Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

And Now To Define The Terms..., Roy C. Nelson

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

The quality of any debate depends to a large extent on a concise, accurate, and honest appraisal of the main terms in a resolution. Al though almost all textbooks on argumentation carry chapters on definitions of terms and principles to be followed, yet many high school and college debaters arc perfunctory in analyzing the questions they debate. In listening to hundreds of debates over a period of years, I have observed many recurring deficiencies in the interpretation of the resolution. Among the most common faults have been: 1. Strained and limited definitions for purpose of strategy. 2. Quibbling over terms …