Threads that start “Resolved:”, followed by a point of view on some matter, and an invitation to discuss it. To illustrate with a made-up example: “Resolved: The Beatles are overrated”. Woah, I know some people think that, but isn’t it at least open to debate?
I thought “resolved” meant “decided” or determined", not “offered up for discussion”. Prefixing one’s opinion with “resolved:” sounds rather arrogant. Is this some meaning of “resolved” that has passed me by?
Because people see the word “Debates” in the forum name, and that’s how the topics for traditional, formal debates are generally stated. I have no idea why they’re like that, and always thought it seemed as if the topic was foreclosing the debate.
Wikipedia has an article, but it’s not terribly helpful about the etymology.
When I was in the high school debate club, that was the style for all the debates. The proposition for debate began “Resolved: whatever whatever,” and you took the affirmative or negative side. It’s just a formal way of stating what the point up for debate is.
I know the Oxford Union debates are in this format. (The most famous was the 1933 resolution “Resolved:That this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country”)
OK, so it’s a US debating society thing. It makes little sense to me - if the matter were resolved, there would be no need to debate it. It’s like saying “Settled: 2 + 2 = 5”.
[edit, re later post] I thought Oxford Union debates took the more reasonable position “This house believes that…”?
“Proposed: that Mary Ann is hotter than Ginger.”
I always thought that the OP was being an asshole, and saying that he was right and everyone else wrong.
Ignorance fought.
Well, that could still be true. Just because someone uses that form, it doesn’t automatically follow that the know the origin and meaning.