VALUE PREMISE – The greatest advantage (value) that comes from taking a particular action or subscribing to a particular idea. I.E. If you argue that providing a secondary education to everyone is good because it promotes knowledge, then a value premise could be knowledge.
1. Presented directly after the introduction, definitions, and the observation (if present).
2. Allows the judge to compare the values and which case supports stronger values.
3. The affirmative and negative may have the same value. In this case, it is up to each side to argue that their contentions better uphold that value.
4. The reasoning used to connect a value premise to the claim (contention), is called a LINK. This must be done for each contention presented and these arguments are key criteria used by the judge to decide the debate.
B. VALUE CRITERION – connects the value premise with the side of the resolution. If the value premise is societal good, the value criterion might be justice, which means that the case will show that the side (affirmative or negative) supports the value of societal good by showing that it best supports justice (which is presumed to lead to societal good).
1. Must maintain the criterion is the right criterion and it is the best way to achieve the value, especially when both sides have the same value.
2. Essentially the first step in establishing a link between the value premise and the resolution.
3. Functions “under” the value premise as a means of establishing it and not as a means of evaluating the value’s importance.
CRITERION FOR JUDGMENT – provides a standard for comparing competing values presented in the round. Essentially, the criterion for judgment should help to explain why your value premise is more valuable than your opponent’s value premise.
Example: if the resolution is about affirmative action:
VALUE PREMISE: “Justice”
VALUE CRITERION: By achieving “equality of opportunity” I achieve justice
CRITERION FOR JUDGMENT: My side achieves the most “Justice” because the goal of my side is to maximize “equality of opportunity”.