One of the problems with treating debate as an exercise in truth seeking is that it is a competition between two "sides." In that context, there is little room

One of the problems with treating debate as an exercise in truth seeking is that it is a competition between two "sides." In that context, there is little room for phrases like "I will concede that..." or other things that we might associate with intellectual honesty and a pursuit of the truth. I don't think this necessarily points to any inherent flaw with the competition, either. The goal of a debate participant is not to discover the "truth," it is to defend the side of the debate you are assigned (and over the course of several rounds against multiple opponents, you will inevitably find yourself alternating between sides). It's similar to arguing in a courtroom: as a defense attorney, your goal is not to discover the "truth," but to get a "not guilty" verdict for your client, even if you believe (or know) them to be guilty.