Public debate is a form of rhetorical practice in which participants engage with one another about topics of mutual interest in front of an audience. Often debates involve opposing sides of an issue. A common example is the political debate that occurs during election campaigns. Alternatively, debates may be a part of educational curricula and serve to improve communication skills among students.
Depending on the purpose of the debate, the format may be different. For example, a policy debate that takes place in the Munk Debates series is typically highly formal, with pre-arranged topics and participants who have been coached to prepare their cases. A less formal version of a policy debate would be a forum-style debate that is held on campus, similar to the Janus Forum series hosted by Brown University’s Political Theory Project.
From a normative perspective, debates are important because they can be used to transmit multiple viewpoints and the reasons why people hold those positions. This is a process that some deliberative theorists see as necessary for a functioning democratic system.
Public debates can also challenge established knowledge and encourage new forms of reasoning. For this reason, they are sometimes considered to be emancipatory from a Butlerian point of view. Similarly, debates can also prompt creative expressions that challenge discourses that sustain oppression and promote a more equitable society. However, if a debate results in tangible harm or violence or if it legitimizes dangerous and violent ideologies, then there are compelling reasons to limit, silence, or condemn instances of such debate.