Debate Techniques

Universal Intellectual Standards

Standards to be applied to rational thinking and arguments:

• Clarity -- Do you understand the argument?
• Accuracy -- Is it true? Can it be proven?
• Precision -- Vague assertions are true until exceptions disprove.
• Depth -- Is the argument comprehensive?
• Breadth -- Does the argument cover all possibilities?
• Logic -- Are there any fallacies?

Recognizing Fallacies and Defusing Them

Sales people often resort to strategies to create a sale that many of us recognize as being a form of manipulation. (See The Ben Franklin Close for one example.) When debating a creationist, you will come up against many different arguments that are in fact, fallacies, that create cognitive distress and distraction. You and the debate's participants are being assaulted with flawed thought. However, unlike a salesman, it is hard to know if a creationist or other religious debater actually realizes that they are using fallacies to debate or if they are blinded by their own belief.

The Fallacies and Creationist Instances

(List from Nizkor Project) See Logical Fallacies for explanations of each.

1. Ad Hominem
2. Ad Hominem Tu Quoque
3. Appeal to Authority
4. Appeal to Belief
5. Appeal to Common Practice
6. Appeal to Consequences of a Belief
7. Appeal to Emotion
8. Appeal to Fear
9. Appeal to Flattery
10. Appeal to Novelty
11. Appeal to Pity
12. Appeal to Popularity
13. Appeal to Ridicule
14. Appeal to Spite
15. Appeal to Tradition
16. Bandwagon
17. Begging the Question
18. Biased Sample
19. Burden of Proof
20. Circumstantial Ad Hominem
21. Composition
22. Confusing Cause and Effect
23. Division
24. False Dilemma
25. Gambler's Fallacy
26. Genetic Fallacy
27. Guilt By Association
28. Hasty Generalization
29. Ignoring A Common Cause
30. Middle Ground
31. Misleading Vividness
32. Personal Attack
33. Poisoning the Well
34. Post Hoc
35. Questionable Cause
36. Red Herring
37. Relativist Fallacy
38. Slippery Slope
39. Special Pleading
40. Spotlight
41. Straw Man
42. Two Wrongs Make A Right

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