The Lost Art of Debate?

I love a good debate. I mean a proper, logical argument with rules. With a winner and a loser. I’ve heard a lot lately bemoaning the loss of the art of debate and persuasion. When I was in school, we had a debating team. It was actually called “forensics.” Not the crime-solving stuff, although it is related. Actually, the term hails back to the Greeks, who held debating contests. They felt proper training in the art of argument was essential to democracy.

Then there’s Facebook. Nobody is persuaded. Nobody changes his mind. Why? I think there are a lot of reasons. Here are a few:

1.  There are no ground rules. Participants in a proper debate agree to follow certain basic rules like no personal attacks, time limits, etc.
2. It’s not face-to-face. A basic rule of law is that you have the right to face your accuser. Unless you can look your adversary in the eye, the discussion can degenerate into a tie-for-tat exercise that generates more heat than light.
3. The medium is inadequate. Arguing in short bursts separated by gaps of time and other activity never resolves anything.
4. It’s easy to escape. You can quit anytime. An argument you walk away is an argument lost.
5. Most positions involve regurgitating other people’s positions. It usually amounts to “preaching to the choir.”

We should just leave Facebook for what it does well: sharing family photos and events, jokes, music. Keep the politics off. Instead, hone your debating skills. Sharpen your logic and critical thinking skills. And get to a coffee shop or a bar and have a good argument!