Debating Guide Part III
ARGUMENTS
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Once you have defined your motion – said what you want to do – you should give arguments in support of your case. If you are in opposition, you need to give arguments against the case that has been put forward. Arguments give reasons why the side you are on should win the debate. This means that there has to be a connection between the argument you are giving and the case you are arguing for.
Good arguments are:
relevant – your argument must be linked to your conclusion, not just to the general area of debate.
“Hunting should be banned because foxes are cute furry animals” – even if this is true, so what?
internally consistent – your argument must make logical sense.
“Women should be banned from employment in the army because they wouldn’t pass the entry tests” – if they won’t pass the tests then you don’t need to ban them because none of them will qualify anyway
consistent with your side’s other arguments – two arguments can make sense on their own while contradicting each other: be careful.
“We want to take action against the Taliban in Afghanistan in because [1] they have no respect for other religious groups and [2] Islamic fundamentalism is irrational and dangerous” – are these two positions compatible?
fully explained – if you have thought of an argument you should then explain it. It is not adequate to cite an argument without explaining how the argument works and how it supports your side of the debate. Simply stating, “The recent US Presidential election compromised fundamental principles of democracy” is inadequate – which fundamental principles of democracy did it compromise, and how?
properly justified – any part of your argument which is controversial has to be argued for, otherwise it will be an easy target for the other side: take your argument as far as it needs to go to be convincing. “We want to ban abortion because the foetus is a human being” – many people believe this, but it is controversial and is not recognised in law. You need to argue for it before you use it as the basis of an argument.
All of these things combine to make an argument persuasive – above all else debating is about convincing other people that what you are saying is right. Arguments should be appealing and compelling.
