Debates
One of our course objectives is to develop a "facility in logical
argumentation." Furthermore, upon successful completion of this course,
you should be able to "construct arguments in support of a position, including
responses to objections." Debates will serve two purposes:
- Debates will introduce you to the proper construction of
arguments. In this sense, debates are an excellent and manageable way
for you to practice this skill before you work on your longer issue paper
argument in the second half of term.
- Debates will give you the opportunity to present your classmates
with course material in a challenging, textbook-free, active, and hopefully
fun way; and in return, your classmates will do the same for you!
The
Task
Topics and Positions:
We will have debates on four topics:
- Euthanasia
- Economic Equity
- Capital Punishment
- Civil Disobedience
These are the same topics we discussed in week 1. You have all been
assigned to a debate "team" which you can view in the "study groups" section.
Each team has been assigned one of the four topics and a position on the
topic (for example, for civil
disobedience or against
euthanasia). I have tried to place you in groups according to the subject
you discussed in week 1.
Option to work in groups or individually:
Some students enjoy group work, and others abhor it. Group work can inspire
interesting, cooperative dialogue, or it can be a frustrating experience
in which people become resentful if their team members do not do their
share of the work. With this in mind, you have the option to do this assignment
in your group or individually. Due dates are nonnegotiable since the pace
of this class is fast and our debate topics compliment the weekly ethical
theory lessons. If you decide to work with your group, contact your partners
as soon as possible (most definitely this week) to arrive at a workable
plan to complete your task on time.
The debate document:
Each student, or group if preferred, will prepare a 2 page document including
bibliography which will present an argument for their assigned position.
This document will include the 3 most important sections from the structure
of a classic argument (you can view this structure again at http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/writinggde/chapter8/chapter8-08.shtml).
These 3 sections are Proposition, Refutation, and Substantiation and Proof.
Your proposition should be written in a complete and grammatically correct
sentence, however you may write your refutation and substantiation sections
in bulleted or numbered format. I expect you to use at least 4 reliable and
high quality resources for this project and to include them in a bibliography.
In particular, you are encouraged to use the resources listed in the course
webliography and the UMUC library databases such as Academic Search Premier,
Project Muse, JSTOR, and Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. You can view
a sample debate document here.
Each debate document should be posted in class as a main topic in this
conference no later than Tuesday of your assigned debate week so that there
will be an opportunity for objections, answers to the objections and general
discussion. The main topic heading should state the your group's name and
position (for example, "Group Leibniz: For Euthanasia" or "Team Spinoza:
Against Capital Punishment"). All groups (particularly Team Leibniz and
Team Locke who go first) should aim to finish their document according to
the weekly break-down below so that the debates can begin in a timely manner.
This means that it's important to start as soon as possible!
The Method
Here is an appropriate weekly break-down of the assignment:
Week 1
- if you are working in a group, decide how to divide the labor
in your group (how much will each team member be expected to contribute?
who will edit? who will have the responsibility of posting your document
in the debates conference? who will assemble the bibliography? etc...)
- start with an outline for your document with the 3 headings:
Proposition, Refutations, and Substantiation and Proof
- gather ideas/ brainstorm on your topic
Week 2
- continue to gather ideas
- fit your developing argument into your outline
Week 3
- write a draft of your document
Week 4
- revise your draft
- complete your bibliography
For those of you who have decided to work in a group, more tips can
be found in the course content section under "Tips for Collaborative Writing."
This is an article by Cynthia Whitesel. You do not need to follow it word
for word, however you may find some ideas in this article which may aid
your team's progress on this assignment. The first half of the article
discusses "peer reviewing;" you can skip this and scroll down until you
see the heading "collaborative writing."
The Dates (specific
dates announced in class)
Debate Week 1
Euthanasia debate
Team Leibniz and Team Locke
Team Leibniz: For Euthanasia
Team Locke: Against Euthanasia
Debate Week 2
Economic Equity
debate
Team Heidegger and Team Hegel
Team Heidegger: For Economic Equity
Team Hegel: Against Economic Equity
Debate Week 3
Capital Punishment
debate
Team Sartre and Team Spinoza
Team Sartre: For Capital Punishment
Team Spinoza: Against Capital Punishment
Debate Week 4
Civil Disobedience debate
Team Derrida and Team Descartes
Team Derrida: For Civil Disobedience
Team Descartes: Against Civil Disobedience