Hark the resolution is upon us! Pt. 2

Alrighty, we’re back! So why do I recommend getting so many definitions into your definitions list?

Advantage 1: Definitions are fundamental

As we discussed before, deciding on what we’re talking about must happen before we actually talk about it! When you get a really solid idea of what the topic means, not just one source’s perspective, you’re off to a great start to do some background research, generate your own arguments, help your clubmates who are having a hard time grasping the topic, etc. An ancient debate saying is “He who defines, wins.” And it’s pretty hard to define things when you don’t have definitions. 

Advantage 2: Definitions provide clarity to your research

When you are reading a book that keeps using a word you don’t understand, your natural inclination is to go look it up. Why? Because if we don’t understand the words being used, it’s going to be hard to understand the meaning being conveyed. So I would recommend getting your definitions settled in your head before you start doing in-depth research on the topic. You may discover a really good article that keeps using the phrase “biomedical engineering,” but you won’t get the maximum potential out of it until you understand what “biomedical engineering” actually is.

This goes for arguments, as well. Is this argument a good argument? “Gazortonblats are beneficial to society, because they help us netter our dweebs.” Well, you can’t really answer that until you know what “gazortonblats,” “netters,” and “dweebs” are. 

So if you read a persuasive essay on some facet of “scientific advancement,” but you don’t understand what “scientific advancement” actually means, you’re going to have a hard time deciding whether the argument was a good one or not. To make the most of your research, you need to understand what you’re searching for.

Advantage 3: Multiple definitions provide a solid grounding for your interpretation

Sometimes, you’ll get definition after definition that says basically the same thing. But that’s actually a good thing - the more sources you have that say “biomedical engineering means x,” the harder it will be for your opponent to say “no, biomedical engineering means y.” 

Trust me: definition debates (where the two sides disagree on what the definitions mean) don’t happen very often, but in those one or two rounds that are decided off of definitions, this list can save your life. When your opponent comes up with a sneaky definition (like “Dogs is referring to the documentary, not the animal”) and whips out an equally sneaky case showing how the documentary Dogs is better than the movie Cats, you don’t have to stand there scratching your head like the Negative did in my example in the previous post. You can get up to the podium and say, 

“My opponent is being extremely unrealistic and unreasonable in the way he’s defining these terms. My opponent provided a really obscure definition of ‘dogs’ as ‘the documentary,’ but that is outweighed by these five common dictionary definitions that all define dog as ‘the animal.’ [If you have time, you can even read out all five definitions word-for-word for super persuasive impact.] So in this round, the dictionary consensus is on my side. You can vote for the really obscure definition, or you can vote for what is the commonly-held understanding of the word.”

One of the most high-level rounds I ever competed in basically boiled down to a disagreement over what “economic stability” meant. Thankfully, I had three definitions (already printed out in my definitions list and ready to go!) that all supported the common interpretation. So instead of complaining about how my opponent was being obscure, I pointed out that three separate sources disagreed with my opponent’s interpretation. I was arguing from the common interpretation, not the obscure one.

While truth isn’t determined by a majority vote, judges are more likely to vote for a common definition supported by a variety of sources than a sleight-of-hand definition pulled from some dusty bookshelf somewhere in Timbuktu. But it all starts with your definition list; it’s hard to talk about your “variety of sources” if you don’t have them ready to go in your binder.

There are a couple more reasons why I recommend making a definition list this way. Stay tuned for next time.  ~