Defense Against the Dark Arts 1: Phil (ft. Etkin)

Welcome to the first video in a new series about responding to tricky positions in Public Forum debate on the national circuit. This episode covers the basics of philosophical arguments (often called "phil positions") that deviate from the traditional consequentialist cost-benefit-analysis assumptions of the average PF round. In this video, Aidan Etkin and I introduce phil positions, discuss helpful ways to categorize them with examples, and then chart out a 10-step plan for responding effectively. If you found this helpful, consider signing up for the Argument Institute club team next year or for our July in-person debate camp. For more information on either, check out our website at https://argumentinstitute.org