The ancient Greek debate between the Sophists, who treated persuasion like a parlor trick, and Socrates, who insisted on chasing truth wherever it led—even to his own death—planted the seeds of Western civilization. In the second episode of “The Death of Debate,” I’m digging into how that same battle is now being fought in our high school and college debate leagues, where genuine argument is replaced with performance art. In recent years, we’ve witnessed Plato’s allegory of the cave play out in real time, with dissident voices cast aside as “science deniers” and conspiracy theorists. If we want to revive America’s rich tradition of debate, we need to get back in touch with ancient Greek wisdom. Tune in next Friday for episode three of “The Death of Debate.”