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Problem Definition and Argument Development in Debate

Learn how to define problems and develop strong arguments in debate, including ranking issues and identifying relevant stakeholders.

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Problem Definition and Argument Development in Debate

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  1. AGENDA 1.MOTION TYPES 2. DEFINING A PROBLEM 3. COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS 4. RANKING ISSUES

  2. MOTION TYPES

  3. POLICY MOTIONS: THIS HOUSE WOULD BELIEF MOTIONS: THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT THIS HOUSE APPLAUDS, REGRETS, SUPPORTS, OPPOSES INDIVIDUAL MOTIONS: THIS HOUSE, AS…

  4. PROBLEM

  5. PROBLEM What do we want to fix? 1. TH rejects the death penalty VALUE OF LIFE 2. THBT university education should be free WEALTH EFFECT ON OPPORTUNITIES 3. THW introduce a meat tax ANIMAL RIGHTS

  6. PROBLEM What do we want to fix? 1. THW create brothels in military bases SEXUAL VIOLENCE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE MILITARY SOLDIERS WELL-BEING Multiple problems: It’s fine to focus on more than one problem Prioratize the most relevant/important

  7. PROBLEM What do we want to fix? NOW YOU TRY: THW oppose religious involvement in politics POLITICIZATION OF RELIGION POLARIZATION OF VIEWS NON-RATIONAL DECISION MAKING NON-UNIVERSALITY OF RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE MANIPULATION (NON-FREE DECISION MAKING)

  8. COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS

  9. BASIC METHODS FINDING THE RIGHT ARGUMENTS IS DEPENDANT ON ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  10. BASIC METHODS 1.“EVERY WORD IN THE MOTION IS AN ARGUMENT” ACTUALLY READ THE MOTION AND YOU SHOULD ALREADY HAVE A CLEAR IDEA ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO PROVE. THBT THE EU SHOULD CENSOR WEBSITES THAT HAVE RACIST CONTENT WHY THE EU? WHY IS CENSORSHIP A GOOD METHOD? WHY WEBSITES? WHY RACIST CONTENT? HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN THINGS WE ALREADY ALLOW? HOW IS IT SIMILAR TO THINGS WE ALREADY BAN? *OPPOSITION CAN CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE ANY ONE OF THESE, AND DOESN’T HAVE TO CHALLENGE ALL TO WIN 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  11. BASIC METHODS 2. MEANS & ENDS: PURPOSE WHAT IS THE METHOD/POLICY/ACTOR USUALLY INVOLVED IN? WHAT SHOULD IT/THEY BE INVOLVED IN? SHOULD WE DO IT? 1. THBT WE SHOULD MAKE DEVELOPMENT AID DEPENDANT ON LGBT RIGHTS WHAT IS DEVELOPMENT AID FOR? 2. THBT THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT SHOULD OPPOSE GLOBAL CAPITALISM WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT? 3. THBT HISTORY EDUCATION IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES SHOULD FOCUS ON COHESION AT THE COST OF TRUTH WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HISTORY EDUCATION? 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  12. BASIC METHODS 2. MEANS & ENDS: FEASABILITY CAN WE ACTUALLY SUCCESFULLY DO IT? CAN WE REACH THE BIG GOAL? IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME? 1. THW BAN ALCHOCOL WHAT ABOUT THE BLACK MARKET? 2. THW FORECFULLY PARTITION IRAQ WILL IT ESTABLISH PEACE/CRUSHISLAMIC STATE? WILL IT BE SUSTAINABLE? HOW WILL THE POPULATION REACT? HOW WILL OTHER ACTORS REACT? 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  13. BASIC METHODS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS WHAT SOCIETAL GROUPS ARE AFFECTED? HOW? POLITICIANS CONSERVATIVE GROUPS MODERATE PUBLIC MEDIA THBT THE LGBT MOVEMENT SHOULD NOT SUPPORT PRIDE PARADES LGBT WHO LIKE IT LGBT WHO DON’T LIKE IT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ‘OUT’ 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  14. BASIC METHODS 4. THINK FROM MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS WHY IS GOING TO CREATE THE BEST CONSEQUENCE? WHY IS THIS PRINCIPALLY THE BEST OPTION? WHAT WILL THE OTHER SIDE SAY? 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  15. BASIC METHODS 4. THINK FROM MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS WHY IS GOING TO CREATE THE BEST CONSEQUENCE? People are very likely to make a bad decision: (a) escapism & denial (easier not to fight), (b) cannot conceive of happiness. The social message- lives can be made worth living even with horrible diseases. WHY IS THIS PRINCIPALLY THE BEST OPTION? Irrational choice & moral caution. Value of life. WHAT WILL THE OTHER SIDE SAY? This may be a ‘rational choice’ (e.g. religious people who value God above life). RESPONSE:(a) it is more likely it wouldn’t be a rational choice, (b) God will not punish being forced to undergo treatment THBT the patient cannot refuse life-saving treatment 1. WORDS OF THE MOTION 2. MEANS AND ENDS 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 4. MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

  16. RANKING ISSUES

  17. Ranking issues YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS FOR ARGUMENTS BY NOW BUT WHICH ARE THE BEST ONES TO USE? 1.AVOID REBUTT-O-PHOBIA 2.HAVE RELEVANCE 3.HAVE WEIGHT 4.HAVE BELIEVABILITY

  18. Ranking issues THW BAN ALL LIMITS ON IMMIGRATION “The state you are born in is a birth lottery, it is morally arbitrary, yet it determines everything about your life.That is not acceptable.” EVERY GOOD ARGUMENT HAS A GOOD REBUTTAL “Even if in the course of history there was something morally arbitrary it doesn’t mean the result bears no moral weight. “ 1.AVOID REBUTT-O-PHOBIA 2.HAVE RELEVANCE 3.HAVE WEIGHT 4.HAVE BELIEVABILITY

  19. Ranking issues THW GIVE MEN AND WOMEN EQUAL MATERINITY/PATERNITY LEAVE -> Irrelevant: will end gender discrimination -> Relevant: it will eliminate a double standard when hiring TRICK: BE REALISTIC 1.AVOID REBUTT-O-PHOBIA 2.HAVE RELEVANCE 3.HAVE WEIGHT 4.HAVE BELIEVABILITY

  20. Ranking issues If this is the only argument I win on, who wins the debate? TH applauds sexually assertive songs by female pop-stars -gender portrayal as sexual is disproportionate -’assertive’ sexuality counters the narrative of women’s passivity/objectification -Pop songs are effective in reaching audiences who are not usually exposed to feminism 1.AVOID REBUTT-O-PHOBIA 2.HAVE RELEVANCE 3.HAVE WEIGHT 4.HAVE BELIEVABILITY

  21. Ranking issues Would a normal/reasonable person on the street believe your argument? 1.AVOID REBUTT-O-PHOBIA 2.HAVE RELEVANCE 3.HAVE WEIGHT 4.HAVE BELIEVABILITY

  22. WORKSHOP SPECIFIC RESOURCES Advanced Motion Analysis http://vimeo.com/72702901 Intermediate Motion Analysis http://vimeo.com/72725618 Effective Arguments http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/lecture-general-create-effective.html GENERAL RESOURCES Debate Videos http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/ Alfred Snider on Vimeo http://vimeo.com/user1244229 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/

  23. COOL ADDITIONAL STUFF

  24. APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS WHAT TYPE OF MOTION IS THIS? WHAT ARE THE THINGS I HAVE TO PROVE? WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE STATUS-QUO? WHY ARE WE JUSTIFIED TO ACT? WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? WHY DON’T THEY WORK? WHY IS THIS THE RIGHT METHOD? WHY THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME? WHY THIS IS THE RIGHT ACTOR? WHO ARE THE GROUPS AFFECTED & HOW? WHAT RIGHTS ARE WE STEALING? WHAT RIGHTS ARE WE PROTECTING? WHY IS THIS A GOOD TRADE-OFF? WHAT PROBLEMATIC INCENTIVES AND BEHAVIORS EXIST IN THE STATUS-QUO? HOW DO WE CHANGE THEM? WHAT PROBEMALTIC NARRATIVES EXIST NOW? HOW DO WE CHANGE THEM? WHY IS THIS A GOOD GOAL CONSEQUENTIALLY? WHAT ARE THE SACRIFICES? WHY IS THIS PRINCIPALLY A GOOD GOAL? WHY IS OPPOSITE SO BAD? IS THERE ANY ANALOGOUS SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD DO THIS? WHY DOES THIS CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR THE AVG. INTELLIGENT VOTER?

  25. APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF PRIORATIZING ONCE YOU HAVE ARGUMENTS IS THIS ARGUMENT STRICTLY RELEVANT? IS THIS ARGUMENT GOING TO PERSUADE THE AVG. INTELLIGENT VOTER? IF THIS IS THE ONLY ARGUMENT I WIN ON, WHO WINS THE DEBATE? DEVELOPING ARGUMENTS THAT YOU HAVE WHAT PRINCIPLE THIS ARGUMENT RELIES UPON? WHAT IS THE GOAL? HOW DOES IT WORK? WHY WILL IT WORK? WHAT IS THE IMPACT(S) OF THIS? WHY IS THE IMPACT(S) IMPORTANT? WHY IS THE OPPOSITE OF THIS REALLY BAD? WHAT REBBUTALS WILL THE OTHER SIDE BRING? WHY DON’T THEY STAND? WHAT SACRIFICES DOES THIS REQUIRE? WHY IS IT A VALID TRADE-OFF?

  26. APPENDIX 3: EXAMPLE 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS THW subsidize plastic surgery 1.WHAT TYPE OF MOTION IS THIS? WHAT ARE THE THINGS I HAVE TO PROVE? This is a policy motion with a government intervention element. Requires (1) plan, (2) why this is a good mechanism, (2) why this is a good goal. 2. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE STATUS-QUO? You have no agency do define your identity and the basis on what you can potentially be discriminated on. 3. WHY ARE WE JUSTIFIED TO ACT? Looks are often the basis of discrimination- (1)we as the sate can make something unjust become just. (2)We also cannot sacrifice individual people for possible change some hundred years in the future when we destroy beauty standards (categorical imperative) . (3) When in a coercive environment, coercion means you have something to lose if you don’t make a choice, not being able to make that choice means you lose with certainty, therefore even in such case, more choice is better than none. SQ is where only the rich ever get a choice.

  27. APPENDIX 3: EXAMPLE 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS THW subsidize plastic surgery 4.WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? WHY DON’T THEY WORK? WHY IS THIS THE RIGHT METHOD? Trying to destroy beauty standards. It won’t work because (a) whole industries making money from beauty standards, (2) societies always will have standards for beauty, they can be more realistic or less, more diverse or less, but they always will exist.(3) the privileged have an incentive to perpetuate the norm that gives them more power/success on an arbitrary basis. They have the power because they have something unique and wonderful, t.i. beauty. 5.WHY THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME? We have reached the time in history when plastic surgery is rapidly becoming less and less risky, easier, faster and less painful and intrusive into a person’s life. Beauty is becoming something everyone realistically could achieve, but can’t because of money. 6.WHY THIS IS THE RIGHT ACTOR? In a capitalist society income equality can never be achieved, hence beauty otherwise would allowed for the rich only. State uniquely can tax and redistribute to make these subsidies feasible.

  28. APPENDIX 3: EXAMPLE 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS THW subsidize plastic surgery 7.WHO ARE THE GROUPS AFFECTED & HOW? Those who want surgery. They will clearly benefit. The already beautiful and/or rich. They will lose the power to define what beauty is because they will no longer possess something scarce. Those who are not beautiful, but wont have surgery. May be harmed under the assumption that beauty standards will become worse. (1) Not true. If anything, we actually improve the situation with beauty standards on prop- bc beauty is no longer a rare thing only supermodels can have, it can no longer be positioned by advertisers as the money earning unachievable forever desired attribute that sells stuff. (2) Even if it is true, then this is outweighed by the massive benefits to the other groups. 8.WHAT RIGHTS ARE WE STEALING? WHAT RIGHTS ARE WE PROTECTING? WHY IS THIS A GOOD TRADE-OFF? (1) We are stealing rights only via taxation. (2) We are protecting the right to define your own identity on a non-arbitrary basis.

  29. APPENDIX 3: EXAMPLE 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS THW subsidize plastic surgery 9.WHAT PROBLEMATIC INCENTIVES AND BEHAVIORS EXIST IN THE STATUS-QUO? HOW DO WE CHANGE THEM? The beautiful and/or rich can position beauty as something awesome, because they are the only ones with access to it. . Without scarcity, the privileged in that regard lose incentive and power to push it as a norm. 10.WHAT PROBEMALTIC NARRATIVES EXIST NOW? HOW DO WE CHANGE THEM? You cannot claim that there's something intrinsic that makes beautiful people superior when everyone can also become beautiful (while presumably not changing inwardly). What does that mean then? That this one homogenous beauty standard will be destroyed, that type of beauty will no longer be special and individuals will feel more free to seek out whatever diverse interpretations of beauty they wish to. 11.WHY IS THIS A GOOD GOAL CONSEQUENTIALLY? We make most people happy, t.i. the vast majority of people who would want plastic surgery, but cannot afford it, even if there is a trade off of the few who would not want it.

  30. APPENDIX 3: EXAMPLE 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS THW subsidize plastic surgery 12. WHY IS THIS PRINCIPALLY A GOOD GOAL? A. Because we cannot allow people to suffer for another 100 years to use them as a means to change our obsession with beauty (that is already unlikely to change. B. People have a right to have agency in defining their identity. We dont think most people when they look in the mirror really feel like they see themselves. There's always an element of "do I really look like this?". 13. WHY IS OPPOSITE SO BAD? Defining our identity is extremely meaningful to all of us- to feel like we connect and are understood by society and can communicate who we truly are. And our physical form is necessarily connected to our identity ((a)because all our experiences and interactions to the world happen through it, (b) because society needs simplistic, visual identifiers of people)- yet we cannot change it according to who we feel like on the inside. That leads to emotional harm, feeling like your body doesn't correspond to who you are.

  31. APPENDIX 3: EXAMPLE 15 QUESTIONS: COMING UP WITH ARGUMENTS THW subsidize plastic surgery 14. IS THERE ANY ANALOGOUS SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD DO THIS? The very reason why we allow burn scar victims and those with different gender identities than their biological sex to have operations, the line between that and our plan is arbitrary (same principle, different degrees) is because they don’t feel like themselves in their skin, they feel like there is a disconnect between their physical and internal being. 15. WHY DOES THIS CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR THE AVG. INTELLIGENT VOTER? There's nothing intrinsically good by who we are born as ''naturally', we change ourselves all the time to make ourselves better or better off, naturally we should live in a cave and die at 30 from bad teeth. This frees everyone, because it gives you the change to take action in terms of who you are perceived as in society. We will never live in a society where identity will be a metaphysical spiritual thing and looks wont matter. It is better for everyone to have control.

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