University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-03-08
DIR. LEFEVRE WRITES, =:
OF COLLEGE DEBATING


batting by DR.. George Lefevre, pro-
fessor of zoology at the University
of Missouri was printed in the st.
Louis Times March 3.
Il am perfectly aware that | am in
hopelessly small minority in the
| opinion | entertain on the subject OF
intercollegiate debating, and so firmly
planted are the time-honored customs
| and traditions surrounding the prac-
| tce of debating that even the sugges-
! ton of a modification will meet with
| but little approval.
Il am convinced, nevertheless. that
| the practice as it now exists in Ameri-
can colleges fosters dangerous habit
of mind and runs counter to the high
est ideals of intellectual integrity. |
| may say at once that | am thorough
| believer in the value of debating as a
mental discipline. for the training that
is gained through it may be under
proper conditions of the utmost i'm
portance in the development of the in
telectual faculties. The method how
ever. of conducting college debates is
has little in common with the pro
cedure as followed in all serious par
liamentary bodies. 1t is a game, pure
and simple. in which the premium is
all too frequently set upon skllful eva
SiOns and intellectual craftiness and
the technical points of which are
taught the participants by expert
coaches.
The root OF the evil lies in the Gus
tom of determining by mechanical
means whether man shall debate on
the affirmative or negative side OF
question. without regard to his own
convictions. a custom which is not in
tellectually honest and which stands
AT the antipOdes of the scientific spirit
The spectacle of a student strug-
CLING with all the skill and adrOitness
at his command and resorting to every
rhetorical device known to the trained
speaker. in support of proposition.
and then a little later that same stu
dent with an equal show OF conviction
debating the same question. but on the
opposite side OF the argument. is. when
one stops to consider it Soberly pre-
poSterOuS performance. 1t must in
time have the effect of lessening the
debaters' respect for intellectual hon.
esty, and creates an attitude OF mind
that is fraUght with grave danger.
Il am familiar with the usual justi-
fication OF the procedure. but am far
from being convinced that ii is intel
lectually honest to debate on either
side of a question until. after careful
study and thought. the student has
fully satisfied himself Of its truth. 1t
Is claimed that the training in present
ing the opposing arguments is itself of
the greatest value to the debater in
enabling him to see more clearly both
the strength and weakness of the posi- |
ton which he himself holds. This is
undoubtedly true, and it goes without
saying that no man can arrive at an
intelligent opinion on any subject un- |
less he has made himself familiar with |
the objections that may be raised |
against it. But this is by no means all /,
that he does, and when he appears as |
the defender of a view which he him |
self does not hold, he is sowing the |
seeds of intellectual insincerity.
Many a fight for truth has been
lost because men have been able to be-
fog the mind and blind the vision
by Skllful use of the debaters'
art. The danger of training a student
to debate on the wrong side-wrong
so far as his judgment is concerned
lies. then. in the fact that it empha-
sizes the art of debating at the eX-
pense of intellectual veracity.
Gliding refined gold Huxley once
said, would. to my mind be less OBJ
Je''iolldple tnan NafnlShlng the fair
face Of truth with that pestulent cos
metic, rhetoric
Under no circumstances. it seems
to me, should a student be selected to
defend given side in debate until he
has reached a calm and honest convic-
ton of its truth. The difficulties of
adopting such practice are obvious,
but am confident are not insurmount-
able, and surely it is only reasonable
to suppose that the effectiveness of
debating would be vastly increased
when every man concerned is honestly
convinced of the truth of his position"
Scrptura Reflection.