The Purpose of Debate

If you’ve been keeping up with the comments over at this Triablogue post, you’ll notice that I’ve re-challenged John Loftus to a debate.  He, in his characteristic humility, responded with: “I don’t make it a point to debate stupid people like you.”

This is par for the course for Loftus.  You might wonder why, then, would I ask him to debate?

There are a couple of reasons for this.

1) I know that Loftus talks big but lacks coherence in argumentation.

2) I know that Loftus knows 1) is true too.

3) Therefore, I know Loftus cannot possibly accept the debate challenge because he would lose badly.

4) Loftus doesn’t want this to come out, so he calls me “stupid” instead; thus, when I offer him a chance to debate, it proves that his name-calling does not stand up to argumentation.  This, in turn, allows others to realize the truth of 1) above.

Thus, I can challenge Loftus to a debate without ever fearing that I would need to actually engage in said debate, since Loftus will work his magic skills to avoid a debate at all costs (all the while maintaining that I am stupid).

I would rather Loftus accept the debate because it would allow me to demonstrate 3) above.  But since he never will, everyone else can still infer 1) quite easily.

Loftus aside, debates do serve a useful purpose in academia.  Debates are focused discussion on a particular point, minimizing extraneous issues that are irrelevant to the main point.  Thus, a debate on an issue allows exhaustive inquery into that very issue without the fear of the opponent escaping on some bunny trail long enough to distract you into forgetting what the original point was.  Secondly, debators need to present their evidence for their position and thus they cannot get away with snide comments and dismissals such as “CalvinDude is stupid.”  Instead, the person who has no clue what he is talking about in the debate is exposed on an island all alone.  Thirdly, debates are not done for the sake of the two debators, but instead for the benefit of those third-party individuals who can stand aside and see the two sides present their best argument and then they can make an informed decision.  Debates, therefore, are not about convicing the other person to agree with you; they are about convicing everyone else that your position is sound.  Debates are a great way to introduce a topic and a way of thinking to people who are “fence-sitters” or who have not heard either side of the issue before.

So debates are worthwhile, even if Loftus is not.