argumentive essay ideas

argumentive essay ideas

Exploring Controversial Topics in Modern Society: A Critical Analysis

1. Introduction to Controversial Topics

The debate that accompanies the inclusion of controversial topics in classrooms persists. We could infer from this that any decision is equally unsatisfactory. If there was no benefit to discussing these issues in inclusive classrooms, the debate would have long ago ended. Issues that provoke strong emotions provide effective learning experiences for teachers and students, regardless of whether either side of the issue is strong, weak, or non-existent. If we believe that the heart of education is “to develop the abilities with which to explore who we are and what we need,” teachers have a duty to stress all sorts of critical thinking in students. Rote memorization of as many concrete facts as the human head can hold falls short of developing any but one mysterious skill, but sticky debates force our students to stretch themselves far beyond this comfort zone and think beyond the first layer of responses.

In a time of considerable technological advancement, it is easy to become comfortable with seeking the path of least resistance in all things. It can be especially disconcerting to face disagreement from peers and mentors about our views on issues in modern society. These discussions diverge even further when they land in potentially explosive situations such as abortion, climate change, religion, or gun control. Certainly, these topics serve as hot buttons for emotionally charged debates, but they are critical because they can lead to policy that affects everyone. This time is ripe for a close examination of the pedagogical reasons we cover controversial topics and our methods for doing so.

2. The Importance of Debating Controversial Issues

Moral and ethical issues even become a matter for religious enthusiasts who transform these controversies into violent acts, turning the world into a place that, despite technological advances, is not a safe place for people. They often highlight their religiosity where there are strong moral or ethical regulations by the majority of the population. Important controversial care is often initiated by the actions of believers of the Muslim or Christian faiths. It’s central to food, free will, or sexuality. Often belief is more moral than truly ethical as it is carried along by the teachings of religious leaders backed by scripture in the case of arrogance and due to the tenets of various dogmas that have been organized into religious beliefs by humanity. Religion-based fundamentalism reflects morality when such beliefs and practices do not exist.

Moral or ethical sensitivity always was, and remains, an important topic for continuous debate and reflection. The controversial topics of today are religion, ethics, and morality, sexual behavior, and sexual orientation; all very sensitive because of the statements of public opinion and persistent cultural beliefs as far apart as are Christian and Islamic culture, and others. Examples of the influence that religion has on distorted ethics were seen in the period of the Inquisition, in the era of witch-burning that involved or opposed the slaves that indigenous peoples possessed in the colonized countries, the acts of the Ku-Klux-Klan, and is currently seen in genital mutilation, forced marriage, and barbaric acts of honor hurting members of the Islamic faith and also in discrimination against homosexuals. Islamic thinking is currently criticized for the obstacles placed in front of women’s public life and also for moral that includes macabre, physically and psychically cruel corporal punishment.

3. Ethical Dilemmas and Moral Obligations in Controversial Discussions

It is widely assumed that the main goal of ethics discourse is to change the moral beliefs of other people, but the true goal of ethical arguments is deeper and can be seen in a greater critical analysis from those who are promoting and also from those articulating ethical issues. In this way, the main goal would be to present the ethical dilemma to provoke the ethical analysis which would not have appeared otherwise, to try to find some possible solutions, to be inclusive, to respect the other person’s opinion, and to allow civilized debate, thus making dialogue the principal channel of conversation concerning an ethical matter.

Public controversy and disagreement are prominent features of society in a complex and rapidly changing global era. With this, debates on controversial topics range from relatively circumscribed issues to ones that cut across many areas of personal and public life at both national and international levels. Conflict over such issues can generate high levels of tension, passion, and adverse consequences. In exploring such conflicts, a discussion of ethical dilemmas and moral obligations inherent to controversial topics is also important. Furthermore, this discussion illustrates the importance of promoting a dialogical educational approach, not just in terms of enabling students to engage with a wide range of conflicting perspectives and opposing factions on both public and academic issues, but also in helping them to recognize their own ethnographic and academic background, including the position they occupy as educated individuals.

4. Case Studies: Examining Real-life Examples of Controversial Debates

The purpose of this chapter is to explore contemporary examples that illustrate why a handle on critical thinking is so important for navigating the job market—or why its absence is so problematic. The case studies provided in this chapter combine current social, political, and economic questions with debates that have been unfolding for centuries. These examples are intended to help readers translate the highly abstract skill set of critical thinking into the practical terms of their own minds and their role as participants in any society. The discussion of each case will rely on such skills as argument analysis, concept definition, and empirical considerations, much as the discussion of more abstract examples did in Chapter 1. Each section will engage particular viewpoints on both sides of the issue while noting how one might distinguish better from worse reasons. For the most part, the conclusion to be drawn will be that the decisions at issue are complex and that the arguments on both sides have to a very large extent yet to be made. Due to the fact that the issues are unresolved and multifaceted, however, the connections between the many reasons that have been invoked will be crucial. Indeed, it might be a good exercise to read the text below as a placeholder for the crucial arguments that have yet to be made.

5. Conclusion and Call to Action: Navigating Controversial Topics in a Constructive Manner

Journalism is a profession that plays a significant role in reflecting and shaping societal debates. As the activities of journalists take place in the tensions between the political system, marketplace, professional norms, sources, and their own individual and professional identities, clarifying values is an important step towards a more evidence-based discussion of journalistic performance, which can be used in this turbulent time. This is also important to the public, as journalism also provides tools for the public to form opinions on the issues journalists cover, from editorials to open pages and from debates to letters to the editor. Both functions, known as the information function, are neglected. We call for a review of the journalistic performance and guidance about how journalists can fulfill their responsibilities, what citizens can expect, and how the public can challenge established journalistic practices so debates become more worthwhile.

Controversial issues are common in everyday public discussions, political debates, and media coverage. The way in which they are presented, though, is often problematic and hampers a constructive ongoing dialogue. In the research field on argument quality, various ways exist to evaluate arguments and find more or less good reasoning on a topic: Is an argument logical, coherent, or does it avoid fallacies compared to other competing arguments? We found that while some of these frameworks can be applied to individual utterances, others require the collection of a larger debate or dialogue to be used, which is often out of reach in modern-day professional journalism. In sum, the overall quality of reasoning taking place in both publications and audience contributions dealing with controversial topics in society appears often to be substandard.