INTRODUCTION TO ARGUMENTATION

AND DEBATE
Instructor : Celeonieme S. Labajo
Course : Argumentation and Debate
2 Intended learning outcomes
1. Explain what is argumentation and what is debate.
2. Distinguish argumentation from that of debate.
3. Explain argumentation and debate as an academic
endeavor.

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

3 Why do we argue and debate?
“With words, we govern man.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 What is argumentation?
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• 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 and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 What is argumentation?
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 Derived from the Latin word “

arguere” which means “to chide”
 It is the process of influencing the
belief of behavior of a listener
or reader, through spoken or
written speech, by supplying him
with reasons and stirring his
feelings.

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 What is argumentation?
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Receiver
Arguer “doxa” Influence
Act and do

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 What is argumentation?
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 It is a process of giving people “doxa” a Greek word which stands for

“reasoned opinion.”
 The reasoned opinion is not absolute in character.
 It is subject to corrigibility, falsifiability, rectifiability, testability, and rational
criticism.

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 Tests for “doxa”
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corrigibility

rationality falsifiabilty
‘doxa’

testability rectifiability

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 What is debate?
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 is generally defined as
a “formal direct oral
contest in
argumentation
between two or more
persons on a definite
proposition at a
definite time.”
Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM
 Debate vs Verbal wrangling
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 Formal discourse  No formalities

 Artistic argumentation  No trace of art is
 Orderly exchange of involved
opinions  Mere verbal tussle

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 Argumentation vs Debate
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 May not necessarily  Each side dispute

face each other face-to-face
 Include both oral and  Strictly oral contest
written  Requires a definite
 May or may not format/rules
require set of rules

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 Argumentation vs Debate
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“All debates are forms of

arguments, but not all forms of
arguments are debates.”

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 TWO APPROACHES
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Conviction Persuasion
 Appeal to reason  Appeal to emotion
 The phase whereby the  The phase whereby the
arguer directs his words disputant directs his
to the reasoning faculty words to the heart, the
of man. sentiments and emotions.
 To create belief and  To stir and influence the
intellectual agreement audience
Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM
 Conviction alone…
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 Is 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

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 Persuasion alone…
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 Is a pure behavioral impulse

 May result to a “blind following” scheme
 Instinct may not always be accurate
 Emotional appeal is fleeting and unreliable

Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 1. Argumentation and debate are fundamental
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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 Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM

 2. Argumentation and debate are universal
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 “All men are, by nature, gregarious” and “To be is to be

related.”
 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 Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM
 3. Argumentation and debate are
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indispensable
 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.
Argumentation and Ddebate | Salirick S. Andres | College of Arts 9/13/2019 9:20 PM