For Doctor-mitch

Argumentative Essay

Choose Your Own Topic--Identify a Controversial Issue

 An appropriate topic for the argumentative essay should be one that

•interests you

•is neither too broad nor too narrow,

•is open to controversy, and

•is not already overly argued by other people.

Make sure your topic interests you.

Whatever topic you choose, it should be something that interests you, something that you feel strongly about, something that you're passionate about. If it's an argument that affects you and that you have personal experience about, it will be easier for you to build your ethos with personal experience.

Make sure your topic is neither too broad nor too narrow.

A topic like "presidential campaigns" might be too big for you to handle in a few pages. In contrast, "the use of scare tactics in presidential campaign ads" might be easier to handle. In a similar way, "advertising" sounds vague and broad while "truth in advertising" is more focused. On the other hand, too narrow topics are those that deal with trivial topics that your readers are not likely to be interested in.

Make sure your topic is controversial.

A controversial topic is one that people have different opinions about. For example, the "illegitimacy of thefts" is not a controversial topic while "the appropriate punishment for first-time theft offenders" is a more controversial one. Similarly, "the harmful effects of smoking" is not really a topic of controversy, but "heavy taxation on cigarettes" might be.

Make sure your topic is not already overly argued by other people.

Topics such as "abortion" or "the death penalty" might yield easy arguments, but they have been argued so much that it's very hard to come up with anything new to say about them. Unless you have something really unique and original to contribute to such topics, I'd strongly recommend that you avoid such topics.

Topics which should not appear as subject matter for this essay: abortion, capital punishment, and legalizing marijuana.

Choosing a good topic is not easy, but it's critical for a good argumentative essay.

Content

An argument essentially contains a central claim (your thesis) backed up by several supporting claims, which are further supported by concrete evidence--examples, other people's opinions, etc. One thing to keep in mind is that since you're making an argument on a controversial issue, there's always the other side. It's vitally important that you address the other side if you want to present a fair and convincing argument.

Organization

While there are always multiple ways to organize any kind of essay, there are two organizational methods that I'd like you to focus on when you write your argumentative essay. Choose ONE, in order to complete your essay.

Outline Option 1: Classical Argumentation

I.               Intro

a.     Thesis (should state your strong position about your subject, topic, or issue)

II.             Narration/Background

Summary of past and present key developments and events that have contributed to the controversy in question. Summary should survey all sides of the issue.
(1 paragraph)

III.           Confirmation

Support and evidence offered that justify, defend, and explain your thesis. Your paragraphs should follow the pattern of paragraph development. You must use a SOURCE in your confirmation paragraphs. (2 paragraphs)

IV.           Refutation/Counterargument

The purpose of the refutation section is to identify objections your audience may have to your *confirmation* body paragraphs. You must use a source to support your refutation. Your refutation body paragraph should: identify a specific objection and explain why the objection is WRONG. (1-2 paragraphs)

V.             Summary (Conclusion)
(1 paragraph)

Outline Option 2: Rogerian Argumentation

I.               Intro

a.     Thesis (should state your strong position about your subject, topic, or issue)

II.             Background

Summary of past and present key developments and events that have contributed to the controversy in question. Summary should survey all sides of the issue.

(1 paragraph)

III.           Concede to your opponent.

Describe your opponents position; show them that you understand their point of view and make an effort to use sourcesthat you believe demonstrate that their point of view makes sense. (1-2 paragraphs)

IV.           Present your own point of view. Offer to your audience that although you understand their position, that you believe your own stance is correct. Use sources to support your point of view. (1-2 paragraphs)

V.             Solutions/Common Ground
Offer a win-win solution. Create a solution or offer common ground that takes a step towards solving the controversy, even though you and your opponent are on “two sides of the fence.” Be sure to explain how accepting the solution or common ground is a mutually beneficial decision.

VI.           Conclude
Summarize the ground you’ve covered.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

A good argumentative essay requires a somewhat balanced use of ethos, pathos, and logos. Although you don't have to use each persuasive approach in your essay, keep in mind that without ethos, your essay will not carry credibility; without pathos, it won't have effective emotional affect; \ without logos, you might not necessarily expect your audience to buy into your argument. You may need to think about which persuasive approach would be more convincing for your audience.

Sources

Using other people's arguments, especially those from reputable sources, to support your own argument is often an effective and necessary means of argumentation. Therefore, for this essay, you're expected to include at least 3 sources.

Audience

Your audience for the argumentative essay will be people who are relatively familiar with the issue in question. They may or may not have a preconceived idea or argument on the issue, but most likely they do.

Some Technicalities

Please follow the following guidelines carefully.

•Length- minimum 3 pages double spaced

•Format- 12 point Times New Roman

•MLA Format

Grading

Your essay will be graded primarily, though not exclusively, on the following:

•Ideas/Choice of topic/Argument

•Development

•Organization

•Audience

•MLA format

•Grammar and Mechanics