Debate

Debate (Classical Education)

This course trains students in the art of persuasive speech through the classical tradition of rhetoric. Building upon the principles of logic and critical thinking, students learn to construct clear, well-ordered arguments and to defend them with reason, evidence, and eloquence. Drawing from the rhetorical framework of invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery, the course emphasizes both the substance of ideas and the manner in which they are expressed.

Students engage in structured debates on significant moral, philosophical, and historical questions, cultivating intellectual virtue, attentive listening, and respectful disagreement. Through regular practice, they develop confidence in public speaking, sharpen their ability to analyze opposing viewpoints, and learn to respond thoughtfully and persuasively.

By the end of the course, students will be equipped not only to argue effectively, but to pursue truth with clarity, charity, and discipline—hallmarks of the classical tradition.