good argumentative essay topics

good argumentative essay topics

Exploring Controversial Issues: A Guide to Choosing Good Argumentative Essay Topics

1. Introduction to Argumentative Essays

Teaching and learning argumentative essays about controversial issues are vital, yet contentious, even in mature democracies in their declared views on liberty, equity, and brotherhood. The more knowledge and perception students have, the better role models they become in shaping society. The role of teachers becomes a guiding problem in order to increase the knowledge and perception of students. If the role of the teacher becomes authoritative, instruction is ineffective; it is the teacher’s role to be sympathetic and patient. Societies have always been diverse with different voices, and as such, research in this area is potentially more problematic. This is because it involves the qualities of globalization and diversity in different cognitive and multi-modality perspectives while teaching them.

Students use argumentative essays to provide arguments on complex issues. When writing an argumentative essay, the aim is to help students improve their reasoning and writing skills. Students will argue based on logical, verifiable facts or events. The writer, if dealing with a controversial topic, must not only provide arguments to support their beliefs but also those that are contradictory. They also have to provide ways to challenge these arguments. Sometimes, selecting an argumentative essay topic involves asking a set of essential questions. For example, questions about whether a subject is suitable to be chosen as an essay topic generally precede inquiries about issues related to the main subject. Such a series of criteria will produce a set of all subjects that can be compared, and then the “best” of these subjects can be chosen.

2. Criteria for Selecting a Good Topic

Some questions to ask yourself: Is there a likelihood that some people in your audience are likely to give you a fair hearing on this subject? Can you bring strong convictions to what you will write? Are you willing to pay the price in terms of giving up old well-known prejudices and biases and moving to a new way of seeing? In the course of your argument, are you prepared to broaden and deepen your understanding of the question? If your answer to all of these questions is “yes,” then you are ready to proceed! Look for topics that encourage inquiry, and try to take a less obvious, less predictable angle of vision. But be sure to find a good spokesperson or advocate for each position you take, whether pro or con. Only as you consider the opposing points of view that might be raised against you will you improve the quality and interest of your essay.

The world is full of controversial issues. But how do you find the most suitable one for you and your essay? Here is some advice to help you. It is intended to help you find appropriate topics for your essay assignments, not to produce opinions for or against the topics. Whether you are searching for a good subject for an argumentative essay or just want to find out the point of view of essay experts, you can use our list of argument essay topics to your advantage. The topics will help you find the topics that are right for you, and you will be able to write a quality paper. The most essential criterion for your choice of topic is that you should be able to write some form of an argumentative or persuasive essay on it. It can be effective if you can develop a relationship between writing about a topic and your knowledge of or feelings about a subject.

3. Sample Argumentative Essay Topics

What are some of the things that make rainforests exotic? For how long have Australian Aboriginal inhabitants been living in rainforest areas without destroying them? What is special about these indigenous people that allows them to successfully maintain their interest? What are some unique creatures and plants that might be found only in the Australian rainforests? Are Australia’s oldest rainforests growing bigger or are they getting smaller? Can government or private sector policies set the stage to refusal?

Have the world’s oldest rainforests become former forest sites?

What sort of evidence is there that the number of endangered and extinct species is increasing? Sketch out what you think is the problem and what you think are reasons for concern. Are experts agreeing on this subject, or are there significant disagreements or different opinions? Are there many different aspects to this issue, which if handled properly by science and politics would avert the situation completely, or at least slow the rate of extinction? What are some of the practical things that might be done about the situation?

Endangered species

There is no better way to start thinking about how to write an essay on a particular issue than by looking through a well-written example. The list that follows gives you the ideas for ten different argumentative essays. Each topic is developed through a number of potential prompts or questions to ask about each topic. I have avoided opinion-laden topics here but suggest that you consider issues that elicit strong reactions from the people you know or in the news. The reason for such openness is that a persuasive or argumentative essay is built upon the reader persuading you.

4. Tips for Developing a Strong Argument

Essays don’t have to provide definitive answers. Essays don’t even have to be fully factual. If you do nothing but give an argument that provides your viewpoint on an issue or drawing on a variety of sources and data, you’ve written a good essay. At the same time, writing about a complicated or controversial issue requires that you do your homework. Your essay should provide intelligent and helpful interpretations of racism, hobbies, our economic system, fellow humans, or the role of news. By taking advantage of passion, logic, and fairmindedness, you can make your readers far more likely to embrace your point of view.

To do this, you should: do as much reading as possible. Rely on sources like magazines, books, newspapers, and other expert commentary for the best information you can find. And keep track of all reports and studies that you find. You’ll need them if the reader challenges some of your sources and disagrees with them, which he or she is well within their rights to do. Keep track of the strengths and weaknesses of your own argument along with the strengths and weaknesses of your sources, and be thorough when explaining them.

When writing your argument, never assume that your readers know anything about the issue you’re discussing or that they’re on your side. This approach can often backfire. No matter how open-minded these readers may be, this technique is unfair and is an unethical mode of argument. If you want to be persuasive, the first step is being informed.

So how do you make an argument in an essay? First, determine your focus. It’s called an “argument,” but it would perhaps be more accurate to call this type of writing a “persuasion essay.” In this case, you’re still trying to create a compelling and well-organized argument against the opposing viewpoint. You’re trying to persuade your reader that the idea you’re putting forward is both valid and preferable. This also means pointing out any weaknesses of your argument and addressing them, both for the benefit of those you are arguing against and to build credibility with your readers.

5. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

I would also like to offer a few suggestions that might make developing topics for argumentative papers easier. Many writers believe that all topics are potential subjects for argumentative essays. But I feel that you shouldn’t attempt to argue subjects like creation versus evolution or the affirmative action controversy simply because you don’t personally believe them. Choose topics you honestly care, know, and have thought a good deal about. While a commercial audience, with a wide range of reactions and oppositions, might cluck sympathetically as you wax philosophically about such topics, readers are not usually in a sympathetic mood. Even a target audience – where readers share problem situations and goals – expects you to demonstrate respect for their ideas. Keep in mind that a commercial or target audience does not care whether you or they win – they care whether it or they win.

I conclude this guide to argumentative writing by reiterating the importance of the introduction and the conclusion. I also want to strongly urge you to take the time to refine these elements of your essays and term papers. Both the conclusion and the introduction must sum up your argument, focus the reader’s attention on your purpose, and lend coherence to the essay.