Comm 3 Debate School: Activity 7 Detailed Study Notes

Conceptual Frameworks of Irving Wallace (1977)

• Irving Wallace introduced significant observations regarding human behavior and sociological facts in his work published in $1977$.

• A primary source cited for these observations is "The Book of Lists," which compiles various rankings and statistical insights.

Classification of Debate Propositions and Claims

• There are distinct categories used to define the nature of a claim or a debate topic:

  • Value: This type of claim asserts that something is either "good" or "bad." It focuses on the merit, morality, or worth of a specific subject or concept.

  • Policy: This type of claim asserts that something "should" or "should not" be done. It inherently requires a specific course of action to be taken or avoided.

The Hierarchy of Human Fears

• According to "The Book of Lists" by Irving Wallace ($1977$), there are seven primary fears identified as the top concerns for humans, ranked in descending order of prevalence:

  1. Public Speaking: Identified as the number $1$ fear, surpassing even the fear of death.

  2. Heights: The second most prevalent human fear.

  3. Deep Water: The third most prevalent fear.

  4. Insects: Ranked fourth in the hierarchy of common fears.

  5. Financial Problems: Ranked fifth, representing economic and material security concerns.

  6. Sickness: Ranked sixth, representing health-related anxieties.

  7. Death: Ranked seventh, notably trailing behind public speaking and physical environmental fears.

Listening and Communication in Business

• The document highlights the critical impact of communication skills within professional environments.

• Approximately $60\%$ of all business errors are attributed specifically to poor listening habits or failures in the listening process.

Fundamentals of Rhetoric and Persuasion

• The classic rhetorical appeals essential to debate and persuasion are identified as:

  • Ethos: An appeal based on the character, credibility, or ethics of the speaker.

  • Pathos: An appeal based on emotion or the psychological state of the audience.

  • Logos: An appeal based on logic, reasoning, and evidence.

Parliamentary Debate Specifics and Ethics

• Format Preference: In the context of the Comm $3$ Debate School, the "American" version of Parliamentary (Parli) debate is utilized rather than the British Parliamentary format.

• Ethics and Responsibility: A fundamental principle of Parliamentary debate is that a "tremendous responsibility" is placed directly on the debater regarding ethical conduct. The transcript explicitly confirms this responsibility with a "Yes."