ARGUMENTATION & DEBATE

Prof. Jojo Abad, MPA

INTRODUCTION
Argumentation is often defined as the study of practical
reasoning—the process of justifying decisions, in the presence
of opposition, made under conditions of uncertainty (usually
lack of complete information and conflicting values)

Debate is an academic and political tool for helping audiences

understand differences between competing factual, legal,
value, and policy positions. It has taken various forms since
Protagoras the Sophist invented it in the 5th century BCE, but
it remains an essential tool both of Western—especially Anglo-
American law—and of democracy.
Decision Making and Critical Thinking
• Decision making is a thoughtful process of choosing
among a variety of options for acting or thinking. It requires
that the decider make a choice. Life demands decision
making. Every profession requires effective and ethical
decision making, as do our school, community, and social
organizations.

• The ability of every decision maker to make good,

reasoned, and ethical decisions relies heavily upon their
ability to think critically. Critical thinking enables one to
break argumentation down to its component parts in order
to evaluate its relative validity and strength. Critical thinkers
are better users of information, as well as better advocates.
Critical Thinking

• Critical Thinking is designed to achieve an understanding of the

relationship of language to logic, which would lead to the ability to
analyze, criticize, and advocate ideas, to reason inductively and
deductively, and to reach factual or judgmental conclusions
based on sound inferences drawn from unambiguous statements
of knowledge or belief.

• The minimal competence to be expected at the successful

conclusion of instruction in critical thinking should be the ability to
distinguish fact from judgment, belief from knowledge, and skills
in elementary inductive and deductive processes, including an
understanding of the formal and informal fallacies of language
and thought.
Critical Thinking

Michael Scriven and Richard Paul for the National Council for Excellence in
Critical Thinking Instruction argued that the effective critical thinker:

• raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and

precisely;
• gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to
interpret it effectively; comes to well-reasoned conclusions and
solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
• thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing
and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and
practical consequences; and
• communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex
problems.
 Critical Thinking

• Life demands decision making

• The ability to make reasoned decisions relies on critical
thinking
• Critical thinking enables analysis and evaluation of arguments
• Critical thinking improves the use of information as well as
advocacy
• Teaching and learning critical thinking are important roles of
education
• Debate teaches critical thinking
Argumentation

• Argumentation is generally defined as the “art of

influencing others, through the medium of reasoned
discourse, to believe or act as we wish them to
believe or act.”

• Argumentation is reason giving in communicative

situations by people whose purpose is the
justification of acts, beliefs, attitudes, and values—a
definition based on language adopted at the
National Developmental Conference on Forensics.
Argumentation

• According to British philosopher Stephen

Toulmin…- argumentation’s justifying activity is
having good reasons.

• Good Reasons. Reasons that are psychologically

compelling for a given audience, that make further
inquiry both unnecessary and redundant—hence
justifying a decision to affirm or reject a proposition.
Good Reasons

• Argumentation relies on good reasons

• Good reasons are audience-based justifications for
or against propositions
• Good reasons differ by audience and are therefore,
impacted by culture
• Argumentation guides decision making
Debate
• Debate is the process of inquiry and advocacy, a
way of arriving at a reasoned judgment on a
proposition. Individuals may use debate to reach a
decision in their own minds; alternatively,
individuals or groups may use it to bring others
around to their way of thinking.

• Debate provides reasoned arguments for and

against a proposition. It requires two competitive
sides engaging in a bipolar clash of support for and
against that proposition.
Debate

• Debate is generally defined as a “formal

direct oral contest in argumentation between
two or more persons on a definite proposition
at a definite time.”
 “All debates are forms
of arguments, but not all
forms of arguments are
debates.”
Argumentation Debate

• May not necessarily • Each side dispute

face each other face to face

• Include both oral • Strictly oral contest

and written
• Requires a definite
• May or may not format or rules.
require set of rules
In order to win in an argumentation and debate, one
must always remember that argumentation and
debate is a serious enterprise involving the extensive
use of logical and critical thinking skills. One must
research and prepare a set of well-thought of
arguments and counter-arguments for possible
opponent’s counter-arguments. Above all, one must
always bear in mind the two approaches in
argumentation and debate.
Two Approaches in Argumentation
and Debate
Conviction vs. Persuasion
Persuasion is defined as communication intended to influence
the acts, beliefs, attitudes, and values of others. Clearly, one
method of persuasion is debate.

Persuasion is not, however, limited to seeking carefully

reasoned judgments, as is debate, nor does persuasion
require logical arguments both for and against a given
proposition.

Conviction is a strong belief or opinion.

 Conviction Persuasion

• Appeal to reason. • Appeal to emotion

• The phase whereby the • The phase whereby the

arguer directs his words to disputant directs his words
the reasoning faculty of to the heart, the sentiments
man. and emotions.

• To create belief and • To stir and influence the

intellectual agreement. audience
Both approaches are critical and equally
important to perform excellently in an
argumentation and debate. One may proceed
after the other, but must not subsume the
other. They should go hand in hand and not to
be separated.
Conviction alone
• Merely a state of mind;
• Not sufficient to promote human progress;
• Contentions may be true but lacks depth and
believability;
• May not stir the audience to believe in his course of
belief.
Persuasion alone
• Your arguments may just be pure behavioral
impulse;
• May result to a “blind following” scheme;
• Instinct may not always be accurate;
• Emotional appeal is fleeting and unreliable
Role of Argumentation and
Debate in Human Relations
• Argumentation and debate are fundamental skills you
need. Men are in constant state of flux in searching for
fundamental questions affecting his existence. It is innate in
man’s nature to search for the truth.

• Argumentation and debate are universal. “All men are, by

nature, gregarious” (Aristotle) and “To be is to be related.”
(Berkeley). Because of relations, one creates beliefs and
attitudes. These beliefs and attitudes that create action,
urging them to move, act and do. Attitude and beliefs are
created, influenced and swayed through argumentation and
debate, hence, argumentation and debate is of extreme
importance to men.
• Argumentation and debate are your
indispensable tools to succeed. Argumentation
and debate is both an art and science which
aspires for mutual understanding and beneficial
relationships. Argumentation and debate enables
man to rise above all the other forms of animals
because it develops his highest faculty; the intellect
and the emotion. It makes a person well-rounded,
armed with conviction and persuasive power.