Essay 2
English 1302
Fall, 2019
Write an original essay of about 1,000 words; the essay should be an argument with a claim that represents an original idea of your own about some public policy issue of controversial interest at the moment.
In writing this paper, please keep in mind these considerations: 1) Some of our discussions over the past five weeks may be of help in making your argument. For instance, we have talked about rights. Do people have rights? Are these rights God-given and the same for all, or are they dependent on the situation or the culture? Or are there different categories of rights, some that we’re born with and some that we earn or win for ourselves in some way? What are the qualities of a leader? How could the process of choosing our leaders be improved? We also talked about “the nature of things.” Does human life have any purpose? Does the universe seem to you to be “designed”? Is it a “creation” or just an accident? Does the universe have a morality? Is it good or bad, or is it morally neutral? Is the same true of human nature? What do you think the future holds? What kind of future do you hope for, either personally or for the country? What would utopia look like? What would have to happen (is there anything we could do) to bring it about? 2) In making your argument, try to utilize some of the Toulmin terminology, and 3) Remember to support your argument with appropriate grounds.
Due Monday,