LD Talks
Biblical Philosophy and Debate - All debaters need to understand the philosophical aspects that guide our debates. In this session we will explore the moral philosophies of Consequentialism and Deontology, as well as Social Contract theory.
The Biblical Role of Government – God set up five different types of government for us. Each has a leader, a task, and a tool for discipline. Understanding these jurisdictions will go a long way to helping you understand how to do academic debate more effectively. Not only will you be able to write stronger cases, and be able to anticipate the negative strategy, but this will carry into your everyday life by gaining understanding why there are so many crises in every sector of society, and what needs done to begin the process of restoration.
Understanding The Constitution – This document is the foundation of our federal government and is overtly or covertly present at every debate round. If knowledge is power, gaining more understanding of what our government is supposed to do as opposed to what they are doing will strengthen your AFF case as well as your NEG strategy. This can also satisfy the school requirement for Constitutional Study. Come and discover some of the genius of this founding document.
Intro to Lincoln-Douglas Debate - Why even do debate? Will it apply to any other parts of life? Debate is all about what is called "Civil Discourse" in which ideas are shared and discussed in a clear and respectful way. In today's society, there is a critical need for good civil discourse. This talk digs into this and more including resolution analysis and argumentation.
LD Case Structure - This talk takes a "flyover" of LD to see all of the parts and how they fit together from a birds-eye view. It is good to see the whole before we examine the individual parts.
LD Framework - The framework of LD is the heart of the debate. What is a value? What is a criterion? How do you choose them? How do they fit together? If you get the framework wrong, you will have a much harder time defending your side of the resolution.
LD Definitions and Resolution Analysis - These concepts set up how you will approach the debate. What are your burdens, what do you think your opponents burdens are will direct your overall argumentation. You need to choose carefully.
LD Contentions - Now that you have your rez analysis, definitions, and framework, you are prepared to defend your side with argumentation. The Contentions are the main arguments for your side of the round. We will explore how to set these up, and how to impact the judge.
LD Moral Philosophy - There are essentially two ways to approach your case in terms of moral philosophy, Consequentialism and Deontology. Knowing your approach as well as your opponent's is key for how you set up your case and respond to your opponent.
LD Political Philosophy - The idea of Social Contract shows up in most LD debates. There are three main philosophers who postulated their ideas of social contract. When writing your cases, it helps to stay consistent when you understand these philosophies. Both moral and political.
LD Cross Examination - Debates are many times won or lost in Cross-Ex. This is one of the most difficult aspects of debate and usually the last one mastered. There are ways and approaches to Cross-Ex that will enable your ability to get admissions you can use in your next speech.
LD Refutation - A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. LD refutation should take this approach. Find your opponent's weakest links and capitalize on them. This should also help you in strengthening your case and responding to attacks on your case.
LD Logic and Fallacies - One weak link can occur in identifying faulty logic in terms of fallacies. We will examine the most common fallacies in debate and how to form impactful arguments.
LD Resolution Brainstorming - In this session we will examine the current year's resolution and go through all the analysis points, philosophies, etc. to get a good idea of how to form the framework and arguments. This will lead into the research and writing of 1 to 2 Aff and Neg cases.
LD Research and Writing - The students will divide into groups and research and write Aff and Neg cases. We will also discuss ethical evidence standards.
LD Flowing - Flowing is the ability to take good notes so you can recall the arguments of your opponent and pre-flow your responses. If you are weak in this area, you will have a much harder time staying organized and responding to your opponent. This in turn makes it much harder to succeed in winning rounds.