How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Debate

Disciplines > Communication > Styles > Debate

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Debate is a process where two people (or groups) each try to persuade the other to agree or accept an argument.

The style of debate is competitive, with each side seeking to force the other into giving in and so accepting the proposed points.

Each side also has to defend aganst the attacks from the other side that seek to demolish their arguments. In the desperation to win, attacks and other tactics may become personal and irrational.

Formal debates often have a set structure and roles, such as:

• Advocate: Presents an argument for a particular case.
• Opponent: Presents an argument against the case.
• Second: Presents a supporting argument for the advocate.
• Opposing second: presents a supporting argument against the case.
• Chair: Presides over proceedings and intervenes to assure rules of decency.
• Team members: On either side question the other side, provide points of information and respond to questions.
• Audience: Vote on whether to accept or reject the advocate's proposition.

Debates may be completed in a single session, often time-bound, or may be open-ended (possibly stretching over an indeterminate number of sessions).

Example

In a business meeting, the marketing manager and production manager debate about how long it will take to bring a product to market. Each wants budget and time for themselves and assumes that this can only be gained if the other has less. The debate soon includes criticism of the other's processes and competence, and the chairperson has to step in to cool the situation.

Discussion

Principles behind the debate include fixed-pie, zero-sum and win-lose. The fixed pie is the idea that there is a single 'pie' of things that each wants, such that if one person gains something then the other loses that same thing (so positive gains and negative losses add up to zero). Win-lose is an absolute form of this, where only one side gets the pie and the other side gets nothing.

Aspects and styles of argument in debates include:

• Factual: Presenting evidence, statistics and facts as incontrovertible truth.
• Logical: Describing cause and effect, building intellectual models and using other reasoning.
• Moral: Talking about right and wrong, taking the 'high ground' in showing oneself to be good or judging the other side to be bad.
• Assertive: Using personal charisma and strength of character to assert things as true without proof.

Morality and decency in debate can easily sink to a low level, where fallacies are strongly asserted and personal attacks are commonplace. Metaphors of war appear in the language about debate (attack, defend, overcome, positions, etc.) and this further shapes and hardens the attitudes and methods used.

Debate can also be relative civilized and is often used in business and political meetings. Such settings often have rules of engagement and adjudicators who enforce them. These may be for particular purpose but can also be just for the joy of argument and intellectual competition. Schools in particular engage in competitive debating games as a means of developing the abilities of their students.

See also

Argument, Fallacies, Warfare, Assertiveness