically, each argument is composed of
Assertion
Reasoning
Evidence
• Examples on the following slides
Assertation
• The internet is dangerous.
Reasoning
• The internet is dangerous because it is
easy to spread criminal ideas over it.
Evidence
• The internet is dangerous because it is
easy to spread criminal ideas using it.
• The high figures of viewing any video with
evil intent on YouTube strongly point to this
effect.
Debate
• A debate emerges when an argument is
supported and opposed.
• A formal debate has a team in support of
the argument + a team against the
argument.
Motion
• In a formal debate the assertation is called
a motion.
• Formulated like this, for example:
• This house believes that people benefit
from the use of the Internet.
Definition
• The motion needs to be defined to make sure
the debaters have interpreted the motion in the
same way.
• Example:
• This house believes that people benefit from the
use of the Internet.
• Team for the motion: we understand benefit
here to be positive effects to individuals, like
learning.
Rebuttal
• If argument is the basic block of a debate,
rebuttal is the goal of it.
• Rebuttal means
finding fault in the opponent’s
argumentation
and disagreeing with it
Rebuttal 2
Example:
You say the Internet is beneficial. I disagree.
In my opinion the internet is a bad
influence on any user.
MERE REBUTTAL
Developing the rebuttal
• In my opinion the internet is a bad
influence on any user because it contains
so much harmful material.
REASONING
Developing the rebuttal 2
• In my opinion the internet is a bad
influence on any user because it contains
so much harmful material. This harmful
material can be advertising, criminal
material or any kind of crazy material.
EVIDENCE
Example of a rebutting speech
• Why is advertising harmful? Ladies and
gentlemen, are you happy with the pop-ups on a
web-page? Of course not. They are annoying.
But let me convince you that they are also
harmful. They are harmful because they affect
us unconsciously and make us want things we
don’t need. In brief, they create consumerism.
• Strategies:
DIRECT QUESTIONS TO THE AUDIENCE
REPETITION
Example of a rebutting speech 2
• My second point is that the internet is harmful
because of criminal material. In fact, the word
harmful is too weak here. We should be talking
about danger, not harm. The existence of
anarchistic plans to overturn democratic
governments, the existence of bomb recipes, the
existence of terrorist networks all prove my point
conclusively.
ORDER
REPETITION
FORCEFUL
Example of a rebutting speech 3
My third point is that the the internet is
harmful because of any kind of crazy
material. What do I mean by crazy
material? I mean all the bizarre, mad,
lunatic content that any wacko can post in
the internet. I talk about pornography,
about racist pages, about videos made in
bad taste.
ORDER
RHETORICAL QUESTION
SYNONYMS
EXAMPLES
Example of a rebutting speech 4
• Ladies and gentlemen, I repeat that the internet
is harmful because of advertising, criminal
content and any crazy material. All this is a result
of the open character of the net. What I’m
saying is that the net is unconcontrolled and
uncontrollable. The world is full of people who
wish to spread evil. The internet has made it all
too easy for them.
RECAPITULATING
DEVELOPING THE ARGUMENT
Example of a rebutting speech 5
• The team for the motion has argued for
the beneficial effects of the internet but
their case is weak when compared to the
evidence to the opposite I have put before
you. Thank you.
REBUTTAL
STRONG CONCLUDING REMARK
Winning a debate
• The logic of the argumentation, the use of
language, rapport with the audience, the
whole performance determine the
outcome
• To sum up:
– the team that is more convincing wins