Kspec

K-spec is "critical specification," the argument that the aff has to specify their philosophical framework in the 1AC/PMC. They have to do that for similar reasons that they would have to specify their funding (so they can't shift out of spending disads), specify their agent (so they can't shift out of politics disads or alternative agent counterplans) etc. The argument says that many times teams will permute or link out of criticisms based on their sudden (2AC or MG) embrace of a critical/philosophical perspective that wasn't in the 1AC/PMC. The 1AC/PMC for example will claim utilitarian impacts (nuke war, juuuudge) but then the 2AC will announce that the aff is "the feminist ethic of care" or read Levinas arguments in response to a Heideggerian critique, or whatever. So it's a specification argument that prevents teams from shifting what is essential for your kritik link ground.

The argument has actually been around for 4-5 years in NDT/CEDA. Its appearances are infrequent, but I've always felt it to be as reasonable as any other specification argument.

(posted by Matt Stannard, University of Wyoming)