Item Details

abstract

The debate about switch side debating – a practice that requires students participating in academic debate contests to argue on behalf of both the affirmative and negative sides of the resolution during a multiple-round tournament – has intensified with the introduction of critical and activist arguments in competitions. While the controversy over the ethics of publicly debating both sides of an issue has largely been closed, the social and pedagogical merits of the practice remain the subject of contentious argument. Against charges that switch side debating, this thesis defends the continuing relevance and benefits of such an approach. In particular, it argues that true conviction is a result of debate, rather than a pre-condition for it, that a limited form of argumentative pluralism is preferable to dogmatic assertions about what should be considered subject for advocacy, and that switching sides is a remedy for uncritical absolutism and intolerance.

subject

american exceptionalism

argumentation

conviction

critical thinking

debate

debate

debating both sides

SSD

switch side debate

truism

contributor

Harrigan, Casey (author)

Allan Louden (committee chair)

Ron Greene (committee member)

Michael Hazen (committee member)

creator

Harrigan, Casey

date

2008-09-28T10:54:11Z (accessioned)

2010-06-18T18:58:15Z (accessioned)

null (available)

2008-09-28T10:54:11Z (available)

2010-06-18T18:58:15Z (available)

2008 (issued)

degree

null (defenseDate)

Communication (discipline)

Wake Forest University (grantor)

MA (level)

identifier

harrigancd_05_2008.pdf

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/14746 (uri)

migration

etd-05012008-155022 (oldETDId)

rights

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide. (accessRights)

I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Wake Forest University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. (license)

title

A Defense of Switch Side Debate