Hard and Soft Models & Some First Principles

How you are going to implement the motion The job of the first speaker to outline clearly The level of depth is at your discretion: Don’t spend too long detailing every little aspect of the policy But ensure the pertinent parts of the process are clear For most motions it should be relatively intuitive

This terminology refers to how drastic the change you are proposing is Hard being a drastic change to the status quo Soft being a slight change to the status quo Example: this house supports euthanasia

Soft – Restricted to incredibly sick people with no hope of a cure and decent standard of living. Need consent of multiple doctors and psychologists. Can only be passive: i.e. denial of food/medicine.

Moderate – Allowed for the terminally ill with very low standard of living. Requires the consent of a doctor and psychologist.

Hard – Available to anyone diagnosed with terminal or debilitating illness. Need medical consent. Doctor assisted or self-administered.

Good teams will always go for somewhere between a moderate and a hard line model WHY? Fairness: the softer the line you take the less clash there is in the debate because what you are proposing is not that different from the opposition. Strategy: harder line models facilitate more philosophically consistent cases.

Get into little groups of 3 (as if you were in a team) Come up with an appropriate model for: A) This house would legalise all drugs B) This house would reserve seats for women in Parliament For this, consider the different ways the case could be run. C)

Make teams come up with a broad outline of the arguments they would run based on those models Look at how ‘soft models’ limit the arguments available Discussion of the cases (AFF and NEG)…

Most debates stem from some deeper clash between principles Some common principles: Bodily Autonomy Equity Freedom of Expression Note that the structure of the following slides is also how you can structure these arguments.

What is it? Everyone has ownership rights over their own body. I own my body and have the right to make decisions in relation to it. Can extend to things like freedom of movement Proviso: 3 rd party harm: until my actions harm others. Why is it important? I know my body best and can thus make the best decisions Other rights like free speech and free movement are contingent on this right. It is relatively fundamental

This house would legalise/ban prostitution This house would legalise marajuana (or any drug)

What is it? Blanket equality assumes that everyone has the same starting point in society Equity is about providing people with a relatively equal starting point; it is about fairness Through affirmative action, or targetted schemes, or welfare Why is it important? Rawls: the veil of ignorance – it is only by the lottery of birth that you were born in the family that you are in. Given that, everyone is entitled to be brought up to an equivalent starting point.

This house supports affirmative action quotas for Maori in universities Almost every welfare debate

What is it? Everyone has a right to say what they want, wear what they want, and so on (it is an extension of the idea of liberty) You should not be stopped from voicing your opinion by anyone Why is it important? Marketplace of ideas: everyone has unique and useful ideas that they bring to society. (More utility basically) It underpins a fair and equal society and a liberal democracy (Much more explanation can happen here).

This house would ban the burqa Or other debates about religious freedoms This house would ban/legalise hate speech Or any debate that encompasses the issue of hate speech

These arguments can all be extended in creative ways to fit different debates. For example: autonomy can extend to arguments about privacy and the right to regulate your own personal space. Just make sure you explain your principles clearly and justify why they apply and why they’re important.

If there is time: Prep – THW allow individuals to sell their organs In your spare time: Think about: This house would ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy I have not covered the specific principles in these slides: so you will have to dig them up yourself. Some guidance: Think about what constitutes a living agent Why and where we should draw the line The effect on women