COM 234: Public Debate
5 Credits
This class takes a rhetorical approach to argumentation and debate and examines how arguments operate within specific contexts, where they’re successful, and where they fail.
The class uses recorded debates on public issues to anchor discussions throughout the quarter.
By the end of the class, a student will be able to:
- Explain how both sides in a debate relate to the topic and one another.
- Identify, describe, create, and evaluate arguments and argument structures.
- Evaluate evidence.
- Identify, describe, and refute argumentative fallacies.
- Design, evaluate, attack, and defend cases.
- Describe how arguments occur within and across argumentative spheres.
