theory evidence

[Brian R McGee <bmcgee@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>]

I've always found the community's distaste for theory evidence a bit curious.
 Greg Achten is entirely correct to maintain that debaters can and should
develop some expertise where argumentation and debate theories are concerned.
 The argument from authority does seem less compelling where debate evidence
is concerned.  Perhaps the only justification for such evidence use is the
advantage of providing a more efficient and articulate explanation of the
argument than the debater can provide in her own words.  That said, I suspect
that critics of theory evidence overestimate the knowledge of debaters where
theory is concerned.  Most members of the community learn what they know
about theory via direct, verbal contact with coaches, judges and other
competitors; the commitment to reading such theory is not typical of the
students I judge, who DO make a habit of reinventing the wheel where theory
is concerned.  Moreover, this reinvention is rarely innovative or
sophisticated.

Before I am flamed, let me emphasize that (1) I would not mandate that anyone
use theory evidence in a debate, (2) I do not insist that there is some
stable canon of debate theory that must be read by any competent debater, and
(3) highly accomplished varsity debaters have a great deal of expertise where
debate theory is concerned.  However, it would be an insult to someone like
Dale Herbeck to suggest that any JV debater can explain permutation theory so
well that theory evidence from Professor Herbeck should be discounted or
is superfluous.  Debate theory can evolve and does evolve in debate rounds,
but the exclusion of theory evidence from debate rounds is tantamount to
maintaining that there is no cross-fertilization between debate literature

and debate practice.

A final note: I strongly discourage my own students from using theory
evidence in rounds.  I do so because I believe that their speaker points
will be punished if they do so, given the community's attitude concerning
this subject.

Happy holidays!

Brian McGee
Ohio State

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