Write a 5-page essay defending a thesis of your choice. 12-point font, Times New Roman.
The thesis is your overall conclusion, something that isn’t already commonly known or
agreed about that you must defend. The body of the paper is the background, definitions,
premises, and other bits you need to persuade an audience to accept your conclusion. Make
sure you cite all of your sources properly. No preference for the type of citation style, just
make sure that whatever you choose, you do it well.
The thesis / conclusion can come from any subject area in philosophy, history,
politics, sports, economics, art, etc. If you have questions or concerns about your
topic, we can discuss it. And, we will be working on these together in class so there
will be time together to discuss and refine too. Must be an original topic i.e. not
from our textbook.
I have provided prompts below in case you do not want to come up with your
own topic.
The body should obey the rules we have studied this semester i.e. no loaded
language (Overtone), ambiguity, vagueness, or fallacies. You should have at least one
deductive argument, one original example to illustrate your point, and three sources
(make sure the source is reliable and unbiased like we learned.) You should also
make use of at least one inductive argument form somewhere in the body.
Remember from our discussion in class, you find three articles on the same topic,
then discover what is similar throughout the research sources, and what is
dissimilar? In the source’s component make sure you are identifying the main
argument in the paper and using analysis and reasoning to either object or defend
each source. A good argument is equally weighted in consideration. Three scholarly
sources minimum.
All drafts will go through a plagiarism detector.
Argumentative Essay
Introduction 15
clear lead (hard or soft) with a definite claim or proposal
Organization & Outline 15
Conclusion 10
Inductive Argument 10
Deductive Arguments 10
Example 10
Source 10
Objection & Reply 15
Topics to choose from
1. Who and under what conditions should people have babies/children?
2. Does free will exist? Should the notion of free will be reconsidered?
3. Does the belief in God change a person?
4. Should monogamy be compulsory?
5. Are people good or evil by nature?
6. Argue for or against psychological/ethical egoism.
7. Are morals relative to culture or society?
8. Do moral rules enslave people? Can people violate moral rules to achieve a common good?
Critically evaluate Machiavelli’s ideas.
9. Is morality related to the level of education of a person?
10. The research shows people have inborn capacities, which largely determine educational
attainment. Should this affect the educational system? Does this justify a class system?
11. Can mass surveillance be justified?
12. Is there a moral obligation to be honest?
13. Is it ethical to use drugs to enhance cognition? Is it compatible with the use of steroids in
sports?
14. Can charity be considered a moral obligation? Should it be considered an obligation of the
wealthy people?
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