Periagoge
Scenario

When debate teams prioritize winning over truth-seeking

Our debate team has incredible technical skills but we've become so focused on winning arguments that we've lost sight of truth-seeking, and now half the team wants to quit because they feel like we're just learning to manipulate rather than genuinely engage with ideas. The coach keeps pushing competitive success but some of us are questioning whether this kind of argumentation is actually making us worse thinkers.

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

A group trained in argumentation faces the tension between competitive success and genuine intellectual inquiry.

Your guide for this
Patan
Patan works with people navigating exactly this kind of situation.
Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Logic and argumentation traditions?”

Peri

Peri can explain why this happens, help you decide if this is the right situation for you, and point toward the right journey or coach.

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.