How to Debate Logically

Plan ahead. If you know your topic of debate beforehand, plan your arguments by researching the issue and writing down notes on empirical evidence that supports your point of view. For example, if you plan to debate why your state should increase school funding, research fact-based information about how education quality has declined with decreased funding, based on real numbers.

Study logical fallacies. Understanding them will greatly enhance your ability do debate logically and to notice logical weaknesses in your opponent's arguments. Logical fallacies include hasty generalizations, post hoc, ad populum and slippery slope. For example, if your opponent argues that school lunches have declined in quality because of school budget cuts, you can point out that your opponent has used post hoc reasoning by automatically assuming that the earlier event (the budget cuts) automatically caused the later event (declining lunches), simply due to their proximity in time, without providing specific evidence linking the two events.

Listen to your opponent's arguments. You may already have lengthy notes written, outlining your basic position on an issue or a point-by-point analysis, but if you fail to respond directly to your opponent's arguments, your responses will sound off-topic and lose much of their power. Listen first, and respond accordingly.

State the facts. When putting forth your position in the debate, do not allow your emotions to dictate the course of the argument. You may feel very passionately about a particular issue, but to make a persuasive case, you must focus on the facts. For example, you would make a weak argument by saying, "Driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous and wrong!" However, you can make a very powerful argument by demonstrating statistics about alcohol and automobile fatalities.

Provide focused points. Include only the most relevant information to support your argument. Do not wander with your words or use analogies with little relevance. The more you zero in on points that demonstrate the validity of your position, the more powerful a case you will make.