Strategic Communication-Debate Formula

Claims - Grounds - Warrants - Backing - Modal Qualification

These are the beginning steps to an argument. When I say argument I am not talking about a fight in which two sides just yell at each other and there is nothing that is gained but an honest intellectual argument (even if the subject matter is not what one would call “intellectual”) where people discuss their differences of opinions.

This system can be used in everyday conversation or in scholarly, political, or judicial debates. Yes, there is more to an argument than these steps and argumentation and debate is certainly a more complex system than this particular communicative formula would indicate but it is a good place to start. To start a debate, you make a claim. This can be a claim of fact, opinion, belief, or value. Most claims are of a subjective nature. After the claim you set the stage for the claim by setting the grounds for the claim. This is the time when you quantify your argument. So you start with a general statement and then narrow focus of that statement. You then use warrants to show how your claim and your backing are actually connected. You can do this through using logic however, because logic does not guarantee a correct or valid argument, it is good to bring in studies and scientific research to help make your case. This is called backing. Finally, you look at your overall argument and you try to decide if it makes any sort of sense. If it fits together in a logical flow that other people can follow and understand.

Again, it must be admitted that communication and debate and persuasion cannot really be put into such a formulaic way but this is the start of debate. Eventually, people will question you and rebut your position and then you will have to adapt. But, if you are starting off with debate and you use this as a guide to formulate the way you express yourself, you will give yourself a strong foundation that will help and benefit you when you actually do get to debate someone.

Beginnings of Debate

For the next few weeks I will be blogging about debate. This is because I am teaching an argumentation and debate class at Troy University and I am doing this for the benefit of my students. I welcome comments on the blog both comments that disagree and comments that agree with anything on here. I also welcome any thoughts that may help with an issue that I have covered that needs clarification. The only thing I ask is that all comments are respectful.

In the textbook Argumentation and Debate: Critical Thinking for Reasoned Decision Making, debate is defined as the process of inquiry and advocacy; the seeking of a reasoned judgment on a proposition. This is usually done through the process of argumentation which is also defined in the text as reason giving in communicative situations by people whose purpose is the justification of acts, beliefs, attitudes, and values. With this is mind I will address why it is a good thing to debate.

First, I must address how we usually look at debate. Debate is normally seen as a win/lose scenario. This would not be a bad thing except for, when we learn how to debate, much is made about seeing the other side's point of view. If we start off with the premise that a debate must be win or lose then we start off looking at the "opposing" sides arguments as wrong. In the Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes often cautioned Watson against coming up with a conclusion before finding the evidence because then he would find evidence to fit the conclusion and rule out all other possibilities. In debate we caution against using fallacies of logic and yet, with our approach to a win/loss scenario it almost seems that we are encouraging the use of fallacious thinking in our approach to debate.

It is not that we must accept the point of view but, if we are to persuade people of our positions, we must know what they stand for as well. That way we can offer a comparative look between their position and ours. In a debate this comparison is called clash. To have a good debate we must have clash. That is two opposing ideas over the same subject must be brought forward so that we can see either side and make a clear decision as how to best proceed.

This decision is made easier through the use of logic and critical thinking. Using logic does not dictate that we will come to the right answer, merely the logical one. If we are in a debate or are watching one and want to make the best decision it is best to follow a logical path it can, however, help us to see if the proposition that is being posited by either side has any merit. If both propositions do hold up to logic it is then time to use critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, criticize, evaluate, and advocate ideas. This means that we break down those ideas being put forth in the debate and see how they may fit into our lives.

Finally, I will address the ethics of debate. Debate is an excellent way of decision making. It is most certainly preferable to some of the alternatives such as fighting or war. If debate is this important then it would hold that it we should approach debate in an ethical way. Ethical is defined in Argumentation and Debate as being in accordance with the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a profession or community. Some students in the class brought up the fact that since ethics can depend upon the society or the individual it is sometimes difficult to use this as a basis for debate.

While I do admit that not everyone's ethics are the same it is still important that there is a standard when debating. That standard may be how we are to conduct ourselves in a debate or we may decide on a particular standard that a profession such as lawyers or doctors or preachers are held to in order to help frame the debate. The reason that we do this is to make it easier to see how what we are debating will affect us in our own ethical standard. It does this because we can see the set of ethics that were used and compare those ethics to our own.

This is just the start to what argumentation and debate is. It is good to get some basics down before we go any further.

Freeley, A., & Steinberg, D. Argumentation and debate: Critical thinking for reasoned decision making. (13 ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.