Debate is a process in which speakers express opposing points of view on issues or propositions. Public debates take many forms, including candidate debates and academic symposia. While there are descriptive empirical studies of these debates, normative scholarly analyses are rarer. Those who organize these events often claim that they provide deliberative, epistemic or political benefits.
This article looks at the nature of these benefits and the way in which they vary for different participants. For example, students in a high school debate class might participate for the purpose of improving their speaking skills or to boost their confidence level. Students participating in a competitive tournament might engage in debate for the purpose of enhancing their academic performance and/or career prospects. Others might take part in these activities because they believe that they can perform a societal service by promoting debate as a way to learn the facts and find out what other people think about an issue.
The goal of debate is to convince audiences to support the speaker’s argument or side of the story. This is usually achieved by providing a mix of evidence and emotions, articulating new views and making the audience feel that they have a better understanding of a complex topic. Typically debates take the form of a 2 versus 2 format where one team defends a “resolution” while the other attacks it. The resolutions are pre-set by debate organizers and can cover a variety of ethical, international, economic or domestic issues.