Counterpoints

Every debate has more than one side.  How can you learn about the counterpoints to an argument that you'd like to make?  While there are many potential options, we want to emphasize 3 for this session.

  1. Use Library Resources
  2. Talk to your Peers
  3. Use an LLM Chatbot

Library Resources

There are a handful of resources that specialize in offering points and counterpoints to popular topics of debate.  With AI being such a popular hot-button topic, many of you will likely find your topics well covered by these resources.

Not all of your topics will be covered by these resources.  You should still consider the databases from previous tabs for counterpoints.  News resources are particularly notable as a common resources for finding points and counterpoints.

Using AI to learn about counterpoints

It's difficult to say with certainty whether or not LLMs are effective at producing counterarguments to topics.  They are simply too new and too inconsistent at generating accurate information.  That said, they have the potential to be excellent, and in a low stakes environment, they are worth exploring.  Test them out, but be wary of any "facts" they produce.

An article by Robert Smithson and Adam Zweber at UNC Wilmington discusses the potential of LLMs in researching philosophy in more detail.  Here is a citation:

 

Smithson, R., & Zweber, A. (2024). Reviving the Philosophical Dialogue with Large Language Models. Teaching Philosophy, 47(2), 143–171.  https://doi.org/10.5840/teachphil2024424196  

 

(Please note: you will likely need to be on-campus or connected to campus for the doi link to work)

 

Media Bias Chart

 

Try to be aware of where your argument falls relative to other popular sources for arguments.  Ad Fontes' Interactive Media Bias Chart makes an effort to identify political and accuracy biases.  Learn more about their methodology here.