RHETORIC & DEBATE — Cheat Sheet

📜 What is Rhetoric?

The art of persuasion — discovering all available means to influence an audience.

Practiced since Ancient Greece. Used by politicians, advertisers, lawyers, debaters. You're either the persuader or the audience.

In debate: You must both CONSTRUCT rhetoric (your arguments) and DECONSTRUCT it (your opponent's arguments).

🏛 Aristotle's 4 Appeals

Logos →Facts, data, deductive/inductive reasoning

Ethos →Credibility, expertise, fairness, citing sources

Pathos →Stories, vivid imagery, emotional connection

Kairos →Right moment, urgency, timeliness — why THIS matters NOW

DEBATE Kairos is your secret weapon: "This isn't abstract — this is happening right now." Creates urgency the judges can feel.

🧊 The Rhetoric Cube — 3 Dimensions

Every rhetorical act operates across 3 interconnected faces:

FACE 1 — 5 CANONS

Invention — find arguments
Arrangement — structure them
Style — choose language
Memory — internalize
Delivery — perform

FACE 2 — STRATEGIES

Description — paint a picture
Exposition — explain & inform
Narration — tell a story
Persuasion — convince
↑ uses ethos, logos, pathos, kairos

FACE 3 — ELEMENTS

Setting — context & situation
Purpose — what's the goal?
Audience — who are they?
Speaker — your credibility
Message — what you say

In a joust: Canons 1-3 happen in prep. Strategies shift mid-speech: narrate → expose → persuade. Elements are your mental checklist before you open your mouth.

⚡ PREP Method (Improv Debate)

P

POINT

State your position clearly

R

REASON

Explain why

E

EXAMPLE

Give concrete evidence

P

POINT

Restate & conclude

60 SEC During prep: pick a side → find 2 reasons → think of 1 example each → draft opening line.

Power opening template

"The core of this debate is really about [reframe topic]. And I'll show you why [your position] is the only defensible stance."

🔀 Reasoning Types

DEDUCTIVE ↓

General → Specific

If premises are true, conclusion must be true

          All mammals breathe air.

          Whales are mammals.

          ∴ Whales breathe air.

INDUCTIVE ↑

Specific → General

Conclusion is probable but not certain

          Every swan I've seen is white.

          ∴ All swans are probably white.

          (← could be wrong!)

DEBATE Use deductive for airtight points. Call out opponent's weak inductive leaps.

🎯 Rhetorical Situation & The Trivium

Before speaking, assess the situation:

ExigenceWhat urgent issue demands a response?

AudienceWho are you persuading? What do they value?

ConstraintsTime, rules, norms, shared assumptions

SpeakerYour credibility — how does the audience see you?

THE TRIVIUM — 3 Roads of Discourse

Grammar — define the world through language → Logic — reach sound conclusions → Rhetoric — communicate them effectively

📡 Communication & Delivery

Voice & Body

PaceVary it. Slow = emphasis. Fast = urgency

PausesSilence > "um". Let points land

VolumeProject. Drop voice for gravity

HandsOpen gestures. No pockets. No fidgeting

EyesJudges first, then sweep the room

Finding Your Voice

Tip 1: Speak as if explaining to a smart friend — not reading an essay aloud.

Tip 2: Your first sentence sets the energy. Memorize your opener. Deliver it with conviction.

RULE Confidence ≠ shouting. Calm authority always wins over bluster.

🗺 Argument Structure

Every argument has a claim supported by reasons backed by evidence.

      CLAIM: "School uniforms should be mandatory"

      ├── REASON 1: Reduces bullying

      │   └── EVIDENCE: Study from X showing Y%

      ├── REASON 2: Improves focus

      │   └── EVIDENCE: Comparison schools A vs B

      └── REASON 3: Promotes equality

          └── EVIDENCE: Testimony / anecdote

ATTACK Target the weakest branch. If evidence is anecdotal, call it out. If a reason doesn't support the claim, say so.

🚨 Top 10 Fallacies — Spot Them, Name Them, Destroy Them (Parker & Moore)

1

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person instead of their argument.

↪ "My character isn't the issue — address the argument."

2

Straw Man

Distorting/exaggerating someone's position to attack a weaker version.

↪ "That's not what I said. My actual point is..."

3

Argument from Outrage

Using anger and volume instead of logic to persuade.

↪ "Passion isn't proof. What's the actual evidence?"

4

Scare Tactic

Frightening the audience into agreement without evidence.

↪ "That's fear-mongering. Where's the data?"

5

Hasty Generalization

Drawing broad conclusions from limited or anecdotal evidence.

↪ "One example doesn't prove a pattern."

6

Group Think

Letting loyalty to a group cloud objective judgment.

↪ "Let's evaluate this on its merits, not tribal lines."

7

Red Herring

Introducing an irrelevant topic to divert from the real issue.

↪ "Interesting, but let's get back to the actual question."

8

Wishful Thinking

Believing something because you want it to be true, not because of evidence.

↪ "What we hope for isn't the same as what the evidence shows."

9

Argument from Popularity

"Everyone believes it, so it must be true." (Bandwagon)

↪ "Popularity doesn't equal truth. Consensus ≠ correctness."

10

Post Hoc

Assuming A caused B just because A happened before B. Correlation ≠ causation.

↪ "Sequence doesn't imply causation. What's the mechanism?"

🎭 Euphemisms & Dysphemisms

EuphemismSofter/polite word for something unpleasant

      "passed away" → died

      "collateral damage" → civilian deaths

      "downsizing" → firing people

      "enhanced interrogation" → torture

DysphemismHarsher word to make something sound worse

      "bureaucrat" → government worker

      "propaganda" → public information

      "regime" → government

DEBATE USE Call out when opponent uses loaded language to manipulate framing.

🐍 9 Rhetorical Slanters — Sneaky Persuasion Techniques

Language tricks that bias the listener without making an explicit argument.

Slanter

What it does

Example / In debate

1. Euphemism

Softens reality

"Revenue adjustment" for "tax hike"

2. Dysphemism

Makes it sound worse

"Government handout" for "social program"

3. Loaded Question

Question that assumes guilt

"Why do you support such a reckless policy?"

4. Weasel Words

Vague claims, no commitment

"Studies suggest…" "Many people believe…"

5. Downplayer

Minimizes significance

"That's merely anecdotal" / "just a theory"

6. Hyperbole

Wild exaggeration

"This will literally destroy civilization"

7. Proof Surrogate

Claims evidence exists without showing it

"Everyone knows…" "It's well established…"

8. Stereotype

Oversimplified group generalization

"Typical response from a [group]…"

9. Innuendo

Implies without stating directly

"I'm not saying it's corrupt, but…"

KEY Slanters aren't arguments — they're tone manipulation. Naming them neutralizes them instantly.

✅ Fact-Check — The ABC Rule

Assume nothing · Believe no one · Check everything

Source?Who said it? Are they credible?

Evidence?Data, study, or just opinion?

Bias?Does the source have an agenda?

Corroboration?Do other sources confirm?

Recency?Is this info still current?

Debate killer: "Can you cite your source for that claim?" Forces opponent to back up or retreat.

🗡 Debate Moves — Ready-to-Use Phrases

⚔ Attacking

Reframe

"The real question isn't X, it's Y."

Expose weakness

"That argument rests entirely on the assumption that… and here's why that's wrong."

Demand evidence

"That's an assertion, not an argument. What's the evidence?"

Flip it

"Actually, that same logic supports MY position, because..."

Concede & pivot

"I'll grant you that point. But even so, it doesn't change that..."

🛡 Defending

Restate clearly

"Let me be precise about what I'm actually arguing..."

Call the fallacy

"That's a straw man — I never said [distortion]. My point was..."

Redirect

"That's a red herring. The motion we're debating is about..."

Absorb & strengthen

"Even if we accept that objection, my argument still holds because..."

Meta-move

"Notice how my opponent hasn't addressed my central point at all."

🎤 Martin Luther King Jr. — Rhetoric in Action

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" is a masterclass in combined rhetoric:

LogosReferenced the Constitution & Declaration of Independence as "promissory note"

EthosSpoke as a pastor & civil rights leader with moral authority

PathosVivid imagery, repetition ("I have a dream…"), children, future hope

Devices used:

Anaphora Metaphor Allusion Antithesis Tricolon Climax

🧠 Mental Models

Steel Man (opposite of Straw Man)

Represent your opponent's argument in its strongest form, then defeat THAT. Judges love this — it shows intellectual honesty.

Principle of Charity

Interpret ambiguous claims in the most reasonable way. Then address the strongest version.

Burden of Proof

The person making the claim must support it. If your opponent asserts something extraordinary, the burden is on them.

Power move

"Let me steelman my opponent's position: the best version of their argument is [X]. But even then..."

⚠️ More Fallacies to Know

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False Dilemma

Presenting only 2 options when more exist. "You're either with us or against us."

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Slippery Slope

If A happens, then B, C, D will inevitably follow (without evidence for chain).

+

Appeal to Authority

Citing a non-relevant authority. A celebrity endorsing medicine ≠ medical evidence.

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Tu Quoque

"You do it too!" — deflecting criticism by pointing to the accuser's behavior.

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Begging the Question

Using your conclusion as a premise. Circular reasoning.

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No True Scotsman

Changing the definition to exclude counterexamples. Moving the goalposts.

🏆 Tournament Cheat Codes

Before the Round

1.Read the motion twice. Identify the key tension.

2.Pick the side with stronger SIMPLE arguments.

3.Draft your opening line & main claim in 30 sec.

4.Think of your opponent's best argument — prep a counter.

During the Round

5.Open strong. First 15 seconds set the tone.

6.Signpost: "My first point… secondly… finally…"

7.Take notes while opponent speaks. Find the weak link.

8.Use silence. A 2-second pause = emphasis.

What Judges Look For

✦Clash — Did you actually engage with the opponent's arguments?

✦Structure — Was your argument organized and easy to follow?

✦Evidence — Did you back up claims with reasons and examples?

✦Rebuttal — Did you address and dismantle opposing points?

✦Delivery — Confidence, clarity, eye contact, pacing?

✦Wit — Humor and cleverness used tastefully?

#1 mistake: Ignoring opponent's arguments and just delivering your own speech. ALWAYS engage directly.

⚔ Rhetoric & Debate