Building Powerful Arguments

1. Building Powerful Arguments MUICDC

2. Content • Storming your thoughts and making sense of it (B.R.A.I.N.) • Presenting a good argument • Structure • Substantiation: Analogies, Examples, Case Studies • Strategic use of language • Negation

3. Crazy motions and your emptyBRAIN Beat the Bushes Rearrange Analyze Intuit Negate

4. 1.1 Beat the Bushes • Give up your values and go crazy • Think of times where half the motion is true • Write everything that comes to your head down • It does not always have to support your side of the argument • There is no such thing as a wrong thought • Cases / examples that prove your side • Basic things like: it saves money, its sad for the mother, etc… THW legalize incestuous relationships Some times the motion asks you to talk about things that you really get the point why you have to Debate. Its because you are thought to think of beliefs as if they were facts! The other side of the coin is the beauty of debate!

5. 1.1 Beat the Bushes • Give up your values and go crazy • Think of times where half the motion is true • Write everything that comes to your head down • It does not always have to support your side of the argument • There is no such thing as a wrong thought • Cases / examples that prove your side • Basic things like: it saves money, its sad for the mother, etc… THW legalize incestuous relationships • Which half of the motion is always true? • THW legalize relationships is always true • 1.1 Under which cases are relationships acceptable a) When all parties in relationship agree to be in it without being forced to do so • b) When they are in love • c) When they trust their partners • d) • e) • f) • 1.2 Under which cases are relationships unacceptable • a) Arranged marriages • b) When teachers date students • c) HIV patients dating healthy citizens • d) When kids date adults • e) • f ) • g)

6. 1.2 Re-arrange your thoughts 1.1 Beat the Bushes • Give up your values and go crazy • Think of times where half the motion is true • Write everything that comes to your head down • It does not always have to support your side of the argument • There is no such thing as a wrong thought • Cases / examples that prove your side • Basic things like: it saves money, its sad for the mother, etc… THW legalize incestuous relationships

7. 1.2 Re-arrange your thoughts 1.1 Beat the Bushes • Give up your values and go crazy • Think of times where half the motion is true • Write everything that comes to your head down • It does not always have to support your side of the argument • There is no such thing as a wrong thought • Cases / examples that prove your side • Basic things like: it saves money, its sad for the mother, etc… THW legalize incestuous relationships • What if the brother and sister are like Rome and Juliet • How can a daughter marry her father? • What if one person is too young to know love? • They obviously know each other a lot before they decide to date • Why should governments decide what is gross • Is it really gross? Many brothers and sisters are best friends • Indians do it traditionally • Second cousins can marry • What if they grew up without knowing that they are siblings • They are comfortable with each other and already loves each other a lot, why should government say no? • They will have defected babies • Oh my god, its so, so, so, weird, ewww… • What if they have a fight? Is the family ruined • It happens already without us knowing • Its their own right to decide • It does not hurt anyone else • Maybe father can force daughter to marry him (he feeds her food) • It creates a lot more problems inside the house • Maybe the house becomes happier • Happy people make money

8. 1.2 Rearrange your thoughts • Look for key words in the sentences to group them • Separate them by themes / ideas / different actors THW legalize incestuous relationships Group it by yourself!

9. 1.2 Rearrange your thoughts • Look for key words in the sentences to group them • Separate them by themes / ideas / different actors THW legalize incestuous relationships • When all parties in relationship agree to be in it without being forced to do so • What if the brother and sister are like Rome and Juliet • It happens already without us knowing • If they are comfortable with each other and already loves each other a lot • Second cousins can marry • It does not hurt anyone else Group the rest of it by yourself!

10. 1.3 Analyze underlying principles • So what we are basically saying is…….. • The principle is general enough such that all ideas you group together fit into it • Its gives a theory why all the case studies in the group of thoughts will always be the case THW legalize incestuous relationships • When all parties in relationship agree to be in it without being forced to do so • What if the brother and sister are like Rome and Juliet • It happens already without us knowing • If they are comfortable with each other and already loves each other a lot • Second cousins can marry • It does not hurt anyone else • They will be happier if the government does not say anything about it People should be kept happy at all cases possible Its Their RIGHT!

11. 1.4 Intuit negations • Usually the job of the whip speaker during preparation time • Brainstorm on why half the motion is false • Basically what the opposition has to say THW legalize incestuous relationships • What is left of a family? • If a brother says I love you to a sister, what does that mean?

12. 1.5 Negate the negations • Find reasons why a negation can be used for your benefit • Preemptively attack the argument • Analyze why the negative argument is not exclusive to your case • Compare it to the values that you stand for, to demonstrate superior value (your case is better

13. 2. Presenting a good argument • Structure • Substantiation: Examples, Analogies, Case studies • Strategic use of language

14. 2. Presenting a good argument • Structure • Substantiation: Examples, Analogies, Case studies • Strategic use of language Structure • 3 main elements to an argument • Principle • Substantiation • Flip side of the coin • A 5 step break down • State the principle • Analyze the actors (characterization) • Substantiate • 2 sides of the coin • Link back to the motion

15. 2. Presenting a good argument • Structure • Substantiation: Examples, Analogies, Case studies • Strategic use of language Characterization • How do you know that something is true? • I believe its true • I'm justified to believe that it is true • Therefore, it is justified to know what I believe is true. • So why is your mamma not a bitch?

16. 2. Presenting a good argument • Structure • Substantiation: Examples, Analogies, Case studies • Strategic use of language Substantiation Examples: Best used to explain factual evidence to support your side of the motion. This can by no means be the basis of opening an argument. Case Studies This is best used at the end of the whole argument to demonstrate to the audience, how your argument may wok in real life, in relevance to all arguments. Analogies Many times when you explain why the other side will be wrong in how they negate your argument, you might find it easiest to simply show how the rebuttal applies in their case too.

17. 3.Negation Components of a rebuttal Cannot do it Should not do it Even if you should do it, it cant make anything better Not ALL terrorist women stay home!

18. 3.Negation • Cannot • Should not • Even if you can do it … Cannot do it • When • What • Where • Why • Who • Efficiency • Feasibility • Economic aspect

19. 3.Negation • Cannot • Should not • Even if you can do it … Should not do it • Dire need • Justification • Morality • Political support • Political aspect

20. 3.Negation • Cannot • Should not • Even if you can do it … Even if you can… • Cost benefit analysis • Comparative morality (relativity) • Comparatives