Breaking Down Barriers: Ask Jim about Debate Return to the BDB List of Questions

You can submit questions too, just email Jim at hansonjb@whitman.edu

Inductive Logic--How does inductive logic relate to a DA or a justification attack?

Inductive logic uses examples to support more general claims. For example, my Toyota is a great car and so is my sister’s Toyota. Therefore, Toyota’s are good cars.

You would use inductive logic in a disadvantage by giving an example of a situation where a plan caused a problem and then claimed that such plans generally cause this problem. For example, if you argue that wind power costs money, you would argue inductively that renewable energy costs money.

You would use inductive logic in a justification argument in a slightly different way. You would critique the sufficiency of the inductive logic in an affirmative case. Say that the affirmative says that several states have done the affirmative successfully. You would argue that state effectiveness does not justify (inductively) federal action. Note that this is not just "inductive" logic—it is also analogical as well, because it challenges the assumed analogy between state action and federal action that the affirmative advocates.

Jim

Thanks to xxx for this question.

Send Jim an e-mail if you have other tips