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Introduction Identifying the Subject of Evaluation Providing Criteria Applying Criteria Superiority of Values Sample Affirmative Construction
Sample Affirmative Construction
The proposition we evaluate today is a new form of an old, ageless debate. Is something inherently evil or wrong simply because it is something new? I believe history has time and time again answered that question with a resounding - no. I am therefore firmly resolved that the benefits of genetic manipulation of nature are more important than the moral implications.
I will begin my analysis by providing DEFINITIONS to the key terms of the proposition: (from Webster's Third new International Dictionary, 1986)
GENETIC - of, relating to, produced by, or being a gene.
MANIPULATION - to control the action or course of by management.
NATURE - the theoretical condition or stage of existence usually held to reveal man in his original and proper state.
MORE IMPORTANT - of greater value in content, weight, or significance.
MORAL - relating to principles of right and wrong.
IMPLICATIONS - the resulting consequences, results.
The VALUE that I will defend is SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS - the development or advancement of society. Through progress, the standard of living of all is raised hence the least advantaged are benefited as well as the advantaged. Since benefits imply positive results and implications imply negative results, the best CRITERIA in which to judge this debate is ULTIMATE EFFECTS - a value is good or bad based upon its consequences - importance is based on the final outcome.
To demonstrate that GENETIC MANIPULATION, and THUS SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS, FULFILLS THE CRITERIA, I offer the following observations:
1. Genetic Manipulation Is A Concern Because It Is New And Unexplored.
According to Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), "The effects of any new technology introduced on the scale anticipated for biotechnology extend beyond the factories and research centers influencing our everyday lives... Many countries are actively reviewing the safety and ethics of biotechnology research and its applications." ("Biotechnology in Perspective." Washington, D.C.: Biotechnology Industry Organization, 1990.)
2. The Purpose of Genetic Research is to Advance Society.
Dr. Donald Kennedy, former president of Stanford University, reports, "First, it offers an unparalleled sweep of new opportunity. Those who are practicing the technology, let alone the investors, see exciting prospects of new medications, new agricultural crops, new means of remediating environmental problems. It is, in short, the source of stupendous possibilities. ("Winding Your Way through DNA" symposium, which took place at the University of California San Francisco in 1992.)
3. Genetic Engineering Has Already Produced Numerous Benefits.
Genetech reports examples of DNA research, "1983 - Eli Lilly received a license to make human insulin. A study of an extended family in Venezuela with Huntington's chorea demonstrated that family members with the disease show a distinct and characteristic pattern of restriction fragment lengths. The same methods of investigation revealed patterns for cystic fibrosis, adult polycystic kidney disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and others. 1985 - Genetically engineered plants resistant to insects, viruses, and bacteria were field tested for the first time. 1986 - The FDA granted a license for the first recombinant vaccine (for hepatitis). 1988 - a licensing agreement for two anti-cancer drugs, Interleukin-2 and Polyethylene Glycol Modified IL-2. 1989 - a recombinant vaccine against the deadly rinderpest virus, which had wiped out millions of cattle in developing countries. 1990 - The FDA licensed Chiron's hepatitis C antibody test to help ensure the purity of blood bank products." ("1977 -Present: The Dawn Of Biotech, "Access Excellence,Genentech, Inc., 93)
4. Stringent Guidelines Reduce Possible Negative Effects To Virtually Nil.
BIO reports, "Following initial concerns that genetic engineering could give rise to infectious organisms ... a stringent set of guidelines was drawn up by the government and leading scientists in the mid-1970s ... While it is not possible to eliminate completely the risk of a genetic engineering accident, the experience of the last ten or so years of research has indicated that the chances of constructing a disease-producing organism by accident are very remote... Provided such vigilance is maintained, mankind can look forward to a wide range of exciting prospects that stem from biotechnology." ("Biotechnology in Perspective." Washington, D.C.: Biotechnology Industry Organization, 1990.)
5. The Net Effect of Genetic Research Is Overwhelmingly Beneficial.
BIO asserts, "Biotechnology has, for example, made it possible to detect, and in some cases treat, diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis... The potential benefits include solving world food shortages, and improvements in medicine, agriculture, and veterinary sciences. We can confidently expect biotechnological solutions to many essential industrial processes that currently produce toxic effluents." ("Biotechnology in Perspective." Washington, D.C.: Biotechnology Industry Organization, 1990.)
To demonstrate that SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS is the SUPREME VALUE, I offer the following contentions:
1. Some Object To Genetic Manipulation Because They Consider It "Playing God"
or a disruption of the 'natural order' -- a sort of Frankenstien process. This, however, is not the case. Alteration of the 'natural order' has become commonplace and accepted in our society. For example, we place premature newborns in artificial incubators and place them on artificial respirators because 'nature' has dealt them an unfair blow. When we are sick, we go to the doctor and consume chemicals that alter the 'natural' processes of our bodies, because we believe that the benefits of 'scientific progress' outweigh the 'moral implications' of trusting the 'natural' process of healing. Genetic manipulation is simply a different form.
2. Progress is Intrinsic in Humankind. Henry George, in The Law of Human Progress, asserts, "Many of the characteristics, actions, and emotions of man are exhibited by the lower animals; but man ... has never yet been found destitute of one thing of which no animal shows the slightest trace, a clear recognizable but almost undefinable something, which gives him the power of improvement -- which makes him the progressive animal." (British Journalist, 1917, p.4)
3. Progress is the Hope of Man's Future. John Edsall, Professor of Biochemistry, contends, "We cannot point to a single definitive solution of any one of the problems that confront us -- political, economic, social, or moral ... We are still beginners, and for that reason may hope to improve. To deride the hope of progress is the ultimate fatuity, the last word in poverty of spirit and meanness of mind." (Harvard University, Progress And Its Discontents, 1982, P. 159)
4. Progress is a Key to Advancing Civilization. Progress, in the scientific sense, has been of great benefit to human civilization producing modern technology that has reduced death and suffering, improved economic productivity, and increased the quality of life. Clearly, without scientific progress, man would be living in a cave, gathering berries, and eating raw meat.
In SUMMARY, Scientific Progress Is The Most Important Human Value Because It Is The Absolute Perfection Of Ultimate Effects. Scientific progress has produced and will continue to produce good - saving millions and improving the quality of life for all. Morality, however, is inherently subjective. People have different values and different moral beliefs. As such people disagree as to what is good and bad. Outcome is the only reasonable means of evaluation. Genetic manipulation of nature promotes positive benefits while limiting negative consequences - the criterion is fulfilled.
Affirmative Analysis Review
- The best possible review for this unit is for the debater to complete an affirmative construction. As you proceed with this process, take one step at a time, gather research from current periodicals, books, and ideas from well-established philosophers. The steps in the affirmative analysis are outlined below for the benefit of simplification:
- Identify the Subject of Evaluation:
Define the actual terms of the Subject of Evaluation.
Establish a value that reflects the essence of the proposition.
Define and develop a foundation for the selected value. - Provide a Criteria:
Define the actual terms of the Terms of Evaluation.
Establish a criterion that will measure the importance of the value.
Define and establish a foundation for the selected criteria. - Applying Criteria:
Identify the needs according to the type of proposition.
Establish a pragmatic base by answering the questions identified needs according to the type of proposition. - Hierarchy of Values:
Identify possible negative counter values and criteria.
Develop preemptive arguments that counterbalance the negative position.
Establish the importance for the affirmative value by developing a philosophical foundation based on long-standing theories, principles, and ideas.
Establish a link between the value and criteria by explaining how the value, criteria, and proposition are interrelated.
- Write the affirmative construction paying particular attention to organization and clarity.
After you have completed your construction, have your coach critique its format, content, and construction - revise - and then test it in several debate rounds.