LD Value Debate
2009-2010 Lincoln Douglas Debate Topic: Resolved: A government’s legitimacy is determined more by its respect for popular sovereignty than individual rights.
LD Debate has a value resolution which uses general terms that are value laden so that through their definition a conflict of values will occur. The affirmative team (only 1 speaker) upholds the resolution, the negative (also 1 speaker) either argues against the resolution, refutes the affirmative case or both. LD Debate has been said to be a friendly discussion about one value versus another around a fireplace with a cup of hot tea. With either kinds of debate, NCFCA topics are never morally charged, where one side or the other would ever have to argue against one’s own moral convictions. An example of values maybe justice, freedom, truth, democracy, freedom of the press, etc. Each team typically picks a value & a criterion within which to debate.
“Discussion for elucidating truth; strife in argument or reasoning, between persons of different opinions, each endeavoring to prove his own opinion right, and that of his opposer wrong; to discuss or examine different arguments in the mind.” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary