Demystifying Debate

Outline of Discussion
• What is Debate?
• Debate vs. Argumentation
• Origins of Debate
• Goal of Debate
• Elements of Debate
• Nature of Debate
• Benefits of Debate to a Person
 What is Debate?
• Debate – a formal, direct, oral contest in
argumentation between two or more teams
on a definite issues at a set time.
• rhetorike – the art of argumentation
 Debate vs. Argumentation
• Argumentation – the art of influencing others
through the medium of reasoned discourse, to
believe or to act as we wish them to act.
 Origins of Debate
• Protagoras of Abdera (481 -411 BC) “Father of
Debate”
• Greek and Roman trained pupils in dialectic
(debate by question and answer)
• Dialectic – foremost of the 7 liberal arts
• Latin was the language of debate during the
Classical and Medieval Ages.
 Origins of Debate
• Cambridge vs. Oxford (1400s) 1st recorded
intercollegiate argumentative contest.
• Oxford Union Society, Oxford University is the
oldest and most prestigious debate society in
the world.
• The 1892 Harvard-Yale match, began the
intercollegiate debating in the U.S.
• 1977 World Universities Debating
Championships was held.
 Origins of Debate
• Debate in the Philippines
– Balagtasan
– American teachers brought debate to Philippine
shores known as the Oregon-Oxford Format.
– 1950s-1960s “The Golden Age of Intercollegiate
Debating in the Philippines”
– 1928, UP sent a 4-man debate team to tour US
universities and argue for Philippine
independence.
 Origins of Debate
• Debate in the Philippines
– 1962 the National Collegiate Forensic League
(NCFL) was formed.
– Martial Law in 1972 curtailed the proliferation of
intercollegiate debates.
– 1986 NCFL was reborn into the National Collegiate
Debate League.
 Goal of Debate

“the only noble excuse for debate is the search

for the truth, the truth to move ourselves and
our society”

-Claro M. Recto
 Elements of Debate
• Confrontation
• Equal and adequate time
• Matched contestants
• Stated proposition
• Decision
 Nature of Debate
• As a means for change
• As an advocacy platform
• As an educational tool
 Benefits of Debate to a Person
• Education for active and responsible
participation in democracy.
• Assurance for more efficiency in profession.
• Strengthen self-confidence.
• Defense against “bad” propaganda.
• Wider influence on social movements.
 Skills Developed as a Debater
• Leadership Skills
• Analysis
• Critical Thinking
• Open-Mindedness
• Thinking on Your Feet
• Organization
• Listening
• Self-Confidence
• Team-work and Cooperation
 Formats of Debate
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format
• Oxford-Oregon Debate Format/ Cross
Examination Format
• Parliamentary Debate Format
– British Parliamentary Format
– American Parliamentary Format
– Austral-asians Format
– All Asians Format
The End…

… for now.