purpose of debate

Purpose of Debate : 

Purpose of Debate

Methods of Decision Making : 

Methods of Decision Making Individual Decisions- individual controls the dimensions of the problem Group Discussion Persuasion- intended to influence the acts, beliefs and values of others Propaganda- use of persuasion by a group in a sustained, organized campaign using multiple media to influence a mass audience Coercion- threat or use of force (least effective over a sustained period of time)

Slide 3: 

Debate- the process by which opinions are advanced, supported, disputed and defended. Why is debate different from other forms of communication?

Purpose of Debate : 

Purpose of Debate Mill- On Liberty Wisdom – distinguished between received opinion (uncritically accepting from some form of authority) and an opinion formed through controversy and critical deliberation Knowledge- Truth- an untested opinion is but one superstition Reasoning- It is not enough to hold an opinion that turns out to be true; one must have come to that opinion for the best reasons– to be truly tested, it must be confronted with the strongest counterarguments.

PURPOSE Continued : 

PURPOSE Continued Aristotle- to prevent fraud and injustice, instruction for the public, see both sides, means of defense

Argumentation is Vital to Democracy : 

Argumentation is Vital to Democracy Fundamental survival skill for life in a democracy Important way citizens are empowered Democratic decision making requires an informed, capable and interested citizenry The preservation of democracy also requires that people meet certain acceptable standards of civility and decorum in their public lives

Is It More Than That? : 

Is It More Than That? Playing nice isn't easy, and research indicates it's not always in our nature or self interest. Frans de Waal studies chimpanzees. He works at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University. And while chimps often cooperate, he says they also get into disagreements, much like members of Congress. "The males… most of the time they put their hair up and try to look very intimidating," he says. "They go around and bang doors and uproot trees in the wild, or dislodge stones that they roll down the hill, and generally make a big show of how strong they are." The shouting actually helps resolve conflicts. Typically, no one bites anyone, and in the end, one side backs down, or sometimes the two chimps reach across party lines and share the banana. The chimps, he says, are constantly in the business of conflict and reconciling. When de Waal watches politics on television, he sees what he thinks is ape-like behavior. "We have this very precarious balance between competition and cooperation," he says. "We need to cooperate for our survival; our whole society is built on cooperation. But we are all interested in getting a little bit more than somebody else. And that's why we fight."

One major reason to argue is to learn : 

One major reason to argue is to learn To explore, probe, test a belief or viewpoint Learn a lot about people from arguing with them What they believe Why they believe it Learn about their values

Categories of Arguments can Determine Their Purpose : 

Categories of Arguments can Determine Their Purpose Creative- when the arguers are willing to explore a side in order to determine its value, when you and your partner are willing to alter or reconsider a position if strong arguments are brought against it Attached- the opposite--you and your partner have a strong commitment to a position, an emotional or psychological stake in seeing one conclusion triumph Why is this distinction important? It has to do with how you define winning. If you think you can only define winning by getting your partner to concede, then attached arguments will drive you crazy. Additionally, you risk alienating an opponent or hurting their feelings if they are very attached to their argument.