THE BEST COACHING

SESSION EVER

- Principles in greater depth- Examples of ways to use principles

- Examples of ways to argue principles well- Examples of moots and finding the principles

- Where to put the principle in the case- How to win the principle

- Not necessarily in this order

WHAT WE WILL GO THROUGH

Rights•Social•Political•Economic• Individual viz-a-viz everyone

Duties•To others•Of the state•Relationships between actors

Freedoms/interests that are in jeopardy in the debate

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

Yes there is ALWAYS a principle

Change debates:

reason for the change is

buttressed by a principle

Judgement debate: will dictate the

kind of criteria you

select

IS THERE ALWAYS A PRINCIPLE?

Try harder• There is

always a principle

Look at the ELEMENTS of the debate to discern it

Think intuitively –

ask why?

WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND THE PRINCIPLE?

Problem •Why is this a thing•What are the issues•Think of why this is a debate

Model•Who is affected•Why is this the model•Who administers it?

Benefits•Is there a group this benefits and why

•What interests are progressed or detracted from?

ELEMENTS IN SEARCH OF PRINCIPLE

Go ahead

Tell me what you think

WHAT ARE SOME PRINCIPLES YOU CAN THINK

OF?

- National sovereignty- Bodily autonomy- Role of the state

- The market- Freedom of expression- Freedom of association

- Freedom of speech- Liberty/freedom

- Duty of care- Obligation to individuals/citizens

- equality

PRINCIPLES

THW invade North Korea

What is the principle operating here?

FINDING THE PRINCIPLE

THW make Holocaust denial illegal

PRACTICE MOOT

To what extent can individuals in a WLD say what they like?Harm principle?

When can we curb freedoms?Is speech really harmful in a meaningful sense?

What about the ramifications of the speech?Harmful when has a concomitant meaning?

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

THW allow pregnancy for profit

PRACTICE MOOT

Do whatever we like with our bodies?Is this circumscribed? When?

What harm accrues?Should the baby be relevant?

Societal harms? To what extent should external factors mitigate our freedom?

When does this happen?

BODILY AUTONOMY

THW allow the burning of the Koran

PRACTICE

There are a few principles hereFreedom of speech, market of ideas, religious freedom

Most market of ideas principle – allow to be shut down in the marketplace

Freedom of expression and speech untrammelled?Harmful?

Incenses…..

MARKET PRINCIPLES

THW ban burqa

PRACTICE

Why should someone be able to do what they want?Why is liberty and self-determination important?

SELF ACTUALIZATION

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

What does this mean?why is it important?

Conception of the good

SELF ACTUALIZATION

Make it a substantive point

Make it part of the problem

Make it a contextual factor

Make it a harm that is affected

Outline it in cost-benefit analysis

HOW TO ARGUE A PRINCIPLE

HOW TO WIN A PRINCIPLE

Often the best

narrative wins

Have a plausible conception - how does it

actually function in the real world

Pre-empt reasonable

limitations on your right – nothing is

absolute – there are ALWAYS

limits

Use analogies

Show how your principle

functions in the real world with

recourse to examples

Don’t argue them in a

vaccuum – apply them to the world and practical situations

Be reasonabl

e and practical

This will mitigate against

them coming and sounding

more reasonable than you and

winning

Be consistent in your application

– don’t make extravagant claims about

your principle

Opposition proposes another principle – what do you do?• Best conception

wins• Make yours more

important

Show how yours is the

most integral to the debate and

has is more detrimental if

abrogated

Use examples of how theirs is

wrong or irrelevant

COMPETING PRINCIPLES

Best when it comes out first

Maybe substantiate at second further – mostly gatekeepingShould not be coming out at third – defend or extend

WHERE TO PUT IT IN THE CASE