A Comparison Of Debate Contests In The East And The West From The Perspective Of Argumentation

The fact that the twenty-first century has been marked by increasing rhetorical interaction between the East and the West requires us to gain a better understanding of western rhetorical theories, if we hope to engage our western counterparts on an equal footing. Contest debate, with its wide appeal to the public and easy accessibility, should become an effective tool for such purpose. However, when we examine the forensic activities in China, as well as other Chinese communities, we find that these activities have to a large degree failed to function as a platform for participants to practice their rhetorical skills. The author intends to introduce the western argumentation perspective into these debate contests and, in doing so, help improve them.The paper first discusses the call for reforming Chinese contest debates. The second chapter begins with a discussion of some key terms in western rhetorical theories, and the relationship between contest debate and argumentation theory. This discussion is followed by a brief discussion of six important western rhetoricians, with the highlights of the parts of their theories which are closely related to argumentation. In the end of the second chapter, a quick sketch of traditional Chinese rhetorical theory is drawn. In the third chapter, a comparison is made between the underlying assumptions, basic structures, methods, and matters of western and eastern contest debates. As to the final chapter, some suggestions are offered for the problems identified in the preceding chapter.