Debating

thumb|upright|A Debate among Scholars, Razmnama illustration thumb|Two men engage in recreational debate|224x224px Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historically, debates have occurred in public meetings, academic institutions, debate halls, coffeehouses, competitions, and legislative assemblies. Debates have also been conducted for educational and recreational purposes , usually associated with educationa

Discourse is a generalization of the notion of a conversation to any form of communication. Discourse is a major topic in social theory, with work spanning fields such as sociology, anthropology, continental philosophy, and discourse analysis. Following work by Michel Foucault, these fields view discourse as a system of thought, knowledge, or communication that constructs our world experience. Since control of discourse amounts to control of how the world is perceived, social theory often studies discourse as a window into power. Within theoretical linguistics, discourse is understood more nar

study of how conclusions are reached through logical reasoning; one of four rhetorical modes

rhetorical technique using mere volume and rapidity of arguments

2007 film by Denzel Washington

meeting where everyone is equal

German-language debating competition for students

person whose role is to mediate and administer a debate or discussion

form of dialogue that can be used when discussing topics within large groups

Pragma-dialectics (also known as the pragma-dialectical theory) is a program in argumentation theory developed since the late 1970s by Dutch scholars Frans H. van Eemeren and Rob Grootendorst at the University of Amsterdam. It conceives argumentation as a form of goal-directed communicative activity aimed at the reasonable resolution of differences of opinion by means of a critical discussion. Combining a pragmatic interest in how argumentative discourse is actually used with a dialectical interest in how it ought to proceed, pragma-dialectics studies argumentation as a complex speech act that

1989 film by Douglas Day Stewart

room for people to discuss and debate

style of competitive debate in events

form of competitive debate, speakers attempting to win the approval of an audience; the audience is invited to imagine that the speakers are flying in a hot-air balloon which is sinking and that someone must be thrown out if everyone is not to die