Foto Guy Ackermans The turnout for the municipal elections left much to be desired. In my social circle, there was only moderate interest in the elections. The violence of the war and the fabulous weather (what a contrast) overshadowed the desire to engage in political discussions. While there is no politology or history programme in Wageningen, discussion and debate are key in the social studies programme. Does education at WUR focus more on discussion or on debate?
Discussion or debate, what, roughly, is the difference? In a debate, the goal is to “win” by convincing a third party. While the other is talking, you attempt to regroup your verbal shields and barriers to optimally protect your positions and arguments. While the other is talking, you seek weaknesses in their defence to launch your attack. The code of conduct for discussions calls for listening and seeking similarities and differences in the arguments in an effort to reach common ground (again, what a contrast). The trap to avoid is identifying yourself with your position. Falling into that trap robs you of your investigative attitude and shifts your focus towards galvanising your opinion. Thus, you are no longer able to change your opinion.
The trap to avoid is identifying yourself with your position
Psychological research reveals a human flaw: a brain is a story-telling machine that attempts to avoid logical and reflective reasoning. The brain produces as strong a story as possible, based on what you know. The relevant question that is never asked is: what information do I need to formulate a well-considered opinion, and what part of this information do I actually have? But that is not how humans -and thus, the world- work.
The codes for a healthy discussion are a carefully guarded secret, which education might help decipher. Seminars and argumentation assignments focus mainly on the debate. Students are encouraged to process limited information into improvised arguments to convince the opponent—a challenging and probably useful preparation for real-life situations.
For example, we have elected politicians that are required to please their constituents by “winning” debates. But, no worries, there are excellent alternatives. Deliberative democracy, for example, by drawing lots, focuses much more on discussion than on debate. It is no wonder that education is more focused on debate. But what came first, the chicken or the egg?
