Argumentation and debate: Reasoned decision making

by Austin J. Freeley

Book by Freeley, Austin J

Genres: Textbooks, Nonfiction

410 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Barack Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

413-Argumentation and debate-Austin Freeley-Debate-1989

Barack
2022/04/09

Argumentation and debate, first published in 1989. Its comprehensive introduction to the principles and practices of debate and debate uses clear, concise, and engaging presentations that make even complex material easy to understand. It emphasizes critical thinking, rational decision-making, and advocacy skills.

Austin Freeley, born in 1922 in Boston, MA, died in 2005. He is a former communications professor at John Carroll University, credited with helping establish the practice of televising U.S. presidential debates. Studied at Boston University, Northwestern University.

In the late 1950s, with the growing popularity of television, Freeley established a committee for presidential debates. The group urged the televised political debate, which culminated in the first broadcast between then-Vice President Richard M. Nixon and U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Critical Thinking
Chapter 2 Applied and Academic Debate
Chapter 3 Stating the Controversy
Chapter 4 Analyzing the Controversy
Chapter 5 Exploring the Controversy
Chapter 6 Evidence
Chapter 7 Tests of Evidence
Chapter 8 The Structure of Reasoning
Chapter 9 Types of Reasoning
Chapter 10 Obstacles to Clear Thinking

My attitude towards "debate" has gone through a process of change. When I first started, I thought that debate was very engaging and could exercise people's eloquence. Later, I discussed that the debate was "smart and eloquent" because the debate requires the debater to be able to speak rightly and to speak in the opposite direction. He has no position at all, and he debates for the sake of the debate, not for the position he believes in. Now, I think that debate can exercise people's logical thinking ability, which should be regarded as a basic ability and must be actively learned.

It is often difficult for us to choose the environment, but it can determine how we react to various situations. Different people's different reactions lead to different life trajectories. And how we act depends on our mindset.

Sometimes, our decisions are only made by ourselves, so the different voices in our hearts will debate each other, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. This process may not be expressed, but only exists in our hearts. Sometimes, our decision needs the support of the group, then at this time we also need to convince them to achieve our goals, which needs to take an explicit way, through written or oral means to convince others of our arguments, accept our argument, and ultimately take the decision or action we want.

The information age has brought people more rights of expression and access to information. But on the other hand, it also makes it perhaps more difficult for us to discern which information is more true. "Information explosion" actually makes us mistakenly think that we are more discerning between right and wrong than in the past, but we are not. It makes us actually need to learn to judge and analyze information autonomously more than we may have in the past. And by taking the initiative to understand the real situation behind the information.

Critical thinking actually means that when we think about problems, we need to be more comprehensive and prudent. Sometimes, the first intuitive response is not necessarily the correct response. We verify the source of the information. When receiving information, we need to analyze whether the information is correct. After determining the confidence level of the information, we also need to determine how to use the information.

For the question "Which is more important between choice and effort?" I sometimes feel like a deliberate trap, because in fact, "choice" and "effort" are both necessary elements of success. Just like, if we want to get from the starting point to the ending point, we need to know the direction of the ending point, and also need to travel a long distance from the starting point to the ending point. Why do we have to argue?

Our lives are made up of decisions that guide us. For my part, when I'm confused about what to choose, I tend to write down the different strategies, along with their pros and cons. Comparisons are made by comparing them on paper. Considering that we have often made similar decisions in the past, or may make similar decisions in the future, it is also beneficial to summarize the gains and losses in writing after the event is over.

Argumentation can exercise people's logical thinking, but we should be wary of being confused with "raise the bar", especially in informal situations in life, we may have the risk of developing into "habitual refutation". You should always remind yourself what the occasion is now, if it is an informal occasion, then prove your point of view is correct, in fact, there is no actual benefit, keep silent, or acquiesce to the point of view that you don’t actually agree with.

The process of argumentation, as well as the choice of arguments, must be oriented towards the audience. Different audiences have different backgrounds and different values. What may seem obvious to some may not be to others. A good arguer should always have an "audience" mentality. We must always remind ourselves how we would feel if I were the one sitting there, and I was part of the audience.

[Preston Glidden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written for those who are studying collegiate formal debate. I'm looking for books on persuasion techniques for less formal settings.

[Hom Sack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, highly recommended. It is not only expository in nature but explanatory with lots of accompanying sensible and clear examples. However, the content is more that I needed or expected to know on the subject.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had hoped that this book would improve my public speaking skills. I don't think it did. But it certainly taught me the importance of scholarly research and preparation for debate. A worthwhile investment of time and energy, I think.

[Santosh Kalwar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good academic debate pointers ... however, much depends on arguing and looking at "big picture"