Advocatus Diaboli
Type of record:
- Micro method
- Innovation Phase
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Description
The technique is typically very well suited for the evaluation phase of an idea.
A participant or a group takes on the role of Advocatus Diaboli on a given topic or idea and tries to convince the other participants or groups by his controversial argumentation. Subsequently discuss
all participants, where they were convinced and where they were not and why this was perhaps the case. This method has similarities to the 6 hats of De Bono, but is much easier knitted by just one posture. The Advocatus-Diaboli posture is intended to develop different perspectives into a challenge. The participants should change points of view and change consciously. The planned project or idea is deliberately discussed controversially.
An Advocatus Diaboli is a person who consciously takes a counter-position and thus often takes sides on the more critical side. Advocatus Diaboli (Latin for "lawyer of the devil") is an old expression and originally describes in the Roman Catholic Church the person who in the process of beatification or canonization had to collect and present arguments against the discussed personality. The opponent was Advocatus Angeli, who argued for the beatification. In the broader sense, in rhetoric someone is called Advocatus Diaboli, whose arguments represent the position of the opposite side without belonging to it. Often one finds also the wrong name Advocatus Diabolus. But the devilish one meant here would in Latin correctly be called Diabolicus.
A participant or a group takes on the role of Advocatus Diaboli on a given topic or idea and tries to convince the other participants or groups by his controversial argumentation. Subsequently discuss
all participants, where they were convinced and where they were not and why this was perhaps the case. This method has similarities to the 6 hats of De Bono, but is much easier knitted by just one posture. The Advocatus-Diaboli posture is intended to develop different perspectives into a challenge. The participants should change points of view and change consciously. The planned project or idea is deliberately discussed controversially.
An Advocatus Diaboli is a person who consciously takes a counter-position and thus often takes sides on the more critical side. Advocatus Diaboli (Latin for "lawyer of the devil") is an old expression and originally describes in the Roman Catholic Church the person who in the process of beatification or canonization had to collect and present arguments against the discussed personality. The opponent was Advocatus Angeli, who argued for the beatification. In the broader sense, in rhetoric someone is called Advocatus Diaboli, whose arguments represent the position of the opposite side without belonging to it. Often one finds also the wrong name Advocatus Diabolus. But the devilish one meant here would in Latin correctly be called Diabolicus.