How to Win a Debate: 5 Pieces of Advice According to Cicero

Greetings readers! It's time for this year's iteration of the popular According to Cicero series. This month's post details Cicero's thoughts on winning an argument. Cicero himself was one of Rome’s most gifted orators, and like other educated Romans, he was skilled at rhetoric in a society in which verbal persuasion was especially critical to daily life. 

​If you want to learn more about Cicero's advice on debating, I suggest How To Win An Argument - a collection of Cicero’s writing on argumentation and oratory. The book details his advice on persuasive speaking, building arguments, convincing audiences, and winning debates. The book, while recommended, is only a selection of Cicero’s writing, so I also suggest the original texts. 

This post succinctly highlights 5 of Cicero's most important pieces of advice on debate and rhetoric: 
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1. Rhetoric is Admirable and Open Debate is Indispensable to Free Societies 

“I think that nothing is more admirable than being able, through speech, to take hold of human minds, to win over their inclinations, to drive them at will in one direction, and to draw them at will from another. It is this ability, more than anything else, that has ever flourished, ever reigned supreme in every free nation and especially in quiet and peaceful communities.”

Here, Cicero reflects on the beautiful ability of speech to change people's minds and how necessary this is to civil society. Of course open debate is paramount in a free society because without it, how else are we to peacefully settle disputes? Without open debate, violence is more likely. Though not explicitly mentioned here, Cicero's position on the importance of debate in free societies is likely informed by his pointed dislike of war, which he considered quite undesirable. 
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2. Good Character Matters 

“Wisdom without eloquence does too little for the good of communities, but eloquence without wisdom is, in most instances, extremely harmful and never beneficial. If, then, anyone exerts all of his energies in the practice of oratory to the neglect of the highest and most honorable pursuits of reason and moral conduct, he is reared as a citizen useless to himself and harmful to his country; but the person who arms himself with eloquence in such a way that enables him not to assault the interest of his country, but rather assist them, this man, in my opinion, will be a citizen most helpful and most devoted both to his own interests and those of the public.”

​​Cicero is saying here that eloquent sophistry from a person who lacks patriotism and morality is especially dangerous. The rhetorically skilled sophist who lacks wisdom and patriotism, is a much worse citizen and far more unhelpful for society than the principled wise man who simply lacks persuasive speaking ability.  
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3. Use This Technique to Make Counter Arguments

“Every argument is refuted in one of these ways: if one or more of its assumptions is not granted; or if the assumptions are granted, it is denied that a conclusion can be drawn from them; or the actual form of argument is shown to be fallacious; or a strong argument is countered by an equally strong or stronger.”

​​Here, Cicero notes that arguments can be refuted in several ways: by questioning the premises, by pointing out the the conclusion doesn't follow from the premises, or by pointing out that the structure of the argument itself is a fallacy. Attacking someone's character for example, rather than debating the facts at hand, is a fallacy called ad hominem. That is no way to win an argument and it makes you look stupid.

On the other hand, if someone makes a good argument, in order to win a debate you must counter it with an equally good or even better argument. 
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4. How You Deliver Your Argument is the Most Important part of Winning a Debate

​“[T]he saying attributed to Demosthenes, who, when asked what the primary consideration in peaking, replied “delivery”; what was second, “delivery”; and again, what was third, “delivery.” No other thing penetrates the mind more deeply, fashions, forms, and flexes it, and causes speakers to seem such persons as they themselves wish to seem.”

Putting even a good argument across poorly will make you loose a debate. There are always more tactful, charitable and erudite ways to deliver points which will help convince people that you are correct (and also not an emotionally-driven, illogical maniac).  

5. Become a Better Writer to Become a More Skilled Speaker

“What is most fundamental, however, is something that, to be honest, we do least of all (for it involves a great deal of effort, which most of us try to avoid) – I mean writing as much as possible. It is the pen, the pen, that is the best and most eminent teacher and creator of speaking. And I am saying this with very good reason: if extemporaneous and random speech is easily surpassed by preparation and reflection, the latter, in turn, will certainly be outdone by constant and diligent writing.”

Cicero is saying that the worst debaters neither read much or write on a given topic. Those who read, reflect on a subject and prepare for debates are better off, but those who read and then also become skilled writers on a topic are surely the best debaters. This is likely because you learn something well by teaching it to others. 

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Read Next: 
5 Signs You Lack Maturity According to Cicero 
​The 7 Rules of Good Conversation According to Cicero
How to Be a Badass According to Cicero 

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