Lincoln Douglas Talks and Descriptions
The following are all of the LD talks. Most will take up a whole class time, however, some can be done back to back in one session. Class order subject to change. There may also be an addition to the list later on.
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.
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.
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 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.
Stakeholder PERMS and Why Chains
Many debaters have difficulty digging deeper into their own case as well as their opponent's to find strengths and weaknesses. Using these tools will go a long way to assist in the digging. It will apply to all aspects of research, and the debate round.
LD Resolution Brainstorming -Using all that we have learned so far, and applying Stakeholder PERMS and Why Chains, we will look into how this applies to your research and writing of Aff and Neg cases, as well as how you can determine what clashes to expect in the round and how to handle them.
Rhetoric - The art of persuasion comes in the form of Ethos (credibility), Logos (logic), and Pathos (passion). Debaters need to have a healthy portion of each of these to truly get the judges on their side. This talk will discuss what these are and ways to improve in each area.