So essentially "guns don't kill people, people do"? My argument wasn't that rethorical training is harmful, my argument was that the specific debate club versi

So essentially "guns don't kill people, people do"? My argument wasn't that rethorical training is harmful, my argument was that the specific debate club version of it can be harmful if it isn't accompanied by education that developes the character of those who learn it (my personal opinion is that education that doesn't develope the character does not deserve the name). There is a reason why such lessons are commonly used at "elite" schools like Eton¹. Getting clever at arguing your way into (and out of) things is undeniably a helpful skill for any position of power in society. But ultimately we should remember it is a two-edged sword: The better you make people at arguing, the easier it will become for them to lie to themselves. This is what will happen as a side effect, if they don't learn why they want to avoid lying to themselves, how to spot it when it happens and how to deal with it when it happens. This is not just a character-thing, but something that has to be tought as a core value. ¹: https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/eton-scholarship-exam-asks-boys-to-justify-army-shooting-protesters-dead-8561204/ https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally...