Debate

The lobby, the arena, the verdict

Every debate follows one loop. In the lobby you choose a motion, a mode, a side, a format and a speaking time. In the arena you argue your case while The Pragmatist argues the other side. When all rounds are complete, the judge scores the transcript and returns a verdict. The verdict is saved to History automatically.

Choosing a motion

Type any claim you want to argue into the motion field, or browse the curated library below it by category. The motion needs at least eight characters. Choose something you would actually defend in a real debate, because the opponent tailors its arguments to the specific claim.

Mode, side, format and time

There are two debate modes. In Spoken debate you speak aloud, your speech is transcribed, and the opponent replies in text. In Live voice the opponent speaks back in real time. Audio is processed transiently in both modes. Rhetoric never stores your audio.

Proposition speaks first in every round, Opposition answers. Whichever side you pick, The Pragmatist argues the other. Two formats are available. Oxford runs four rounds: Opening, Constructive, Rebuttal, Closing. Cross-examination runs six rounds, adding a Cross-Examination exchange and a Response round between the constructive cases and the rebuttal.

Speaking time is your time per turn, from one to seven minutes. The opponent is allocated exactly half your chosen time, so it can never out-talk you. The bill card on the right side of the lobby shows every choice before you enter the chamber.

The spoken arena

When you tap Enter the chamber, a 3-2-1 countdown runs while the microphone warms up. Your floor opens at zero. Speak your argument, and the live transcript appears on the stage. A floor clock counts down from your speaking time. When you are finished, tap Done speaking to yield.

1. 1Speak your argument. The transcript builds in real time on the stage.
2. 2Tap Done speaking when you are ready to yield. If the clock runs out, the floor yields automatically after a short grace window.
3. 3Read the opponent's reply on the stage, then tap Done reading. My floor to take the next round.
4. 4If your microphone is unavailable, tap type instead to switch to a text input for that turn.

The delivery bar (word count, fillers, pace) is measured from your speech on this device, not judged by AI.

Live voice (Premium)

In Live voice mode The Pragmatist speaks back in real time. When the opponent finishes, a prep window shows you their argument in text and a countdown. Read it, plan your reply, then tap I'm ready. My floor when you are set, or wait for the timer. The floor opens and you speak.

1. 1Speak your argument. Tap I'm done talking to end your turn.
2. 2Listen to the opponent's reply. When it finishes, a prep window shows you their argument.
3. 3Tap I'm ready. My floor to take the next turn, or wait for the prep timer.
4. 4Use Pause voice to freeze the session. Use Switch to text to drop into the spoken (text reply) arena from the current round.

If the live connection drops, the screen offers Restart voice and a fallback to text debate. A dropped connection ends the stream, not your debate record. The Monitor my arguments toggle (visible on Premium in Live voice mode) shows a live word count while you speak.

Live voice minutes are metered. When the monthly 60-minute allowance runs out, live mode says so and text and spoken modes remain available.

The verdict

When all rounds are complete, tap Request the verdict. The judge reads your full transcript and scores each round 0 to 10 for each side. The totals and the result (win, loss or draw) are computed in code from those round scores, not chosen by the model. A summary gives the judge's overall impression of what decided the debate.

• Round by round: each round card shows your score, the opponent's score, a progress bar and a note on what swung the round. These are AI judgments of your transcript.
• What you did well and What to work on: strengths and areas to develop, drawn from the full debate. These are AI judgments.
• How you spoke: pace, filler words, response time, pauses, hedging and vocabulary. These are measured from your audio on this device. The judge never sees them. Typed turns show "spoken only" where a number needs your voice.

Every verdict is saved to History automatically. Start a new debate on the same motion from the other side to test what you learned.

Flash debates (trial)

A flash debate is a single exchange of about 60 seconds. You speak for up to 25 seconds, then the opponent answers aloud. The trial setup screen shows the sequence number and remaining debates. You choose a motion, pick a side and tap the start button, which permanently uses one debate.

Debates 1 and 2 include an AI verdict. Debate 3 produces a transcript but no verdict. The setup screen states which rule applies before you spend the debate. A 60-second session clock and a separate 25-second speech ring count your time. Tap I'm done to yield your turn early.

After three debates the trial's debate allowance is used. Pro adds multi-round spoken debates with full verdicts. Premium adds live voice.

Reading a flash verdict

When the judge finishes, the result screen opens. A hero card shows the AI judgment label ("You win", "You lose" or "A draw") and a quoted summary of what decided the exchange. Below it, two score pills show your total and the opponent's total. A note reads "The verdict is based on one short exchange." The verdict is an AI judgment of the transcript, not a measurement.

Two feedback panels sit below the scores. "Did well" (green) lists the strengths the judge found in your argument. "Work on" (amber) lists the areas to develop. Both are AI judgments drawn from the transcript. A transcript section follows, showing each turn with a coloured bar: your words on one side, the opponent's on the other.

If debates remain, a "Next debate" button takes you to the setup screen. Once all three are used, the button is replaced by a "See plans" link to the pricing page. Debate 3 shows the transcript but no verdict, no feedback and no scores. A notice reads "No verdict on this debate" and explains that feedback on every debate comes with a plan.

Case Doctor

Case Doctor stress-tests a prepared case before you speak. Paste your case into the text area (40 to 8,000 characters), set the motion and side, and tap Review my case. The report is an AI judgment of every contention in your case.

1. 1Fix these first: the three fixes with the most leverage, ranked.
2. 2Contention by contention: every contention gets a strength score out of 10, what it is missing, the attack it invites, a fix and a trap question to prepare for. Green is 7 and above, amber is 5 to 6, red is below 5.
3. 3Framework vulnerabilities and time allocation advice round out the diagnosis.

On Premium, a Practice live in the chamber button opens a live voice round where the opponent has studied the diagnosed weak points and presses exactly those holes. On Pro, revise the case using the report and argue it in spoken debate. The loop is: review the case (prepare), debate it in the chamber (perform), read the verdict (measure), revise the case (improve).

Reading the Case Doctor report

The report opens with "Fix these first": the three highest-leverage corrections, ranked. Below, "Contention by contention" shows a card for each contention with a strength score out of 10. Green is 7 and above, amber is 5 to 6, red is below 5. Each card lists what is missing, the attack the contention invites, a fix, and a counter question to prepare for.

Three closing sections round out the diagnosis. "Framework vulnerabilities" lists structural weaknesses in how the case is framed. "Time allocation" suggests how to divide your speaking time. "Before you walk in" lists readiness gaps to settle before you speak. Everything in the report is an AI judgment of the case you submitted.

At the bottom, a practice card invites you to take the case into the chamber. On Premium, "Practice live in the chamber" opens a live voice round where the opponent targets the diagnosed weak points. On Pro, the card links to the pricing page instead. The spoken chamber on Pro remains available for rehearsing the case in a standard debate.

What can go wrong

If the opponent's turn or the verdict fails, the screen offers a retry with a reference code you can share with support. If a live voice session drops, use Restart voice or Use text debate. Microphone problems are covered in Allow or restore microphone access and Understand the debate modes.

If live minutes run out mid-month, the debate screen says so and text and spoken modes remain. Billing questions are covered in Manage billing, invoices, cancellation, and refunds.