How to Debate an Ethical Issue

As the final step in the analysis of whether patients should be allowed to buy and sell organs, Dr. Jones has assigned you a position for the ethics committee debate.

This step-by-step guide will help you prepare your argument for that debate.

1. Working together with your team, prepare your assigned position.
   
   
   1. There are two possible positions for this debate:
      1. Negative—no, there are no conditions under which the sale of organs should be allowed.
      
      
      2. Affirmative—yes, there are conditions under which the sale of organs should be allowed
      
      
   2. Your mentor will assign you a position for the debate, either affirmative or negative.
   
   
   3. Review the questions in the 3.3 email that you will need to be able to respond to during the debate. Then, review your work in the 3.1 and 3.2 templates, noting evidence to help you respond to these questions.
   
   
   4. Plan for the debate. Review the debate structure described below, and then organize your evidence so you will be able to find it quickly and easily during the debate. All team members may participate in the each section of the debate. As a team you may want to write out the key points each speaker should make for each section of the debate, and list these on notes cards so that each team member’s message is clearly outlined and each team member feels prepared. Remember, time is limited so each statement should “pack a punch” and not be redundant with previous statements. You should be plan the following carefully:
      
      
      1. Your opening. This opening should present the main arguments and supporting points for your team’s position on the debate question.
      
      
      2. Your first rebuttal. Anticipate what you think the other team’s opening argument is going to consist of. What do you think their key arguments and supporting points will be? What evidence have you gathered that you feel best refutes these points? Use this information to develop a rebuttal. (Note: During the debate, be sure to listen carefully to the other team’s opening statement, and then rebut only those points the team made, not all the points that you anticipated they would make, that is, adjust your rebuttal according to what the other team actually says.)
      
      
      3. Likely questions from the audience and your responses. What is the audience likely to ask? What points do you feel address these questions and support your position most strongly? Prepare a list of the questions you think you’ll be asked, and your responses. Make sure that these responses justify your position using ethical principles. Determine who will answer questions, and how to handle unanticipated questions.
      
      
      4. Conclusion. Summarize the main arguments of your position, and the key evidence supporting these arguments. Be sure to tie your arguments to the ethical principles you feel are being upheld by your position, and violated by your opposing team’s position. Also, be sure to address any key arguments against your position that your opponents have raised. As a team, determine who will deliver which sections of the closing argument.
      
      
   5. For more information on Internet research or preparing debate evidence, please review the links in the General Skills Resources section.
   
   
2. Participate in the debate. Your team will be paired with another team who has been assigned the alternate position.

(Note: This task assumes teams will debate in front of the rest of the cohort. It assumes approximately 4 teams per cohort with 2 to 3 students per team. Teams not participating in the debate at that time should act as the audience.)

The debate will proceed as follows:

1. Affirmative Speaker (3 min)—The person assigned the affirmative position will have 3 minutes to introduce his/her main arguments.
2. Negative Speaker (3 min)-- The person assigned the negative position will have 3 minutes to introduce his/her main arguments.
3. Affirmative Speaker-Rebuttal (3 min)—The affirmative speaker will get three minutes to rebut or argue against the points made by the negative speaker.
4. Negative Speaker-Rebuttal (3 min)-- The negative speaker will then get three minutes to rebut or argue against the points made by the affirmative speaker.
5. Questions (10 min)--Debaters will take questions from the audience and each other. Your mentor will moderate this section. He or she will call on someone to ask a question, acknowledges which participant has the floor, etc
6. Negative speaker conclusion (3 min)—Negative speaker will conclude his/her debate. Summarize main arguments and revisit key evidence.
7. Affirmative speaker conclusion (3min)—Positive speaker will conclude his/her debate. Summarize main arguments and revisit key evidence.

For more information on debate skills, including effective questioning and cross-examining your opponent, please refer to the General Skills Resources section.

3. When you are listening to other teams debate:
   • Be respectful. Listen as they present their arguments. Ask questions during the appropriate time of the debate.

• Take notes during other teams’ debates. Write down things you think each group did well, things they could improve on and particularly strong arguments or supporting evidence they present. These notes will help you participate in the group discussion after the debate. The ideas you hear may also influence your own opinion and good notes may help you when you write your individual paper.
  
  
4. Participate in the group discussion. (After each debate)

After each debate your mentor will lead a group discussion on the technicality of the debate. Think about the debate itself.

• Which group won? Which group presented the stronger argument? Why?


• Whether you were a participant in the debate or an audience member, share your ideas.


• What did you notice that your team did well? What could you have improved on? What did the other team do well? What could they have improved on?


• What lessons did you take away from this experience that you’d like to remember when debating issues with friends and family?

Final Discussion (After both debates have taken place)

Participate in the final group discussion on this issue. Discuss the debate question with your group. Having heard everyone’s ideas, what should the law in the U.S. be? Should we allow the sale of human organs? What conditions should be impose if we allow the sale? Discuss how your opinion changed (or didn’t change) as you participated in this task.

Reflection

Having completed the debate and discussions, proceed to the reflection tab for instructions on writing and submitting your individual paper.