Debate.org: MTGandP's Debates

Free will exists.

2009-09-27T20:59:51-08:00

(Voting Period) I thank my opponent for challenging me to this debate. He will be playing the Devil's Advocate, as we agree on the issue of free will. Free will: The capability to make a free choice. Free choice: A choice that is ultimately not influenced by any outside entity and completely unpredictable, but is also completely rational from the perspective of the entity making the choice. Rational: Proceeding or derived from reason or based on logical reasoning. (dictionary.com) Note that a being with free will does not have to make every choice a free choice, but must only be capable of making a free choice. That is, some or even most choices that a person makes may be predictable, but for a person to have free will the person must be capable of being truly unpredictable. *** Why Free Will Is Impossible 1. Every event is either caused by something or caused by nothing. (This is not arguable.) 2. If an event is caused by something: it is not free because it

Rap Battle.

2009-07-02T23:26:46-08:00

(Post Voting Period) This here is a rap battle, kids. The objective for each side is simply to make a rap, not too short but not too long, that attacks the other person. Because we're simply writing our raps, beats won't really be an issue, so the battle will essentially be more poetic than fully hip-hop like. The criteria used for judging should simply be the quality of the wordplay, taking into account creativity of the rhymes, references to outside things, etc. Flow–meaning rhythm, and the syllabic structure of each line–should not be a criterion as we are not actually rapping these verses rather than typing and reading them. My opponent should begin with a verse IN ROUND 1. If he or she fails to do so, he or she immediately forfeits the battle. The next rounds should then all contain verses. I am giving myself a disadvantage in that I am not able to write a verse in the first round–thus, I ask that my opponent refrain from writing a verse in the final round. However,

Ultimate Team War

2009-06-04T13:34:27-08:00

(Voting Period) This is the Ultimate World Domination Team Battle. Each debater must assemble a team of five people, and the teams will then have a battle. Since we cannot have an actual real-life battle, each debater will explain why their team is superior during this debate. DEFINITIONS Team leader: One of the debaters here, i.e. me and whoever accepts the debate. Team member: One of the five chosen warriors. RULES 1. Battles take place in a neutral location in the real world. The environment may not favor any team member. Note: Because this neutral location exists in the real world, someone like Neo who relies on The Matrix for his powers will not have his powers. 2. No team member may have unlimited abilities in one or more particular areas. 3. Every team member must be either real or, if fictional, verifiably existent. No characters may be made up for the purpose of this debate. 4. In the case of a fictional character, the team member's abilities must be acc

Obama's Health Care Plan is beneficial to the United States of America

2009-08-09T11:13:41-08:00

(Voting Period) There will be no semantics, you know what I mean by the resolution. As usual, I will defer to the affirmative to open. Good luck.

TheLwerd is a decent human being with a good head on her shoulders.

2009-09-04T18:44:55-08:00

(Voting Period) On theLwerd's profile, it says "I'd like to think that I'm a decent human being with a good head on my shoulders. Feel free to debate me on it if you disagree." I take that challenge. I am going to be taking multiple routes of argumentation. Definitions (from Merriam-Webster) Decent: conforming to standards of propriety, good taste, or morality. Conform: to be similar or identical. Good: of a favorable character or tendency. On: used as a function word to indicate position in contact with and supported by the top surface of . Head: the upper or anterior division of the animal body that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth. (see http://kottkegae.appspot.com/images/eddie-murphy-giant-head.jpg) Neck: the part of an animal that connects the head with the body. (see http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10003/long_neck.jpg) Shoulder: the laterally projecting part of the human bod

School uniforms ought to be worn in primary and secondary schools.

2009-06-30T09:21:25-08:00

(Voting Period) School Uniform: An outfit of clothing to be worn daily to school. "Traditionally, school uniforms have been subdued and professional. Boys' uniforms often consist of dark trousers and light-colored shirt, often with a tie. Girls' uniforms [...] typically consist of a dress or a blouse worn either with a skirt or culottes or under a pinafore." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniform) It is assumed that wearing the school uniform (as described above) does not conflict with any religious beliefs. Since my opponent is Pro, I will allow him to make the opening argument.

Fallacy Debate: Marijuana should be smoked regularly by adults in the United States.

2009-08-06T14:12:56-08:00

(Voting Period) Inspired by http://www.debate.org/debates/Fallacious-Arguments/1/ Each person must argue the resolution to the best of their ability. But the catch is, each person must use as many logical fallacies as possible. The arguments vote should be given to the person with the best balance between persuasiveness and fallaciousness. To my opponent, please do not argue semantics or attempt to weasel out of the spirit of the debate. Since sources are irrelevant, the sources vote should be defaulted to the winner of the arguments/fallacies. Now to get on with the arguments. ======== It is vital that we legalize marijuana for the welfare of society. According to this poll (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/06/majority-of-americans-wan_n_198196.html), 52% of Americans want to legalize it, while only 37% are opposed. The choice is clear. If we do not begin marijuana on a regular basis, the only alternative is to inflict great suffering on every man, woman a

LM Classic: Sherlockmethod vs MTGandP

2009-07-29T21:07:06-08:00

(Voting Period) I look forward to a great time in my very first Ultimate Team Challenge. I would like to thank LM for the tournament, and my opponent. Good luck. We agreed to a 30 min prep time and character presentation in the first round. Pro's Team 1) Dr. Doom – Second only to Stephen Strange in knowledge of the arcane arts among humanoids, Victor Von Doom is one of the most prolific villains in the Marvel Universe. He possesses a genius level intellect and can transfer his mind to another body. Doom possesses superhuman strength when in his armor and the armor limits telepathic attacks as well. Most importantly, Doom is a master manipulator. Doom is a top nothch scientist and is meticulous in his attention to detail. http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Victor_von_Doom_(Earth-616) 2) Ghost Rider – Danny Ketch. Ghostie is the spirit of vengeance. His body is consumed in hellfire. He possesses superhuman strength, a mystical chain that can separate into individual bolts tha

Atheism relies on the belief that nothing is needed to have anything occur.

2009-05-21T19:51:37-08:00

(Post Voting Period) (Notice that I have categorized "atheism" under Religion not because it is a religion, but because it is related to religion and religious topics.) My opponent has stated that "Atheism is the belief that nothing is needed to have anything occur" on his profile. I negate this statement. It is possible that my opponent was joking, but this is America, and we can debate about whatever we want! Atheism: a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods. (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=atheism) God: the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe (Merriam-Webster) I will allow my opponent to make the first argument.

My Opponent Exists.

2009-06-16T11:03:57-08:00

(Voting Period) I think the debate's title is pretty self-explanatory. I'm trying to affirm the idea that my opponent exists; whoever accepts is attempting to negate whatever reasoning I choose to put forth. Round one is merely an introduction; arguments will begin in the second round. So yeah, best of luck to whoever accepts.

"If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late," is a logical expression.

2009-08-02T22:04:35-08:00

(Post Voting Period) I stand in firm negation to the resolution. I would like to begin by defining several key terms: you're- contraction of you are early- before the usual or expected time on time- at the appointed time late- after the usual or expected time logical- capable of reasoning or of using reason in an orderly cogent fashion In this debate, the phrase, "If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late," refers to the expression commonly used in an attempt to influence a person to get to a certain location at a reasonable time. However, keep in mind that this debate is solely on whether or not this expression is logical or illogical. I believe that the expression, "If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late," is illogical. My contention is as follows: a) According to the first half of the expression, if you're early, you're on time. This means that to be early is to be on time. In other words, early=on time

I will not break a rule.

2009-06-08T18:41:30-08:00

(Voting Period) This debate is inspired by http://www.debate.org/debates/I-will-not-break-a-rule./1/ =========== Foundation Rules =========== 0. By accepting this debate, my opponent agrees to all the rules already posted. 1. Rules created hold power over all rules posted later, and no later rule can contradict an earlier rule. 2. Both players should still have the ability to post rules in their turn. 3. A violation of a rule that is not null and void will result in the rule-breaker losing this debate. 4. A player may only do something besides make rules to discuss whether one has broken a rule, or whether a rule is null. 5. Not counting these foundation rules, each player can only create 3 rules per round. 6. Each player must produce 3 rules per round or they forfeit. 7. Rules cannnot result in an auto-win. Breaking a rule cannot result in the victory of the rule-breaker. Each player should have an oppportunity to not break each rule. 8. A vote

Free will probably exists in humans.

2009-07-08T07:15:24-08:00

(Voting Period) Free will: "...a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives." (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) To define further, free will means that the ultimate decision comes down to the rational actor and is not wholly determined by external conditions. I negate the resolution: Free will probably exists in humans. *** Why Free Will Is Impossible 1: Determinism Every event is caused by a preceding event. To our knowledge, events do not happen unless they are caused by a previous event. This works all the way down to the molecular level. If every event is caused by another event, free will is impossible since all events are simply the effect of some cause(s). 2: First Cause The first cause (whatever it was, or if it even existed) cannot be a source of free will, since there can only be one first cause. That is, if we are accepting that everything is caused by something else. But what if

Free will probably exists in humans.

2009-05-08T17:10:34-08:00

(Voting Period) The following arguments are paraphrased from a debate of mine of the same resolution. Free will: "...a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives." (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) To define further, free will means that the ultimate decision comes down to the rational actor and is not wholly determined by external conditions. I negate the resolution: Free will probably exists in humans. *** Why Free Will Is Impossible 1: Determinism Every event is caused by a preceding event. To our knowledge, events do not happen unless they are caused by a previous event. This works all the way down to the molecular level. If every event is caused by another event, free will is impossible since all events are simply the effect of some cause(s). 2: First Cause The first cause (whatever it was, or if it even existed) cannot be a source of free will, since there can only be one first caus

Ultimate Team War: Maikuru vs. MTGandP

2009-06-24T16:12:29-08:00

(Voting Period) This is another installment of Ultimate Team War. Each debater must assemble a team of five individuals, and the teams will then fight to the death. Since we cannot have an actual real-life battle, each debater will explain why their team is superior during this debate. DEFINITIONS Team leader: One of the debaters here, i.e. me or MTGandP. Team member: One of the five chosen warriors. Team Pro: My team. Team Con: My opponent's team. VOTING Conduct: Vote for both normal conduct and whoever follows the rules most effectively. S&G: Vote as usual. Arguments: Vote for whoever proves most effectively that their team would win. Sources: As sources don't really matter, vote for whoever proves most effectively that their team would win. RULES – Standard Ultimate Team War rules apply: 1. Battles take place on an earth-like planet; there is a human population, but humans will not interfere with the war unless forced to become involved. 2. No team membe

Ultimate Team War III

2009-06-13T17:20:00-08:00

(Voting Period) This is the Ultimate World Domination Team War. Each debater must assemble a team of five people, and the teams will then fight to the death. Since we cannot have an actual real-life battle, each debater will explain why their team is superior during this debate. DEFINITIONS Team leader: One of the debaters here, i.e. me or mongeese. Team member: One of the five chosen warriors. Team Pro: My team. Team Con: My opponent's team. RULES 1. Battles take place on an earthlike planet; there is a human population, but humans will not interfere with the war unless forced to become involved. 2. No team member may have unlimited abilities in one or more particular areas. 3. Every team member must be either real or, if fictional, verifiably existent. No characters may be made up for the purpose of this debate. 4. In the case of a fictional character, the team member's abilities must be according to a specific canon chosen by the team leader. 5. Every chara

Infanticide up until one month of age is morally permissible.

2009-07-27T21:48:41-08:00

(Voting Period) Hunton accepted a proposal to debate this topic, and it sounds like fun. An interesting challenge. ;] Infanticide: The killing of an infant. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infanticide) ======== Whence rights? Who deserves rights? Most human rights stem from the fundamental axiom that people's desires should be respected. For instance, murder is morally wrong because people have a deep desire to live, and that desire should be respected. Theft is wrong because people have a desire to retain their belongings. Even if they do not have a direct desire to retain certain belongings, there is still an indirect desire. If one's belongings are stolen, even if the belongings are not treasured, it is an infringement on personal privacy and wellbeing. Infants up until one month of age are incapable of true desire. Sure, they may have wants, but they do not have a true understanding of their own position in the world and of their own being. In essen

Patriotism is harmful to the human race.

2009-05-08T21:03:36-08:00

(Voting Period) I am challenging Maikuru to debate the one (interesting) issue that we disagree on. If he chooses to accept, this should be very interesting. Definitions Patriotism: Love for or devotion to one's country. (Webster's) Harmful to the human race: Tends to be detrimental to the general well-being of the human race and/or human society as a whole. Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition (Webster's) I affirm the resolution: Patriotism is harmful to the human race. Note: In some of my explanations, I am speaking about an imaginary person named Bob and his country called Countryland instead of abstract concepts. I am doing this simply because it makes the pronouns easier to work with. Contention

"Legos" are better than "mega blocks"

2009-04-27T19:04:56-08:00

(Post Voting Period) Legos are way better than mega blocks. The pieces fit together way better and the sets they come in are way cooler. Also, mega blocks are for lames who have no friends. The Lego company started making toys in 1932! Mega blocks started in 1967. One can conclude from this that the lego company has had more experience. Bong!

A Fetus is Parasite When Inside Its Mother

2009-06-05T12:31:56-08:00

(Post Voting Period) I would like to thank whoever takes this debate. Fetus- In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fetus) Parasite- an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Parasite) Organism- a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/organism) Mother- the human the fetus is inside In this debate none of these definitions can be contended and it is assumed that a fetus is a living organism. A fetus is parasitic because: - it lives inside the women's body - it takes all its nutrients from the mother - the mother gets nothing in return from the fetus - if the fetus is taken out of the mother, it will di