Elements of Debate

Hence, for all practical purposes, the term

proof means those items of evidence and
reasoning which tend to make an audience
agree with the assertions.

The Debater’s Guide

Propositions
A judgment expressed in a declarative
statement. In a debate it appears as an
affirmative statement of the question to
be resolved.
 Question: Should UNCW have a football
team?
 Proposition: Resolved: UNCW should have
a football team.
Types of Propositions
Proposition of Fact: that a fact is/is not
true or that an event did/did not take
place
Proposition of Value: makes an
evaluation or judgment about an issue
or event based on criteria
Proposition of Policy: declares that a
certain action should or should not be
taken
Issues
Issues: a conclusion that must be
proven in order to establish that a
proposition be adopted
 Issues arise when there is an actual or
anticipated clash between two or more
claims
 Issues can arise around facts, values or
policies
Arguments
An assertion that implies and
demonstrates the result of reasoning or
proof.
 Reasoning
 Evidence
 Toulmin’s Model
Toulmin’s Model

Data/Grounds Claim

Warrant Qualifier

Backing
Rebuttal
Evidence
Evidence: matters of
fact or opinion
offered as support
or proof of
assertions advanced
in the debate
 Types of Evidence
 Qualities of Evidence
Definitions
“Definitions, then, are not just
meanings of words we look up in
dictionaries. Definitions are kinds of
arguments, and they have serious
consequences for the direction as well
as the destination of any practical
reasoning.” Corbett and Eberly : The Elements of
Reasoning.
Definitions . . .
Types of Definitions
Formal
Common Usage
Authority
Example
Operational
Functional
Negation
Comparison/Contrast
Presumption
Presumption: a
statement or belief
that is granted
without argument
 Technical
presumption
 Conventional
presumption
 Ideal and Real
The Level of Dispute
What aspects of the case are beneath
the “level of dispute”?

Claim

Reasoning
Evidence
Application
Work with a partner to diagram and
complete a Toulmin model for one of
the following claims:
 Wikepedia is a viable source for our
debates.
 Wikepedia is not a viable source for our
debates.
Toulmin’s Model

Data/Grounds Claim

Warrant Qualifier

Backing
Rebuttal
Wikepedia is a viable source of information for our
debates.
Wikepedia is not a viable source of information for
our debates.
Next Time
Stock Issues
The Role of Research
Application workshop
 Have some evidence/resources we can
work with on your topic!