What is a debate?

Great Debates
#1

Well gosh, let me see. According to some of the more obtuse posters, a debate is when anyone posts something and then he sites why it is true. LOL

OK, for those of you that seem not to understand, a debate is means, to offer opposing points of view and yes, it even means someone can say something different and if others want to join the debate, they offer an opposing point of view and hey, they can even offer someone elses thinking, such as that from another web site, IE: someone elses thinking, because that poster is not smart enough or has not had enough lived experiences to use their own arguements.

I know this is going to be hard for some of you to understand, but if one person presents a subject and his thoughts on that subject, that if you want to get into that debate, it is up to you, to either offer common sense and the intelligence of your own mind, along with your lived experiences, or call on someone elses site to argue for you. If the origional poster is made to prove his own points, THAT ISD CALLED A LESSON.

#2

Um, cite?

:wink:

Seriously, where did YOU learn how to debate?

#3

No it isn’t.

:smiley:

#4

Good prediction. I have absolutely no idea what your thesis is.

Are you defending wholesale quotes from other sites as a substitute for cogent argument?

Are you defending incoherency by example?

Perhaps your posts arises from a misunderstanding of the burden of proof – the idea that the proponent of a proposition bears the burden of proof for his proposition, and extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.

Or perhaps it’s something else. I truly have no idea.

#5

You’re correct…a debate is an exchange of points of view. However, the purpose of a debate is to persuade either your opponent or the audience that your point of view is more correct than your opponent’s. In order to do that, it’s best not just to make “bald assertions”, which are statements unsupported by evidence. If you make a statement that is controversial, you need to support it, usually with facts that are generally accepted. If you can’t do that, people won’t respect the argument you’re making.

Another tactic of debate, in addition to making a strong argument, is weakening your opponent’s arguments. So, if your opponent is making a bald assertion, or an unwarrented logical leap, you can say, “Hold on. I don’t think you’re correct there, and here’s why. Do you have any evidence for what you’re saying?” If you can’t give that evidence, your argument will look foolish in front of your audience.

Being able to support the argument you’re making is therefore vital to debate, because debate is a form of persuasion, and people are more easily persuaded if they believe that you know what you’re talking about and can follow your argument.

#6

Have you ever participated in a formal debate? It doesn’t look like it. In a formal debate, you can just bring your personal opinions, but you will wind up losing. You need a coherent argument backed up by accepted sources. Looks to me that you have neither.

There are a few Dopers who I’d believe without cites, due to a long history and demonstration of knowledge in a field. You aren’t exactly in that class. But you have accomplished something here. You have made people who can’t agree what 2+2 is agree that your statements are unsupported. Congrats.

#7

A debate is a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal.

LOL :slight_smile:

#8

To your first question, even though I am upset by such and did complain about it, debate is about one side saying something and the other trying to prove the first wrong. In rare cases, another person debating the first may actually give credit to the first, but that is rare and mainly, because so many people are petty, ignorant and some just like to be a pain, because they are lonely.

As to your second line, maybe you would care to bring up a subject we both agree on to debate and see, or are you afraid to do other than talk?

As to your third line, you must enjoy confusing yourself about the realities of debate, but that is exactly how your words portray you.

As to you not having and idea, I’ll go along with that. LOL

#9

However, if you merely wish to state your own personal opinion, no matter how strongly felt, and you wish not to provide cites to support it, again, no matter how strongly you feel about it, you can express that opinion in the forum, In My Humble Opinion. If you opinion is about something pretty darn silly, you may also state it in MPSIMS. If, on the other hand, your opinion is about the actions of one of the moderators or involves cuss words, it should go in The Pit.

But not in GQ, unless you are ready and able to defend your opinion with third-party sources we can review.

#10

urr… meant “But not in GD…”

#11

Well, you probably wouldn’t want to put it in GQ either.

#12

Boy Scout11-please go and read Captain Amazing’s excellent post about what a debate is and is not.
And once again, it is NOT for the opponent to prove the original premise wrong, but for the person making that argument to provide support for why it is right.

#13

… actually, that’s pretty close to what he’s saying a debate is. Post a statement as a question in GQ, then people will provide yes/no, proof/disproof of it.

ex. “Are soldiers exposed to the aftereffects of depleted uranium ammo/armor at serious risk for their health?”

#14

From The Argument Sketch:

#15

Boy Scout11

[Administrator Hat ON]

Enough. I gave you another chance, but you insist on calling your fellow posters here “obtuse” AFTER a very dire warning. You are banned.

[Administrator Hat OFF]

#16

Gaudere, will you marry me?