Launch of Learning Resources
Discussion of controversial issues often fails to yield a resolution, and it can also leave people feeling divided and angry or hurt over what the other people have said. It doesn’t help that media coverage of public debates often highlights the contributions that are most rage-inducing, funny, or extreme. But discussing controversial issues doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, debate can be collaborative and constructive, and a real opportunity to improve our ideas.
To foster this sort of debate, in 2021 we and the Young Academy of Scotland published a Charter for Responsible Debate. This was the result of a two-year project where we tried to identify and articulate a set of principles that will lead to more collaborative and less combative kinds of debate, underpinned by shared purpose. Our guiding question was ‘Are there better ways to discuss deeply contentious issues amongst people who disagree with each other but who are committed to living and working together?’
When debating controversial and heated issues, it is natural to focus on what we can do to win over hearts and minds to our own side of the issue. Because of this, we often think that sincere and persuasive expression of personal convictions is the primary virtue of a good debating. In short, the aim is to ‘win’ in the marketplace of ideas. By contrast, the Responsible Debate project encourages us to value contributions to debate that promote collaborative problem-solving and collective action. This is why we suggest that responsible debate is a matter of discussing contentious issues with shared purpose.
The principles of our charter were developed through a collaborative process which involved hearing proposals from parliamentarians, newscasters, academics, campaigners and activists who all have been part of prominent, often contentious public debates. We asked them what one rule or norm would have made the debates they were part of more constructive and productive. We then refined their ideas in workshops, festivals, public forums and debate amongst our colleagues in the Young Academy of Scotland. The result is a collection of nine principles, grouped around three main themes: informed, respectful, and inclusive. These have been discussed in university classrooms, school debating competitions, public events, and even in the Scottish Parliament.
One thing we learned through this process is that merely agreeing to a set of principles is not enough to change the culture of our public discussions. Doing this will require internalising those principles like the ones in our charter more deeply in our daily practice. To encourage this, we have developed some resources to help people who are interested in learning more about responsible debate and how to embed this into their everyday lives.
On our Learning Resources page you can find a series of six worksheets, aimed at anyone aged 12 to 112. These worksheets are particularly designed for collaborative discussion. One of our main aims in developing these was to provide resources for students preparing for participation in the Ethics Cup and the Ethics Bowl. These are debating competitions that reward the ability to thoughtfully advance debates on ethical issues of public concern rather than the ability to win an argument. But we also intend for these learning resources to be useful for any other individual or group interested in learning more about responsible debate.
We hope that you enjoy using and sharing these worksheets. If you have questions or feedback, or simply want to engage in some responsible debate with us, please contact us at admin@responsibledebate.org
Acknowledgements
These worksheets were co-authored by Matthew Chrisman, Grace Garland, Alice König, Travis Manuel, Benjamin Sachs-Cobbe and Jenny Zhang.
We are grateful to Peter McColl and the teachers and students who participated in focus groups for their valuable feedback. Also to Clare Broom Saunders, Maria Dornelas, Kevin Guyan, Jon Hesk, Kenneth Mavor and John O’Connor for expert contributions to our videos.
This project was generously supported by the Young Academy of Scotland and the University of St Andrews’s Scotland’s Future Series. Sincere thanks to Marie Montondo for administrative support, Emma Quinn for graphic design, and Enya Fortuna for video editing.