MURRAY HIGH DEBATE

Argumentation &

Logical Fallacy

What is debate?

An activity where two sides use persuasive, researched arguments to convince a 3rd party to support one side or the other.

Assertion is not a debate – you have to back it up. Proof is what makes a debate.

What is proof? “Proof is the process of securing belief in one

statement by relating it to another statement already believed.”

The Basis of a Good Argument

Assumption For example: “International terrorism is wrong.” For

this to be true, what is my underlying premise? Killing is wrong.

Is this true? What about the Revolutionary War? Your underlying premise/assumption must be

something the listener can believe is true. Then you can move on in your argument.

Parts of an Argument

Claim – what you want them to believeWarrant – your “because…” statementImpact – the “so what” statement. What is

the problem you are trying to solve. What does it impact?

Example Argument

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

~ Taken from Richard E. Edwards Competitive Debate

Claim

A clear statement of exactly what you’re advocating.

Answers the question, “What are you trying to get me to believe?”

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

Warrant

Why is your claim true? Usually the “because”.

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

Impact

The “so what” of your argument.

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

“Uninsured Americans are going without needed medical care because they are unable to afford it. Because access to health care is a basic human right, the United States should establish a system of national health insurance.”

The negative counter-argument

Start by repeating the opponent’s claim: “The affirmative says that Macs are better than PC’s.

Why is this good? It keeps you on point. You aren’t going to say this and

then follow immediately by going on a tangent. Otherwise your debate becomes “Giraffes are cool; rocks are hard.” (I love that. It’s one of my favorite debate phrases.)

“The affirmative says that Macs are better than PC’s, however PC’s are better than Macs (claim) because (warrant)….(impact).”

Clash occurs at the level of the warrant.

Let’s try this together…

Logically, which side would start arguing first?

The affirmative’s claim is the resolution.Your resolution is: Macs are better than PC’s.

Start with the affirmative

Claim: Macs are better than PC’s.Warrant: because…Impact: so what?

Spontaneous Argumentation

In debate lingo, this is called SPAR.It is one-on-one debate, often on a silly topic.

1min prep 3min Affirmative Constructive speech 1min prep 3min Negative Constructive speech (present their own

case and refute aff) 3min CF (debaters question each other) 1min Affirmative Rebuttal 2min Negative Rebuttal 1min Affirmative Rebuttal

LOGICAL FALLACY

Ad Hominem

Attacking the individual instead of the argument (name calling)

Example: Attack a quote on foreign policy from Richard Nixon

simply because it was said by Richard Nixon. “Those pro-life Bible-thumpers want to take away your

rights!”

Erroneous Appeal to Authority

Cited expert is not really an expert on the subject Base on “expert’s” reputation, not their relevant

qualifications.Also, you can’t say something is true simply

because an expert said it. Example:

“I’m not a doctor, I just play one on TV. Here, take this aspirin…”

John Stewart clip (Move past the obvious politics in the clip to the point being made)

Hasty Generalization

Conclusion is based on limited experience or evidence. Could be true.

Example: Judging a person/class/book based on first meeting. “Despite the women’s movement in the 70’s, women

still do not receive equal pay for equal worth. Obviously, all such attempts to change the status quo are doomed to failure.”

Straw Man

Focus argument on weak or misrepresented parts of opponents’ speech so that they can be easily defeated.

Example: “Men should not shave their legs because you have

the potential to bleed and therefore hinder all athletic ability.”

False Analogy

Comparing two situations that aren’t really similar.

Example: Public universities are like businesses and should be

run like them. Are they really fundamentally the same?

Businesses are designed to make money and universities are nonprofit.

Debate is just as much a sport as tennis or wrestling because sports involve physical movement and in debate, you move your jaw. Are these two really comparable? Maybe. Maybe not.

Post Hoc Fallacy

Just because one thing follows another, does not mean one causes another. (Correlation vs. Causation). Make sure you ask yourself if there could be a third (or

fourth or fifth…) factor playing into it. Example:

Could there be a post hoc fallacy in the John Stewart clip?

Let’s say a football team had a losing season, after losing their head coach at the beginning of the season. This may have caused the losing season, but what if the fact that their QB was injured never occurred to you as a potential different reason for the losses?

Appeal to Popularity

Just because something is popular, it’s true or good.

Example: Can you think of how marketing agencies use this

fallacy?

Slippery Slope

Letting your reasoning make logically unjustified leaps. You must explain how you reached your final conclusion.

Example: We must stop the banning of controversial literature

in schools. Once they start banning one form of literature, they will never stop. Next thing you know, they will be burning all the books in the library!

Either/Or Fallacy

Suggesting that there are only two sides to an issue. The world is more complicated than that!

Example: Vizzini in Princess Bride

Begging the Question

Circular reasoning—assume your conclusion is true without proving it.

Example: I am a good worker because Frank says so. How can

we trust Frank? Simple. I’ll vouch for him. “We could improve the undergraduate experience with

coed dorms since both men and women benefit from living with the opposite gender.”

Argument of Ignorance

Assuming something is true if nothing has been offered to prove it false.

Example:

Non Sequitur

Conclusion is drawn from information that does not logically support that conclusion.

Example: We know why it rained today. It’s because you washed

your car.

Red Herring

Shift focus away from central issue by offering a distracting, unrelated idea.

Example: "Argument" for making grad school requirements

stricter: "I think there is great merit in making the requirements

stricter for the graduate students. I recommend that you support it, too. After all, we are in a budget crisis and we do not want our salaries affected."

“Affirmative action proponents accuse me of opposing equal opportunity in the work force. I think my position on military expenditures, education, and public health speak for themselves.”