Debating Guide Part V
REBUTTAL
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Rebuttal is your response to claims and arguments made by the other side – a way of showing that the other side is wrong in what they are saying, independent of the substantive arguments you want to make to prove that your side is right. A good way of distinguishing between rebuttal and argument is to say that rebuttal is destructive, while arguments are constructive. In other words, good rebuttal is enough to suggest that the other side should lose, but is not yet enough to show that you deserve to win.
Your opponents’ arguments may be vulnerable to rebuttal through being:
untrue
“Britain’s exit from the ERM contributed to the fall of Margaret Thatcher.”
deny the claim being made, but try to justify your denial – simple contradiction will not help you, even if you’re right
Rebuttal: “But Britain didn’t leave the ERM until 1992, two years after Thatcher's resignation.”
based on a flawed analysis of facts or statistics
“Labour overwhelmingly won the 2001 election, giving them a clear mandate to use the private sector in improving public services.”
explain why the facts the other side is using do not lead to the conclusion they want Rebuttal:
“But Labour only won 42% of the vote, representing less than 25% of the total electorate – their mandate is not convincing at all.”
reliant on misleading examples
“We should enforce sanctions on Iraq because sanctions helped to remove apartheid in South Africa.”
show why the example they are using doesn’t back up the other side’s case
Rebuttal: “But those sanctions were supported by South Africa’s black majority – most Iraqis oppose sanctions.”
based on a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of your side’s arguments
“If we allow euthanasia, doctors will encourage people with minor illnesses to kill themselves just to save money.”
restate your side’s arguments clearly and simply, showing why the opposition is wrong Rebuttal:
“Our definition included safeguards to ensure that euthanasia would only be allowed in the case of incurable terminal illness.”
Structure
It is a good idea to place rebuttal at the beginning of a speech, before the constructive arguments. This means that the speech’s basic structure is:
“This is what the other side said, and this is why they’re wrong” – rebuttal
“Now here are some additional reasons to support our side” – arguments
