The Importance of Fact Questions in Public Debates

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Public debates often get stalled because the focus remains solely on policy stances, overlooking the crucial aspect of fact questions that underlie disagreements. Fact questions, identified as the first layer of debate by Cicero, allow for flexibility and new directions in discussions. By incorporating fact questions such as the impact of border policing practices, the implications of a border wall on foreign relations, and the balance between security and life values, debates can shift towards common ground, revealing aspects of the issue that were previously overlooked. Embracing fact questions not only diversifies answers but also uncovers shared perspectives among opposing views, promoting a deeper understanding of complex issues in a polarized society.

Robin Reames grew up in a fundamentalist Christian, white, and very conservative family in the Deep South. "Up until about my late adolescence and early adulthood," she says, "I more or less believed that the polarized view of the world that dominated my subculture was true. They are the bad guys. We are the good guys." But things changed when she went away to college and discovered rhetoric. That ancient art ultimately showed her how everything from disagreements with her parents to the polarized politics of our time — and even to the way that we think about truth itself — are propelled by the power of words. Robin, who is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joins us today to share a few key insights from her new book, "The Ancient Art of Thinking For Yourself."