Training, 24/10/2012
Identifying Burdens
Warwick Debating Society
What commonly occurs.
1) Motion is announced.
2) Team think up arguments for their side of the
debate.
3) Team provide said arguments.
4) Feedback is given; team is told that their
arguments were very well made but that
another team better fulfilled the burdens of
the debate.
What to do
• Consider what the debate is meant to be
about.
• Decide what needs to be proven in order for
your side to carry the motion.
• Write these burdens down (usually 2 or 3).
• Think up arguments which meet these
burdens.
Important considerations
1. Opposition do not necessarily have to fulfil
all their possible burdens.
2. Government do.
3. Burden fulfilment vary in difficultly.
Motion: THW require all schools to teach safe sex to
children from age 10 regardless of parental consent.
Government:
1. Children are old enough to learn about safe-sex at age 10.
2. It is necessary that children know about safe-sex from age 10.
3. The state has the authority to overrule the wishes of parents on this issue
(due to 1. and unlike some vaccines)
Opposition:
1. Children are too young to know about safe-sex at age 10.
2. It is unnecessary to teach them about it at age 10 because it is irrelevant
to their lives.
3. Parents have the authority to decide if they do/do not want their children
taught about this issue at age 10 because it is controversial and is not
urgent (due to 1. and 2.)
THW bring back corporal punishment.
Government:
1. It is legitimate to hit children.
2. It is legitimate for teachers to hit children.
3. Corporal punishment would lead to a (large)
improvement in teaching/learning
conditions.
Opposition Burdens
1.It is illegitimate to hit children, regardless of
any possible benefit.
2.This possible benefit does not exist anyway
because corporal punishment brings more
harms than benefits – i.e. worsens
teaching/learning conditions.
THW Pay Smokers to Quit Smoking
Government
1) Smoking has a large negative impact on
society as a whole.
2) It is legitimate/fair to pay smokers to quit
smoking.
3) It will lead to a reduction in smoking.