Fundamentals
Principles, acts, customs, and qualities regarded as desirable by individuals or groups
values
The direct or indirect opposition of arguments in a debate.
clash
The overall benefits
net benefits
The way things are at the current moment in time
status quo
an argument that assumes an insignificant action will lead to a chain reaction of undesirable events.
slippery slope
The arguments in a formal debate that are used to decide the ultimate outcome of the debate.
voting issues
The responsibility of the person, upon introducing an argument, to provide sufficient reasoning and detail for the argument that the opponent is obliged to take the issue into consideration.
burden of proof
The thing or reason why someone is not doing something about a plan right now; the cause of a problem’s existence.
inherency
A mistaken inference or an erroneous conclusion based on faulty reasoning.
fallacy
misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack
strawman
the consequence of an idea that is presented in a debate.
impacts
An argument that reverses the position of an opponent.
turn
A term used to describe the process that allows debate of a proposed plan as if it were already adopted
fiat
Any of a variety of consequentialist views that claim to maximize good or minimize evil.
utilitarianism
rejecting a claim by criticizing the person who makes it rather than the claim itself
appeal to the person (ad hominem)
A comparative analysis of all the issues in a debate; an evaluation of their relative probability and impact conducted in order to determine which are most important, and thus, who wins.
weighing
The claim that any benefit or cost is relevant to the advocacy of one side of a debate and can be used to decide favorably for that side or unfavorably against the other side
An argument for evaluating the legitimacy of a counterplan in formal debate. The presence of the counterplan should force a choice for the decision maker between the policies advocated by the affirmative plan and the counterplan.
competitiveness
how the resolution is intended to be interpreted
framer's intent
the deliberate raising of an irrelevant issue during an argument
red herring
Literally, “on its face,” the responsibility of the advocate of a debate resolution to offer a proof for the proposition in the opening presentation, such that an opponent is obliged to answer the major elements of the case proper.
prima facie
A causal relationship. In formal debates, the relationship of one’s argument to the opponent’s position and the internal chain of reasoning in a complex argument. More specifically, how disadvantages or advantages apply to a proposition team’s case, bridging the gap between the uniqueness and the impacts.
link
a type of argument used by proposition teams to illustrate the noncompetitiveness of counterplans. In such a case, the counterplan does not provide a reason to reject the proposition team’s plan.
permutation
The view that duty is a primary moral notion and that at least some of our duties do not depend on any value that may result in fulfilling them. In some circumstances, the justification of duties is an appeal to absolute rule.
deontology
the use of a word in two different senses in an argument; can also mean the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself
equivocation