The Purpose of Cross-Examination
Cross-examination in BQ is not a debate speech but a focused interrogation meant to clarify, expose, and set up later arguments. You will be able to state the three legitimate goals of a cross-examination period.
Three Goals: Clarify, Expose, Set Up
Good cross-examination questions either clarify an ambiguous claim ('When you say morality is objective, do you mean mind-independent, or just universally agreed-upon?'), expose a weakness (a hidden premise, an unfalsifiable claim, or a contradiction with an earlier statement), or set up a future argument by getting the opponent to commit to a claim you plan to use against them later. Every question should serve at least one of these three goals — questions asked just to fill time waste a scarce, valuable period.
Listening for the Real Answer
The value of cross-examination comes from careful listening, not clever questions; if an opponent gives an evasive non-answer, calmly re-ask the same question rather than moving on, since a repeated dodge in front of the judge is itself persuasive evidence that the opponent cannot answer.
Cross-examining an Affirmative who argued 'objective moral truths exist because moral progress is real.'
Q: 'When you say moral progress is real, do you mean society is getting closer to a fixed, mind-independent truth, or just that our subjective values are changing over time?' If the Affirmative answers vaguely, the debater re-asks: 'I want to pin down specifically which one you mean, since your argument depends on it — can you clarify?' This clarifying question sets up next speech's argument that 'change' alone doesn't prove 'progress toward an objective truth.'
1. Which of these is NOT one of the three legitimate goals of cross-examination in BQ?
Answer all 1 to check.
Every cross-examination question should clarify, expose a weakness, or set up a future argument — and dodged questions should be calmly re-asked.