Philosophy

Why use philosophy?

In debate, philosophy is a tool that can be implemented into your arguments. Knowledge of philosophical concepts can enhance and support your points, achieving a balance between practical and theoretical argumentation.

Benefits:

1. Improve creativity of arguments
   Creative arguments are often more effective for captivating an audience. The ability to combine reasoning with insightful analogies and comparisons demonstrates good interpretation and delivery skills.
2. Improve reasoning and argumentative skills
   Demonstrate viable proof of arguments. Use concrete philosophical theories and doctrines as evidentiary support for your general reasoning.
3. Enhance persuasiveness
   Strong philosophical evidence can approve argumentability and makes reasoning more attractive for the audience.
4. Improve external philosophical knowledge and application
   Personal benefit of increased philosophical awareness, a tool that can be utilized in various forms of academia.

Common Philosophical Backings Used in Debate

Epictetus’ Theories of Stoicism Applied to Debate

• Epictetus was a stoic philosopher that believed in the intrinsic connection between man and God, implying that the will of man was correlated with that of God.
• In a debating scenario, this theory could be applied to accentuate an argument that may propose the importance/necessity of religion, for directing human action and judgement.

Common Utilitarianism Arguments

• Utilitarianism argues for the “greater/aggregate good” of a human population.
• In a debating scenario, this theory could be applied to support an argument related to the mandatory adoption of voting for all citizens, proposing that the enactment of this proposition would support the aggregate good of all parties involved, for promoting unified contributions to government and active involvement in different campaigns.

Useful Philosophical Concepts

Utilitarianism

• Maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain – attempting to quantify the results of actions and base judgements off of that
• Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of People

Deontology

• Living by specific rules that we can never break – moral truths
• Prioritize Morality of actions over impact

Constitutionality

• We should make our decisions based on what the Constitution tells us to do

Rule of Law

• This can mean two things, either:
• We should follow laws
• We should do what upholds the legitimacy of laws

Democracy

• Two parts to this
• The government system which involves voting for leaders
• Democratic Values – things needed to make a successful democracy
• Pluralism
• Free access to information
• Citizens who actively participate in civil society

Social Contract

• An agreement between a government and its citizens
• Outlines the roles and obligations of the government
• There are three main authors of the Social Contract and they all have different versions of it:
• John Locke
  • People have “inalienable rights” to life, liberty, and property
  • In the “State of Nature” (no government) our rights are constantly endangered
  • To protect our inalienable rights, we give up some liberties to the government in return for protection
  • The government’s only duty is to protect these inalienable rights
  • If the government violates this we overthrow the government
• Thomas Hobbes
  • Humans are inherently greedy, evil, and violent
  • Must join government and give up certain liberties to escape anarchy
  • The ‘Leviathan’ is a supreme sovereign leader
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • Liberty is most important
  • Humans are slaves to their instincts
  • Joining society allows rational thinking and productivity
  • The “general will” preserves liberty

Sovereignty

• States should have the ability to do whatever they want – power should not be restricted
• Based on the idea that the community creates morality
• Moral Relativism – morality differs by culture/situation

Liberty/Autonomy

• Maximizing an individual’s freedom to act
• Resisting oppression such as:
  • Racism
  • Patriarchal oppression

Rawlsian Justice

• Based on John Rawls' philosophy
• Improve conditions of the least well-off
• Veil of Ignorance: people design a just world when unaware of their societal position

Equality

• Vague but important
• Egalitarianism: equality under law
• Equity: fair support, not equal treatment

Structural Violence

• Societal structures exclude groups from moral consideration
• We must combat such exclusion

Political Realism

• States act in self-interest
• International realm is anarchic

Cosmopolitanism

• All humanity is a single moral community
• National borders are arbitrary

Communitarianism

• Morality comes from community
• Preserving community upholds morality

Virtue Ethics

• Fostering virtues like patience and humility
• Focuses on character-building and morality