Rebutting Arguments: A Skill Every Debater Should Master
Post by
Coach Mike
If you're a debater, no matter your experience level, you've probably heard of rebuttals. Although critical to a good debate, you may not know how the best rebuttals work or how to employ them on the field. In this article, we'll share some valuable insights to help you in your next round.
What Is a Rebuttal?
A rebuttal is a way to counter your opponent's arguments. You can disprove them, qualify them, or turn them against your opponent, whether to strengthen your own arguments or to weaken your opponent's case.
Rebuttals comprise one of three major parts of a typical debate: introduction, rebuttal, and summary. If you're interested in more complex debate structures, you might be interested in BP debate.
In an introduction, you give an overview of the case you are making, and in the summary, you recap your main ideas and analyze how the debate went. The rebuttal section, which we'll be focusing on, is where you provide additional evidence to support your case and address the arguments of your opponents.
The key to a good rebuttal is to have clear logic and reasoning behind your counterargument. You don't want to get caught up in attacking your opponent personally. That would be a classic example of the ad hominem fallacy!
Why Are Rebuttals Important?
Although you may not think of it this way, debate is a competitive sport. Rebuttals are your team's defensive moves.
In tennis, you can't just make offensive shots. You need to return your opponent's moves. After all, it wouldn't be a very fun sport if every point was simply determined by a single player's serve! What makes tennis engaging to watch and play is the way the ball moves back and forth over the net until one of the players misses or makes a mistake.
Think of rebuttals the same way. You want your rebuttal to be a shot your opponent misses, one that targets their weak spots, or one that forces them to make a move that leaves you an easy opening.
Before a debate, put yourself in your opponent's shoes. Think of what arguments they are likely to make. Then start looking for holes in their reasoning, evidence, or impact.
If that sounds hard, don't be afraid. Rebuttals may not be easy for every debater, but that's exactly why it's important to practice them. A good rebuttal can win a debate!
Types of Rebuttals in Debate
- Offensive Rebuttal: This rebuttal directly attacks your opponent's arguments, usually by challenging their logic or evidence. It can be the hardest to pull off, but can secure your victory!
- Defensive Rebuttal: This rebuttal defends yourself from the opponent's attacks, usually by providing explanations and clarifications as to why their arguments are wrong or irrelevant. Although it may not win you the debate, it will strengthen your case.
- Turning Rebuttal: This rebuttal does not aim to disprove your opponent's argument, but rather tries to show that their argument somehow supports your side of the debate.
- Counter Rebuttal: This rebuttal is a specific type of defensive response in which you address the points your opponents brought up during their opening statement with new information that refutes those claims, such as statistics or expert testimony.
- Closing Rebuttal: This rebuttal is your last chance to persuade your audience before they vote on who won the debate. Don't be afraid to pull out all your best emotive language and persuasive techniques!
Now let's take a look at the two most common types of rebuttals.
The Art of the Offensive Rebuttal
This classic rebuttal is a tool every debater should learn. It's an argument that you make to counter your opponent's main point and undermine their argument. The primary goal of this rebuttal is to show that the opponent is wrong. It can also serve to lower their credibility.
For this rebuttal to work, it should be based on your opponent's arguments and using the same kind of reasoning. Try out this simple structure for size:
- "Our opponents stated that..."
Summarize your opponent's argument. - "However, this is flawed because..."
Explain their flaw in reasoning, evidence, or impact. - "We say that..."
Pose your counterargument and reinforce your case. - "Therefore..."
Therefore their argument is flawed and should not be considered in this debate.
The Art of the Defensive Rebuttal
This rebuttal is an opportunity for you to defend your position, but it can also be used to counter your opponent's arguments.
To use this strategy effectively, think about what their argument was and how they presented it. Did they make any claims? What were those claims? Most importantly, how were those claims wrong or misleading?
In addition to defending yourself against your opponent's claims, keep an eye out for any logical fallacies your opponent may have tried to use against you. You can find a list of common fallacies here, with more guides on how to address them in debates.
How to Use the Opening Affirmative Point Effectively
The first affirmative point is a way to frame the debate's topic in a way that supports your case. By paying attention to it, you can get an idea of how your opponent may respond, which will help you figure out what rebuttals and counterarguments to make.
The first negative point should respond directly to this framing by either challenging it or building on it with another framing device, for instance "we still need X because Y." This will help set up your rebuttal by allowing you to show how your opponent's argument has failed based on the framing of their own arguments.
Rebuttals are an important part of debate, and they can be used in many different ways. The best way to learn how to use rebuttals effectively is to practice and experiment. If you're looking for an opportunity, LearningLeaders might just have the right program for you!
