Everyone likes a good argument, right? Just so long as it’s not about money, religion, or politics. Argumentation and debate differs from an argument or a fight or a disagreement.

Debate is a process that involves formal discussion on a particular topic. In a debate, opposing arguments are put forward to argue for opposing viewpoints. Debate occurs in public meetings, academic institutions, and legislative assemblies.

Real debate has rules, techniques, a moderator, and a scorecard.

Say what?

Logical consistency, factual accuracy and some degree of emotional appeal to the audience are elements in debating, where one side often prevails over the other party by presenting a superior “context” or framework of the issue. In a formal debating contest, there are rules for participants to discuss and decide on differences, within a framework defining how they will do it.

My first exposure to true argumentation and debate was in college. My professor was a typical southern gentleman, a lawyer wannabe with the orator qualities of an evangelical preacher. He explained the definition and processes in collegiate argumentation and debate to the class and then gave us an example.

Pro and con. Both sides of an issue.

He asked us to give him a topic from our debate topics book (which consisted of hundreds topics to be argued). From the right side of the classroom he proceeded to argue one side— the pro side— of that topic for three or four minutes with a plausible, logical, reasonable, believable, and persuasive point of view. It was convincing.

Then, he walked to the left side of the classroom and proceeded to argue against what he just argued for and gave a plausible, logical, reasonable, believable, persuasive, and convincing response, too.

He did the same thing with four additional topics from the debate topics book. For and against a topic. Both sides were convincing.

Needless to say, I was impressed. That was a life altering moment not to be forgotten. If someone could argue a perspective or opinion on any side of an issue or topic that was plausible, logical, reasonable, believable, persuasive, and convincing, then how could one determine the truth of any issue?

What is truth?

Collegiate debates have rules for participants and their efforts in the debate are scored by a judge or moderator. Politics does not. Religion does not. Personal disagreements do not. Courtrooms do, including the need to provide factual evidence, appropriate rebuttals, and with a need to convince a judge or jury of a particular point of view. Innocent or guilty. Pro or con.

What is truth?

If one can argue for or against any topic, and do so with compelling persuasion and evidence, how would we know what is truth when we find it?

What is truth?