Formal Debate Clubs Would Lead to Better Discussions of Politically Incorrect Subjects, on College Campuses

Stephen3141 said:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/opinions/campus-protest-college-liberals-culture-wars-mit-harvard-pachipala-yu/index.html

There seems to be an misunderstanding on college campuses, that for
someone to present and defend a certain position on some topic,
that they must hold that position.

As the article says, often if a guest speaker is asked to come to a campus
to present "the other side" (an unpopular opinion, on some topic), they are
shouted sown by the students shouting insults at the speaker.

Note that the ancient Greeks, when they were teaching rhetoric and logic,
would assign one student to defend an idea/position, and another student
to defend the opposite position. (If you study Ancient Greek, you can find
standard situations that were given to students, when they were assigned
to defend or argue against certain opinions based on the situation.)

In this way, many positions on the same topic could be presented. And
there could be an orderly discussion of many positions, on the same
topic.
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Another misunderstanding on American college campuses, is that when
one position is presented on some topic, the opposite position also
must be presented. This leads to problems when trying to invite speakers
to come to a college campus, in order to make a presentation on some
topic.

Note that when a crowd shouts down a speaker, with whom it does not
agree, this is not a discussion. Treating a presentation by some speaker, as
if it is some entertainment venue, is not a structure for disciplined learning.
(Where would due process be, in the fair rule of law in America, if the gallery
were allowed to shout down the testimony of witnesses who were called to the
stand? There would be no due process of law.)

The younger generations in America have suffered an inferior education,
because they have not been exposed to serious discussions of many
politically incorrect (read, unpopular) positions on many topics.

The younger generations in America have suffered an inferior education,
because many of them have not been forced to analyze opinions that they
did not believe, and try to explain and defend them as an educational
exercise.

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Socratic Seminar

A Socratic Seminar invites students to facilitate a discussion in order to work together toward a shared understanding of a text.

www.facinghistory.org

Stephen3141 said:

There seems to be an misunderstanding on college campuses, that for
someone to present and defend a certain position on some topic,
that they must hold that position.

Click to expand...

Laodicean60 said:

I feel that this all started when safe spaces were created.

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