How to Use Values

A value, in the simplest sense, is the foundation of your case. It is what all of your arguments should be focused and built around. Essentially, whenever the judge thinks of your case, he or she should be able to remember the main point--which is your value.

It's All in the Name

The value that you think of should be very short, and never any more than two words; for example, justice, equality, liberty, common good, general will, or even utilitarianism. The more basic the value, the easier it is to remember. If the value were "the health of a good and just society within the basic realms of justice," it's very difficult for anyone to remember it word for word, and thus the full effect of your point is lost. Simplify, so that that value could become "common good," which is much easier to remember. Also, remember that you're probably going to say your value on more than a few occasions, so make the value short and you'll find it easier to repeat it.

What should my value be?

Never think of a value before you write a case. Write your case with contentions that you like, and then think of the one main idea that those contentions speak of. If all of your contentions speak of the good things that, say, doing debate causes, then your value might be justice; that doing debate upholds justice. Think of the value as the foundation of a house, and that the rest of your contentions rest upon that foundation.

The Value Statement

In your written case, plug in what is called a value statement before your contentions (you should have written the contentions already). A value statement simply explains what your value is and why you chose that value. The value should be simple enough so that you can do this statement within three sentences. In the first sentence, state your value: "My value today is..." In the next two sentences, explain why this value will relate to your contentions: "I will prove that my value of justice is best upheld by affirming the resolution because..." That's all you need to say. Anymore would probably be a waste of both yours and the judges' time.

Applying the Value to your Argument

The simplest way to use your value in your case is to plug in value relations to your contentions. As the term itself explains, this is where you add a sentence or two at the end of each contention where you relate your value to your specific contention. If your first contention was, "debating is good because it improves confidence," your value relation would be as follows: "Because debating improves confidence, it also upholds justice. Therefore, by affirming the resolution (saying that debating is good), justice is best provided for."

That's the basic lesson on how to use values in your constructive case. Remember, keep it simple, yet understandable. The better that you can understand your value, the easier it will be for the judge.

by Will Henry, '00