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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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255 Education Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

18 January 2024

last updated

Education, a cornerstone of societal development, is a fertile field for writing papers. In this case, education argumentative essay topics can range widely, from debates over traditional vs. digital classrooms, the effectiveness of standardized testing, and the necessity of college education in the 21st century to the balance between academics and character development. Arguments can consider whether current school curriculums cater adequately to the needs of all students or primarily reinforce societal inequalities. Examining education policies at the local, national, or international levels can provide further insights. In turn, exploring the role of educational institutions in preparing students for the future workforce, including discussions on vocational training and entrepreneurial education, is another promising direction for developing argumentative essay topics in education.

Best Education Argumentative Essay Topics

• Balancing School Curriculum: Is Art Education as Important as Science?
• Roles of Technology in Enhancing Educational Outcomes
• The Ethics of Using Animals for School Biology Experiments
• Parental Influence on a Child’s Academic Success
• University Tuition Fees: Necessary Expense or Excessive Burden?
• Should Physical Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
• Importance of Teaching Life Skills alongside Traditional Subjects
• Grading System: Helping Students Learn or Adding Undue Pressure?
• Incorporating Meditation in Schools for Improved Mental Health
• Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Which Prepares Students Better?
• Examining the Role of Sex Education in Preventing Teenage Pregnancy
• Importance of Introducing Multicultural Education in Schools
• Mandatory Community Service as Part of the Curriculum: Pros and Cons
• Cyberbullying: Should Schools Take Responsibility?
• Unraveling the Effects of School Uniforms on Student Behavior
• Gender-Separated Classes: Beneficial or Discriminatory?
• Are College Degrees Worth the Financial Investment?
• The Role of Teachers’ Salaries in Ensuring Quality Education
• Digital Textbooks vs. Traditional Books: Which Is More Effective?
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Homework in Enhancing Learning
• The Pros and Cons of Year-Round Schooling
• Roles of Parent-Teacher Communication in Enhancing Students’ Performance
• Effectiveness of Distance Learning: Is It Comparable to Traditional Learning?
• Should Controversial Topics Be Discussed in School?

Easy Education Essay Topics

• Exploring the Impact of School Lunch Programs on Student Health
• Is Cursive Writing Necessary in Today’s Digital Age?
• Teaching Consent in Schools: A Necessity or Overstepping Bounds?
• Gifted Programs: Are They Unfair to Other Students?
• Bilingual Education: Key to Global Competency or Detrimental to Native Culture?
• Implementing Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools: Beneficial or Harmful?
• Should Teachers Be Allowed to Carry Firearms for Classroom Protection?
• Influence of School Infrastructure on Student Learning Outcomes
• Incorporating Climate Change Education in School Curriculums
• Should Students Be Grouped by Ability in Classrooms?
• Effectiveness of Anti-Bullying Campaigns in Schools
• The Right to Privacy: Should Schools Monitor Student’s Online Activities?
• Evaluating the Role of Extracurricular Activities in Student Development
• The Need for Financial Literacy Education in Schools
• Freedom of Speech: Should Students Be Allowed to Express Controversial Opinions in School?
• Potential Benefits of Single-Sex Schools
• Relevance of History Education in Modern Times
• The Influence of Religious Beliefs on Education
• Foreign Language Requirements: Necessity or Unnecessary Burden?
• Are Teachers’ Unions Beneficial or Detrimental to Education Quality?
• Impacts of Parental Educational Background on Children’s Academic Achievement
• Does Grade Inflation Devalue a College Degree?
• Does Early Childhood Education Have Long-Term Benefits?
• Are College Admissions Processes Fair?

Interesting Education Essay Topics

• The Consequences of Educational Budget Cuts
• Exploring the Role of Sports in Academic Achievement
• Effects of Teacher Burnout on Student Learning
• Is Educational Equality Achievable in a Capitalist Society?
• Are Private Schools Necessarily Better than Public Schools?
• Role of Social Media in Education: Distraction or Useful Tool?
• Is Traditional Discipline Effective in Modern Schools?
• Examining the Effectiveness of Montessori Education
• Are Standardized Curriculum Frameworks Limiting Teachers’ Creativity?
• Is There a Place for Character Education in Today’s Schools?
• Importance of Critical Thinking Skills in the Curriculum
• Do Student Evaluations of Teachers Improve Teaching Quality?
• Music Education’s Influence on Academic Performance
• Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Academic Achievement
• Should Children Be Taught Entrepreneurship in Schools?
• Educational Benefits of Field Trips in Curriculum
• Does School Counseling Effectively Address Students’ Mental Health Needs?
• The Role of Games in Enhancing Math Education
• Is the Current Emphasis on STEM Education Justified?
• The Influence of Family Structure on Children’s Educational Outcomes
• Does Multitasking with Technology Hinder Learning?
• Should Political Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
• Effects of Classroom Diversity on Student Learning and Empathy

Education Essay Topics for High School

• Does Standardized Testing Accurately Reflect a Student’s Knowledge?
• Should Schools Invest More in Arts Education?
• Is a Year-Round School Calendar Beneficial for Learning?
• Are School Uniforms Necessary for a Conducive Learning Environment?
• Does Homework Actually Benefit Students?
• Should Advanced Courses Be Made Available to All High School Students?
• Can Online Learning Replace Traditional Classroom Teaching?
• How Is Essential Sex Education in High School Curriculum?
• The Impact of School Infrastructure on Quality of Education
• Are School Sports Essential for Student Development?
• Does Bilingual Education Enhance Cognitive Skills?
• Does Parental Involvement Improve Academic Performance?
• Is There a Need to Reinvent School Discipline Policies?
• How Does the Use of Technology in Schools Affect Learning?
• The Role of Schools in Promoting Healthy Eating Habits
• Are School Field Trips Essential for Practical Learning?
• Should Schools Introduce Personal Finance Classes?
• Physical Education Classes: Necessity or Luxury?
• Effect of Bullying on Academic Performance
• The Influence of Peer Pressure on Students’ Performance
• Should We Teach Entrepreneurship in High Schools?
• Does a Longer School Day Improve Learning Outcomes?
• Roles of Moral Education in Character Building

Education Essay Topics for College Students

• Incorporating Technology in Classrooms: Necessity or Distraction?
• Standardized Testing: An Effective Evaluation Tool or a Hindrance to Creativity?
• University Degrees: Essential for Success or Overrated?
• Pros and Cons of Single-Sex Education: A Deep Dive
• Private vs. Public Schools: Who Provides a Better Education?
• Traditional Education vs. Online Learning: Comparing Effectiveness
• Impact of Extracurricular Activities on Academic Performance
• Bilingual Education: Potential Benefits and Challenges
• Vocational Training: Does It Deserve More Emphasis in the Curriculum?
• Effects of Class Size on Student Learning Outcomes
• Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Weighing the Outcomes
• Mandatory Physical Education: A Boon or Bane?
• College Athletes: Should They Be Paid?
• Education in Rural vs. Urban Settings: Exploring Disparities
• Funding: How Does It Impact the Quality of Education?
• Role of Sex Education in Schools: Analyzing the Importance
• Uniforms in Schools: Do They Promote Equality?
• Plagiarism Policies: Are They Too Strict or Not Enough?
• Art Education: Is It Being Neglected in Schools?
• Teaching Soft Skills: Should It Be Mandatory in Schools?
• Tuition Fees: Do They Restrict Access to Higher Education?
• Inclusion of Students With Disabilities: Analyzing Best Practices

Education Argumentative Essay Topics for University

• Cyberbullying: Should Schools Have a Greater Responsibility?
• STEM vs. Liberal Arts: Which Provides a Better Future?
• Impacts of Mental Health Services in Schools
• Grade Inflation: Does It Devalue a Degree?
• Diversity in Schools: Does It Enhance Learning?
• Gap Year: Does It Help or Hinder Students?
• Recess: Is It Necessary for Students’ Well-Being?
• Early Childhood Education: Does It Contribute to Later Success?
• Parental Involvement: How Does It Influence Student Performance?
• Value of Internships in Higher Education
• Curriculum: Is It Outdated in Today’s Fast-Paced World?
• Digital Textbooks vs. Paper Textbooks: Evaluating the Differences
• Learning a Second Language: Should It Be Mandatory?
• Censorship in School Libraries: Freedom or Protection?
• Life Skills Education: Is It Missing From Our Curriculum?
• Teachers’ Pay: Does It Reflect Their Value in Society?
• College Rankings: Do They Truly Reflect Educational Quality?
• Corporal Punishment: Does It Have a Place in Modern Education?
• Student Loans: Are They Creating a Debt Crisis?
• Learning Styles: Myth or Real Educational Framework?
• Grading System: Is It the Best Measure of Students’ Abilities?

Academic Topics Essay

• Fostering Creativity: Should Schools Prioritize the Arts?
• Student Debt: Consequences and Possible Solutions
• Bullying Policies in Schools: Are They Effective?
• Teaching Ethics and Values: Whose Responsibility?
• Distance Learning: The New Normal Post-Pandemic?
• School Censorship: Are There Limits to Freedom of Speech?
• College Admissions: Is the Process Fair?
• Standardizing Multilingual Education: A Possibility?
• Learning Disabilities: How Can Schools Provide Better Support?
• Does Class Size Impact the Quality of Education?
• Integrating Technology: Are There Potential Risks?
• Affirmative Action in College Admissions: Fair or Biased?
• The Role of Private Tuition: Supplemental Help or Unfair Advantage?
• Military-Style Discipline in Schools: Effective or Harmful?
• Should Schools Implement Mental Health Curriculums?
• Early Education: Does It Pave the Way for Success?
• Grading System: Is it an Accurate Measure of Student Ability?
• Career Counseling in Schools: Should It be Mandatory?
• Addressing Racial Bias in Educational Materials
• The Debate Over Prayer in Schools: Freedom of Religion or Church-State Separation?
• The Impact of Zero-Tolerance Policies on the School Environment
• Education Funding: The Pros and Cons of School Vouchers
• University Rankings: Helpful Guide or Harmful Pressure?
• Personal Finance Education: Should It Be Included in the Curriculum?

Argumentative Essay Topics on Education

• Impacts of Standardized Testing on Students’ Creativity
• Digital Learning Platforms vs. Traditional Classroom Teaching
• Effectiveness of the Montessori Education System
• Mandatory Foreign Language Education: A Necessity or Luxury?
• Single-Sex Schools’ Role in Modern Society
• Teachers’ Salaries: A Reflection of Their Value in Society?
• Technological Devices in Classrooms: A Boon or Bane?
• Inclusion of Life Skills in the Curriculum
• Ethical Education: Its Significance and Implementation
• Educating Children About Climate Change and Sustainability
• Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Which Yields Better Results?
• School Uniforms: Do They Encourage Uniformity Over Individuality?
• The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Holistic Education
• Importance of Critical Thinking in the Curriculum
• Corporate Sponsorship in Schools: Ethical Considerations
• Increasing Parental Involvement in Children’s Education
• Vocational Training in High School: Is It Necessary?
• The Merits and Demerits of Charter Schools
• Prioritizing Health Education in the School Curriculum
• Diversifying History Lessons: The Impact on Cultural Understanding
• Gifted and Talented Programs: Unfair Advantage or Necessary Support?
• Implementing Mindfulness Training in Schools
• Mandatory Physical Education: Is It Vital for Health?
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Year-Round Schooling
• The Potential of Virtual Reality in Education

Education Persuasive Essay Topics

• Enhancing Creativity: The Importance of Art Education in Schools
• Mandatory Coding Lessons: Preparing Students for the Digital Future
• Bilingual Education: Encouraging Multilingualism From an Early Age
• Parental Involvement: Crucial for Academic Success or an Invasion of Privacy?
• Cyberbullying Awareness: Should It Be Part of the School Curriculum?
• The Role of Technology in Modern Education: Boon or Bane?
• Sex Education: Essential for Reducing Teen Pregnancy and STD Rates
• Standardized Tests: Accurate Measure of a Student’s Capabilities or Outdated Practice?
• Religious Studies: The Necessity of Teaching World Religions in Public Schools
• Homework Overload: Assessing the True Impact on Students’ Mental Health
• School Uniforms: Encouraging Discipline or Suppressing Individuality?
• Inclusion in Classrooms: The Benefits of Educating Special Needs Students Alongside Their Peers
• Teacher Salaries: The Need for Higher Pay to Attract Quality Educators
• Educational Video Games: Revolutionizing Learning or Distraction From Studying?
• Student Athletes: Balancing Academics and Sports Participation
• Year-Round Schooling: Improving Learning Retention or Overloading Students?
• Early Education: The Benefits of Pre-School Programs
• Social Media: Its Role in Modern Education
• Field Trips: Enhancing Learning Outside the Classroom
• Classroom Size: The Impact on Learning and Engagement
• Vocational Training: Essential for Preparing Students for the Workforce
• Distance Learning: Exploring its Advantages and Disadvantages

Education Research Paper Topics

• Extracurricular Activities: The Importance in Students’ Holistic Development
• Multiple Intelligence Theory: Implementing Diverse Teaching Strategies
• Classroom Decor: Its Influence on Student Engagement and Learning
• Mindfulness Practices: Promoting Emotional Health in Schools
• Sustainability Education: Fostering Environmentally-Conscious Citizens
• Cultural Diversity: Promoting Inclusion and Acceptance in Schools
• Physical Education: Addressing Childhood Obesity through School Programs
• Gifted and Talented Programs: Benefits and Drawbacks
• Homeschooling: Advantages Over Traditional Schooling
• Alternative Assessment Methods: Moving Beyond Exams and Grades
• Bullying Prevention: The Role of Schools and Teachers
• College Admissions: The Controversy Around Legacy Preferences
• Ethics Education: Instilling Moral Values in Students
• Student Loans: The Crisis and Its Impact on Higher Education
• Nutrition Education: Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Schools
• Digital Literacy: Essential Skills for the 21st Century
• Grade Inflation: The Deterioration of Academic Standards in Higher Education
• Climate Change Education: Teaching the Next Generation About Global Warming
• Character Education: Building Integrity and Responsibility in Students
• Music Education: Its Influence on Cognitive Development
• Literacy Programs: Overcoming Reading and Writing Challenges
• Mentorship Programs: Enhancing Student Success and Confidence
• Financial Literacy: Preparing Students for Real-World Money Management

Strong Education Argumentative Essay Topics

• Is Censorship Justified in School Libraries?
• The Benefits and Drawbacks of Single-Sex Schools
• Is College Preparation in High School Adequate?
• Are Teachers’ Salaries Commensurate With Their Job Responsibilities?
• Cyberbullying: Should Schools Intervene?
• The Importance of Cultural Diversity in Education
• Should Mental Health Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
• Do School Rankings Reflect the Quality of Education?
• The Relevance of Cursive Writing in Today’s Digital World
• Should Religious Studies Be Part of the School Curriculum?
• Are Students Overburdened with Excessive Schoolwork?
• The Implications of Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools
• School Safety: Responsibility of Schools or Parents?
• Does Grade Inflation Diminish the Value of Education?
• Are Life Skills Education Necessary in Schools?
• The Debate on Home Schooling vs. Traditional Schooling
• Is it Necessary to Teach World Religions in High Schools?
• Does a School’s Location Affect the Quality of Education?
• The Argument for Teaching Emotional Intelligence in Schools
• Should Attendance Be Mandatory in High School?
• Could Meditation and Mindfulness Improve Students’ Concentration?
• The Role of Music Education in Student Development
• Do Students Learn More From Books or Computers?
• The Need for Environmental Sustainability Education in Schools

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

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How to Argue in Class

• Posted March 3, 2022
• By Emily Boudreau
• Moral, Civic, and Ethical Education
• Learning Design and Instruction
• Teachers and Teaching

Just like weightlifting or playing the piano, practice is essential to help students develop the analysis skills necessary for evaluating and developing arguments. But what does it look like to practice arguing in the classroom?

ThinkerAnalytix is a nonprofit that partners with the Harvard Philosophy Department to develop resources and lesson plans using something called argument mapping — a visual method of displaying how reasons work to support a claim. These maps show the structures of arguments so students can actually see how an argument is constructed, pinpoint areas of contention, and assemble their own.

“Arguments are everywhere and almost everything is an argument,” says Nate Otey, COO and lead instructor at ThinkerAnalytix. “It’s impossible to imagine education without arguments, since a fundamental goal of education is to help students not only express and communicate their beliefs and reasons for that belief, but to be able to understand other people’s reasons and evidence and update their own thinking based on evidence.”

Early research suggests that argument mapping is incredibly successful at developing these skills, with some analyses of studies of the practice finding that argument mapping courses nearly doubled critical thinking skills, compared to standard critical thinking courses.

To get teachers comfortable using argument mapping in their classes, ThinkerAnalytix has developed professional development offerings and resources to support the method in the classroom. Here, Otey discusses what argument mapping is and how it can be used to evaluate an argument.

What is argument mapping?

Every argument has a structure and one of the potential explanations for the powerful effects of argument mapping is that it conveys that structure visually, rather than as a block of text. Students identify and plot the relationship between the main claim or thesis statement and its supporting premises or co-premises.

“If you read something in paragraph form, it’s washing over you and your brain is trying to decode how these sentences fit together,” says Otey. “What we’re doing is we’re showing students visually how these sentences relate to each other.”

>>  Practice identifying main claims and premises.

It’s impossible to imagine education without arguments, since a fundamental goal of education is to help students not only express and communicate their beliefs and reasons for that belief, but to be able to understand other people’s reasons and evidence and update their own thinking based on evidence.

How do you evaluate an argument?

Students also need to practice thinking about whether an argument is solid. To do so, students need to look at the premises a claim rests on and ask whether they’re true or if they come from a reliable source. If not, the claim may be invalid.

Additionally, the visual structure also allows students to think about inferences — represented by the lines connecting a premise to the conclusion — in an argument. “An inference has to do with how relevant a premise is to the claim above it,” says Otey. “So, students need to think about how persuasive of a reason we should find this premise in supporting a claim — for example, it’s a fact that Tom Brady has won seven Super Bowls. But how relevant is that to the claim that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time?”

>>  Explore and discuss sample argument maps.

Agreeing to Disagree

While students need to be able to assemble and build a strong case for their beliefs, it’s equally as important that they learn to listen to opposing views. To do that, ThinkerAnalytix asks students and teachers to participate in an assignment inspired by the work of Javier Hidalgo at the University of Richmond called The Disagreement Project .

Participants interview someone who holds an opposing viewpoint. They record the conversation and write it up honestly and without judgment, map the argument, and present it to the class.

“The skill being built here is intellectual charity,” says Otey. “[That means] getting students to think about how they can understand something they disagree with — not necessarily to change their mind — but to try to give it a fair shake.”

>>  Access the disagreement project here.

Key Takeaways

• Forming and evaluating arguments is a skill that can be practiced and can help develop analytical thinking.
• Visual representations of arguments help break them down and make them easier for students to evaluate and understand how they are constructed, as opposed to looking at a block of written text.
• Practice intellectual charity, or treating someone’s beliefs and opinions as you would want your own treated, in addition to argument analysis and have students explore other perspectives.

Additional Resources

• More on the ThinkerAnalytix PPE offering
• You want to teach what?
• The Greatest Battle in History

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Learning Objectives

• Determine the purpose and structure of persuasion in writing.
• Identify bias in writing.
• Assess various rhetorical devices.
• Distinguish between fact and opinion.
• Understand the importance of visuals to strengthen arguments.
• Write a persuasive essay.

THE PURPOSE OF PERSUASIVE WRITING

The purpose of persuasion in writing is to convince, motivate, or move readers toward a certain point of view, or opinion. The act of trying to persuade automatically implies more than one opinion on the subject can be argued.

The idea of an argument often conjures up images of two people yelling and screaming in anger. In writing, however, an argument is very different. An argument is a reasoned opinion supported and explained by evidence. To argue in writing is to advance knowledge and ideas in a positive way. Written arguments often fail when they employ ranting rather than reasoning.

Most of us feel inclined to try to win the arguments we engage in. On some level, we all want to be right, and we want others to see the error of their ways. More times than not, however, arguments in which both sides try to win end up producing losers all around. The more productive approach is to persuade your audience to consider your opinion as a valid one, not simply the right one.

THE STRUCTURE OF A PERSUASIVE ESSAY

The following five features make up the structure of a persuasive essay:

• Introduction and thesis
• Opposing and qualifying ideas
• Strong evidence in support of claim
• Style and tone of language
• A compelling conclusion

CREATING AN INTRODUCTION AND THESIS

The persuasive essay begins with an engaging introduction that presents the general topic. The thesis typically appears somewhere in the introduction and states the writer’s point of view.

Avoid forming a thesis based on a negative claim. For example, “The hourly minimum wage is not high enough for the average worker to live on.” This is probably a true statement, but persuasive arguments should make a positive case. That is, the thesis statement should focus on how the hourly minimum wage is low or insufficient.

ACKNOWLEDGING OPPOSING IDEAS AND LIMITS TO YOUR ARGUMENT

Because an argument implies differing points of view on the subject, you must be sure to acknowledge those opposing ideas. Avoiding ideas that conflict with your own gives the reader the impression that you may be uncertain, fearful, or unaware of opposing ideas. Thus it is essential that you not only address counterarguments but also do so respectfully.

Try to address opposing arguments earlier rather than later in your essay. Rhetorically speaking, ordering your positive arguments last allows you to better address ideas that conflict with your own, so you can spend the rest of the essay countering those arguments. This way, you leave your reader thinking about your argument rather than someone else’s. You have the last word.

Acknowledging points of view different from your own also has the effect of fostering more credibility between you and the audience. They know from the outset that you are aware of opposing ideas and that you are not afraid to give them space.

It is also helpful to establish the limits of your argument and what you are trying to accomplish. In effect, you are conceding early on that your argument is not the ultimate authority on a given topic. Such humility can go a long way toward earning credibility and trust with an audience. Audience members will know from the beginning that you are a reasonable writer, and audience members will trust your argument as a result. For example, in the following concessionary statement, the writer advocates for stricter gun control laws, but she admits it will not solve all of our problems with crime:

Although tougher gun control laws are a powerful first step in decreasing violence in our streets, such legislation alone cannot end these problems since guns are not the only problem we face.

Such a concession will be welcome by those who might disagree with this writer’s argument in the first place. To effectively persuade their readers, writers need to be modest in their goals and humble in their approach to get readers to listen to the ideas. See Table 10.5 “Phrases of Concession” for some useful phrases of concession.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Try to form a thesis for each of the following topics. Remember the more specific your thesis, the better.

• Foreign policy
• Television and advertising
• Stereotypes and prejudice
• Gender roles and the workplace
• Driving and cell phones

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers. Choose the thesis statement that most interests you and discuss why.

BIAS IN WRITING

Everyone has various biases on any number of topics. For example, you might have a bias toward wearing black instead of brightly colored clothes or wearing jeans rather than formal wear. You might have a bias toward working at night rather than in the morning, or working by deadlines rather than getting tasks done in advance. These examples identify minor biases, of course, but they still indicate preferences and opinions.

Handling bias in writing and in daily life can be a useful skill. It will allow you to articulate your own points of view while also defending yourself against unreasonable points of view. The ideal in persuasive writing is to let your reader know your bias, but do not let that bias blind you to the primary components of good argumentation: sound, thoughtful evidence and a respectful and reasonable address of opposing sides.

The strength of a personal bias is that it can motivate you to construct a strong argument. If you are invested in the topic, you are more likely to care about the piece of writing. Similarly, the more you care, the more time and effort you are apt to put forth and the better the final product will be.

The weakness of bias is when the bias begins to take over the essay—when, for example, you neglect opposing ideas, exaggerate your points, or repeatedly insert yourself ahead of the subject by using I too often. Being aware of all three of these pitfalls will help you avoid them.

THE USE OF I IN WRITING

The use of I in writing is often a topic of debate, and the acceptance of its usage varies from instructor to instructor. It is difficult to predict the preferences for all your present and future instructors, but consider the effects it can potentially have on your writing.

Be mindful of the use of I in your writing because it can make your argument sound overly biased. There are two primary reasons:

• Excessive repetition of any word will eventually catch the reader’s attention—and usually not in a good way. The use of I is no different.
• The insertion of I into a sentence alters not only the way a sentence might sound but also the composition of the sentence itself. I is often the subject of a sentence. If the subject of the essay is supposed to be, say, smoking, then by inserting yourself into the sentence, you are effectively displacing the subject of the essay into a secondary position. In the following example, the subject of the sentence is underlined:

Smoking is bad. I think smoking is bad.

In the first sentence, the rightful subject, smoking, is in the subject position in the sentence. In the second sentence, the insertion of I and think replaces smoking as the subject, which draws attention to I and away from the topic that is supposed to be discussed. Remember to keep the message (the subject) and the messenger (the writer) separate.

Developing Sound Arguments

Does my essay contain the following elements?

• An engaging introduction
• A reasonable, specific thesis that is able to be supported by evidence
• A varied range of evidence from credible sources
• Respectful acknowledgement and explanation of opposing ideas
• A style and tone of language that is appropriate for the subject and audience
• Acknowledgement of the argument’s limits
• A conclusion that will adequately summarize the essay and reinforce the thesis

FACT AND OPINION

Facts are statements that can be definitely proven using objective data. The statement that is a fact is absolutely valid. In other words, the statement can be pronounced as true or false. For example, 2 + 2 = 4. This expression identifies a true statement, or a fact, because it can be proved with objective data.

Opinions are personal views, or judgments. An opinion is what an individual believes about a particular subject. However, an opinion in argumentation must have legitimate backing; adequate evidence and credibility should support the opinion. Consider the credibility of expert opinions. Experts in a given field have the knowledge and credentials to make their opinion meaningful to a larger audience.

For example, you seek the opinion of your dentist when it comes to the health of your gums, and you seek the opinion of your mechanic when it comes to the maintenance of your car. Both have knowledge and credentials in those respective fields, which is why their opinions matter to you. But the authority of your dentist may be greatly diminished should he or she offer an opinion about your car, and vice versa.

In writing, you want to strike a balance between credible facts and authoritative opinions. Relying on one or the other will likely lose more of your audience than it gains.

The word prove is frequently used in the discussion of persuasive writing. Writers may claim that one piece of evidence or another proves the argument, but proving an argument is often not possible. No evidence proves a debatable topic one way or the other; that is why the topic is debatable. Facts can be proved, but opinions can only be supported, explained, and persuaded.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

On a separate sheet of paper, take three of the theses you formed in Exercise 1, and list the types of evidence you might use in support of that thesis.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Using the evidence you provided in support of the three theses in Exercise 2, come up with at least one counterargument to each. Then write a concession statement, expressing the limits to each of your three arguments.

USING VISUAL ELEMENTS TO STRENGTHEN ARGUMENTS

Adding visual elements to a persuasive argument can often strengthen its persuasive effect. There are two main types of visual elements: quantitative visuals and qualitative visuals.

Quantitative visuals present data graphically. They allow the audience to see statistics spatially. The purpose of using quantitative visuals is to make logical appeals to the audience. For example, sometimes it is easier to understand the disparity in certain statistics if you can see how the disparity looks graphically. Bar graphs, pie charts, Venn diagrams, histograms, and line graphs are all ways of presenting quantitative data in spatial dimensions.

Qualitative visuals present images that appeal to the audience’s emotions. Photographs and pictorial images are examples of qualitative visuals. Such images often try to convey a story, and seeing an actual example can carry more power than hearing or reading about the example. For example, one image of a child suffering from malnutrition will likely have more of an emotional impact than pages dedicated to describing that same condition in writing.

WRITING AT WORK

When making a business presentation, you typically have limited time to get across your idea. Providing visual elements for your audience can be an effective timesaving tool. Quantitative visuals in business presentations serve the same purpose as they do in persuasive writing. They should make logical appeals by showing numerical data in a spatial design. Quantitative visuals should be pictures that might appeal to your audience’s emotions. You will find that many of the rhetorical devices used in writing are the same ones used in the workplace.

WRITING A PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Choose a topic that you feel passionate about. If your instructor requires you to write about a specific topic, approach the subject from an angle that interests you. Begin your essay with an engaging introduction. Your thesis should typically appear somewhere in your introduction.

Start by acknowledging and explaining points of view that may conflict with your own to build credibility and trust with your audience. Also state the limits of your argument. This too helps you sound more reasonable and honest to those who may naturally be inclined to disagree with your view. By respectfully acknowledging opposing arguments and conceding limitations to your own view, you set a measured and responsible tone for the essay.

Make your appeals in support of your thesis by using sound, credible evidence. Use a balance of facts and opinions from a wide range of sources, such as scientific studies, expert testimony, statistics, and personal anecdotes. Each piece of evidence should be fully explained and clearly stated.

Make sure that your style and tone are appropriate for your subject and audience. Tailor your language and word choice to these two factors, while still being true to your own voice.

Finally, write a conclusion that effectively summarizes the main argument and reinforces your thesis.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Choose one of the topics you have been working on throughout this section. Use the thesis, evidence, opposing argument, and concessionary statement as the basis for writing a full persuasive essay. Be sure to include an engaging introduction, clear explanations of all the evidence you present, and a strong conclusion.

key takeaways

• The purpose of persuasion in writing is to convince or move readers toward a certain point of view, or opinion.
• An argument is a reasoned opinion supported and explained by evidence. To argue, in writing, is to advance knowledge and ideas in a positive way.
• A thesis that expresses the opinion of the writer in more specific terms is better than one that is vague.
• It is essential that you not only address counterarguments but also do so respectfully.
• It is also helpful to establish the limits of your argument and what you are trying to accomplish through a concession statement.
• To persuade a skeptical audience, you will need to use a wide range of evidence. Scientific studies, opinions from experts, historical precedent, statistics, personal anecdotes, and current events are all types of evidence that you might use in explaining your point.
• Make sure that your word choice and writing style is appropriate for both your subject and your audience.
• You should let your reader know your bias, but do not let that bias blind you to the primary components of good argumentation: sound, thoughtful evidence and respectfully and reasonably addressing opposing ideas.
• You should be mindful of the use of I in your writing because it can make your argument sound more biased than it needs to.
• Facts are statements that can be proven using objective data.
• Opinions are personal views, or judgments, that cannot be proven.
• In writing, you want to strike a balance between credible facts and authoritative opinions.
• Quantitative visuals present data graphically. The purpose of using quantitative visuals is to make logical appeals to the audience.
• Qualitative visuals present images that appeal to the audience’s emotions.
• This section was originally from Writing for Success, found at the University of Minnesota open textbook project. Full license information: This is a derivative of Writing for Success by a publisher who has requested that they and the original author not receive attribution, originally released and is used under CC BY-NC-SA. This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Argumentative Essays

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The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the wide spread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them.

What is an argumentative essay?

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Please note : Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are similar, but the argumentative essay differs from the expository essay in the amount of pre-writing (invention) and research involved. The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a capstone or final project in first year writing or advanced composition courses and involves lengthy, detailed research. Expository essays involve less research and are shorter in length. Expository essays are often used for in-class writing exercises or tests, such as the GED or GRE.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.

The structure of the argumentative essay is held together by the following.

• A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.

In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important ( exigence ) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.

• Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse. Transitions should wrap up the idea from the previous section and introduce the idea that is to follow in the next section.

• Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. In addition, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph. Some paragraphs will directly support the thesis statement with evidence collected during research. It is also important to explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis ( warrant ).

However, argumentative essays should also consider and explain differing points of view regarding the topic. Depending on the length of the assignment, students should dedicate one or two paragraphs of an argumentative essay to discussing conflicting opinions on the topic. Rather than explaining how these differing opinions are wrong outright, students should note how opinions that do not align with their thesis might not be well informed or how they might be out of date.

• Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).

The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate, detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement and consider other points of view. Some factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal evidence should support the thesis. However, students must consider multiple points of view when collecting evidence. As noted in the paragraph above, a successful and well-rounded argumentative essay will also discuss opinions not aligning with the thesis. It is unethical to exclude evidence that may not support the thesis. It is not the student’s job to point out how other positions are wrong outright, but rather to explain how other positions may not be well informed or up to date on the topic.

• A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

It is at this point of the essay that students may begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis. You may also want to include a short discussion of more research that should be completed in light of your work.

A complete argument

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of World War II and its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the argument in the middle of my second point, questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the conflict. Therefore, the argumentative essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.

The five-paragraph essay

A common method for writing an argumentative essay is the five-paragraph approach. This is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such essays. If it sounds straightforward, that is because it is; in fact, the method consists of (a) an introductory paragraph (b) three evidentiary body paragraphs that may include discussion of opposing views and (c) a conclusion.

Longer argumentative essays

Complex issues and detailed research call for complex and detailed essays. Argumentative essays discussing a number of research sources or empirical research will most certainly be longer than five paragraphs. Authors may have to discuss the context surrounding the topic, sources of information and their credibility, as well as a number of different opinions on the issue before concluding the essay. Many of these factors will be determined by the assignment.

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Importance of Education — The Arguments Why Education Should Be Free For Everyone

The Arguments Why Education Should Be Free for Everyone

• Categories: College Tuition Importance of Education

About this sample

Words: 854 |

Published: Mar 18, 2021

Words: 854 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited:

• Alpha History. (n.d.). Nationalism as a cause of World War I.
• Bernhardi, F. von. (1914). Germany and the Next War. London: Edward Arnold.
• Cawley, J. (n.d.). Nationalism as the cause of European competitiveness that led to World War I.
• History Home. (n.d.). The causes of World War One. Retrieved from https://www.historyhome.co.uk/europe/causeww1.htm
• Rosenthal, L. (2016). The great war, nationalism and the decline of the West. Retrieved from https://lawrencerosenthal.net/2016/05/16/the-great-war-nationalism-and-the-decline-of-the-west/
• Bloy, M. (n.d.). Nationalism in the 19th century. Retrieved from https://www.historyhome.co.uk/europe/natquest.htm

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160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

April 3, 2024

The skill of writing an excellent argumentative essay is a crucial one for every high school or college student to master. In sum, argumentative essays teach students how to organize their thoughts logically and present them in a convincing way. This skill is helpful not only for those pursuing degrees in law , international relations , or public policy , but for any student who wishes to develop their critical thinking faculties. In this article, we’ll cover what makes a good argument essay and offer several argumentative essay topics for high school and college students. Let’s begin!

What is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses research to present a reasoned argument on a particular subject . As with the persuasive essay , the purpose of an argumentative essay is to sway the reader to the writer’s position. However, a strong persuasive essay makes its point through diligent research and emotion while a strong argumentative essay should be based solely on facts, not feelings.

Moreover, each fact should be supported by clear evidence from credible sources . Furthermore, a good argumentative essay will have an easy-to-follow structure. When organizing your argumentative essay, use this format as a guide:

• Introduction
• Supporting body paragraphs
• Paragraph(s) addressing common counterarguments

Argumentative Essay Format

In the introduction , the writer presents their position and thesis statement —a sentence that summarizes the paper’s main points. The body paragraphs then draw upon supporting evidence to back up this initial statement, with each paragraph focusing on its own point. The length of your paper will determine the amount of examples you need. In general, you’ll likely need at least two to three. Additionally, your examples should be as detailed as possible, citing specific research, case studies, statistics, or anecdotes.

In the counterargument paragraph , the writer acknowledges and refutes opposing viewpoints. Finally, in the conclusion , the writer restates the main argument made in the thesis statement and summarizes the points of the essay. Additionally, the conclusion may offer a final proposal to persuade the reader of the essay’s position.

How to Write an Effective Argumentative Essay, Step by Step

• Choose your topic. Use the list below to help you pick a topic. Ideally, a good argumentative essay topic will be meaningful to you—writing is always stronger when you are interested in the subject matter. In addition, the topic should be complex with plenty of “pro” and “con” arguments. Avoid choosing a topic that is either widely accepted as fact or too narrow. For example, “Is the earth round?” would not be a solid choice.
• Research. Use the library, the web, and any other resources to gather information about your argumentative essay topic. Research widely but smartly. As you go, take organized notes, marking the source of every quote and where it may fit in the scheme of your larger essay. Moreover, remember to look for (and research) possible counterarguments.
• Outline . Using the argument essay format above, create an outline for your essay. Then, brainstorm a thesis statement covering your argument’s main points, and begin to put your examples in order, focusing on logical flow. It’s often best to place your strongest example last.
• Write . Draw on your research and outline to create a first draft. Remember, your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. (As Voltaire says, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”) Accordingly, just focus on getting the words down on paper.
• Does my thesis statement need to be adjusted?
• Which examples feel strongest? Weakest?
• Do the transitions flow smoothly?
• Do I have a strong opening paragraph?
• Does the conclusion reinforce my argument?

Tips for Revising an Argument Essay

Evaluating your own work can be difficult, so you might consider the following strategies:

• Read your work aloud to yourself.
• Record yourself reading your paper, and listen to the recording.
• Reverse outline your paper. Firstly, next to each paragraph, write a short summary of that paragraph’s main points/idea. Then, read through your reverse outline. Does it have a logical flow? If not, where should you adjust?
• Print out your paper and cut it into paragraphs. What happens when you rearrange the paragraphs?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School, High School, and College Students

Family argumentative essay topics.

• Should the government provide financial incentives for families to have children to address the declining birth rate?
• Should we require parents to provide their children with a certain level of nutrition and physical activity to prevent childhood obesity?
• Should parents implement limits on how much time their children spend playing video games?
• Should cell phones be banned from family/holiday gatherings?
• Should we hold parents legally responsible for their children’s actions?
• Should children have the right to sue their parents for neglect?
• Should parents have the right to choose their child’s religion?
• Are spanking and other forms of physical punishment an effective method of discipline?
• Should courts allow children to choose where they live in cases of divorce?
• Should parents have the right to monitor teens’ activity on social media?
• Should parents control their child’s medical treatment, even if it goes against the child’s wishes?
• Should parents be allowed to post pictures of their children on social media without their consent?
• Should fathers have a legal say in whether their partners do or do not receive an abortion?
• Can television have positive developmental benefits on children?
• Should the driving age be raised to prevent teen car accidents?
• Should adult children be legally required to care for their aging parents?

Education Argument Essay Topics

• Should schools ban the use of technology like ChatGPT?
• Are zoos unethical, or necessary for conservation and education?
• To what degree should we hold parents responsible in the event of a school shooting?
• Should schools offer students a set number of mental health days?
• Should school science curriculums offer a course on combating climate change?
• Should public libraries be allowed to ban certain books? If so, what types?
• What role, if any, should prayer play in public schools?
• Should schools push to abolish homework?
• Are gifted and talented programs in schools more harmful than beneficial due to their exclusionary nature?
• Should universities do away with Greek life?
• Should schools remove artwork, such as murals, that some perceive as offensive?
• Should the government grant parents the right to choose alternative education options for their children and use taxpayer funds to support these options?
• Is homeschooling better than traditional schooling for children’s academic and social development?
• Should we require schools to teach sex education to reduce teen pregnancy rates?
• Should we require schools to provide sex education that includes information about both homosexual and heterosexual relationships?
• Should colleges use affirmative action and other race-conscious policies to address diversity on campus?
• Should public schools remove the line “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance?
• Should college admissions officers be allowed to look at students’ social media accounts?
• Should schools abolish their dress codes, many of which unfairly target girls, LGBTQ students, and students of color?
• Should schools be required to stock free period products in bathrooms?
• Should legacy students receive preferential treatment during the college admissions process?
• Are school “voluntourism” trips ethical?

Government Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. decriminalize prostitution?
• Should the U.S. issue migration visas to all eligible applicants?
• Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?
• Should we lower the minimum voting age? If so, to what?
• Should the federal government abolish all laws penalizing drug production and use?
• Should the U.S. use its military power to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan?
• Should the U.S. supply Ukraine with further military intelligence and supplies?
• Should the North and South of the U.S. split up into two regions?
• Should Americans hold up nationalism as a critical value?
• Should we permit Supreme Court justices to hold their positions indefinitely?
• Should Supreme Court justices be democratically elected?
• Is the Electoral College still a productive approach to electing the U.S. president?
• Should the U.S. implement a national firearm registry?
• Is it ethical for countries like China and Israel to mandate compulsory military service for all citizens?
• Should the U.S. government implement a ranked-choice voting system?
• Should institutions that benefited from slavery be required to provide reparations?
• Based on the 1619 project, should history classes change how they teach about the founding of the U.S.?
• Should term limits be imposed on Senators and Representatives? If so, how long?
• Should women be allowed into special forces units?
• Should the federal government implement stronger, universal firearm licensing laws?
• Do public sex offender registries help prevent future sex crimes?
• Should the government be allowed to regulate family size?
• Should all adults legally be considered mandated reporters?
• Should the government fund public universities to make higher education more accessible to low-income students?
• Should the government fund universal preschool to improve children’s readiness for kindergarten?

Health/Bioethics Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. government offer its own healthcare plan?
• In the case of highly infectious pandemics, should we focus on individual freedoms or public safety when implementing policies to control the spread?
• Should we legally require parents to vaccinate their children to protect public health?
• Is it ethical for parents to use genetic engineering to create “designer babies” with specific physical and intellectual traits?
• Should the government fund research on embryonic stem cells for medical treatments?
• Should the government legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients?
• Should organ donation be mandatory?
• Is cloning animals ethical?
• Should cancer screenings start earlier? If so, what age?
• Is surrogacy ethical?
• Should birth control require a prescription?
• Should minors have access to emergency contraception?
• Should hospitals be for-profit or nonprofit institutions?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics — Continued

Social media argumentative essay topics.

• Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
• Do social media and smartphones strengthen one’s relationships?
• Should antitrust regulators take action to limit the size of big tech companies?
• Should social media platforms ban political advertisements?
• Should the federal government hold social media companies accountable for instances of hate speech discovered on their platforms?
• Do apps such as TikTok and Instagram ultimately worsen the mental well-being of teenagers?
• Should governments oversee how social media platforms manage their users’ data?
• Should social media platforms like Facebook enforce a minimum age requirement for users?
• Should social media companies be held responsible for cases of cyberbullying?
• Should the United States ban TikTok?
• Is social media harmful to children?
• Should employers screen applicants’ social media accounts during the hiring process?

Religion Argument Essay Topics

• Should religious institutions be tax-exempt?
• Should religious symbols such as the hijab or crucifix be allowed in public spaces?
• Should religious freedoms be protected, even when they conflict with secular laws?
• Should the government regulate religious practices?
• Should we allow churches to engage in political activities?
• Religion: a force for good or evil in the world?
• Should the government provide funding for religious schools?
• Is it ethical for healthcare providers to deny abortions based on religious beliefs?
• Should religious organizations be allowed to discriminate in their hiring practices?
• Should we allow people to opt out of medical treatments based on their religious beliefs?
• Should the U.S. government hold religious organizations accountable for cases of sexual abuse within their community?
• Should religious beliefs be exempt from anti-discrimination laws?
• Should religious individuals be allowed to refuse services to others based on their beliefs or lifestyles? (As in this famous case .)
• Should the US ban religion-based federal holidays?
• Should public schools be allowed to teach children about religious holidays?

Science Argument Essay Topics

• Would the world be safer if we eliminated nuclear weapons?
• Should scientists bring back extinct animals? If so, which ones?
• Should we hold companies fiscally responsible for their carbon footprint?
• Should we ban pesticides in favor of organic farming methods?
• Should the federal government ban all fossil fuels, despite the potential economic impact on specific industries and communities?
• What renewable energy source should the U.S. invest more money in?
• Should the FDA outlaw GMOs?
• Should we worry about artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence?
• Should the alternative medicine industry be more stringently regulated?
• Is colonizing Mars a viable option?
• Is the animal testing worth the potential to save human lives?

Sports Argument Essay Topics

• Should colleges compensate student-athletes?
• How should sports teams and leagues address the gender pay gap?
• Should youth sports teams do away with scorekeeping?
• Should we ban aggressive contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should professional sports associations mandate that athletes stand during the national anthem?
• Should high schools require their student-athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should transgender athletes compete in sports according to their gender identity?
• Should schools ban football due to the inherent danger it poses to players?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
• Do participation trophies foster entitlement and unrealistic expectations?
• Should sports teams be divided by gender?
• Should professional athletes be allowed to compete in the Olympics?
• Should women be allowed on NFL teams?

Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should sites like DALL-E compensate the artists whose work it was trained on?
• Should the federal government make human exploration of space a more significant priority?
• Is it ethical for the government to use surveillance technology to monitor citizens?
• Should websites require proof of age from their users? If so, what age?
• Should we consider A.I.-generated images and text pieces of art?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology violate individuals’ privacy?
• Is online learning as effective as in-person learning?
• Does computing harm the environment?
• Should buying, sharing, and selling collected personal data be illegal?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should car companies be held responsible for self-driving car accidents?
• Should private jets be banned?
• Do violent video games contribute to real-life violence?

Business Argument Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. government phase out the use of paper money in favor of a fully digital currency system?
• Should the federal government abolish its patent and copyright laws?
• Should we replace the Federal Reserve with free-market institutions?
• Is free-market ideology responsible for the U.S. economy’s poor performance over the past decade?
• Will cryptocurrencies overtake natural resources like gold and silver?
• Is capitalism the best economic system? What system would be better?
• Should the U.S. government enact a universal basic income?
• Should we require companies to provide paid parental leave to their employees?
• Should the government raise the minimum wage? If so, to what?
• Should antitrust regulators break up large companies to promote competition?
• Is it ethical for companies to prioritize profits over social responsibility?
• Should gig-economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers be considered employees or independent contractors?
• Should the federal government regulate the gig economy to ensure fair treatment of workers?
• Should the government require companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products?
• Should companies be allowed to fire employees based on political views or activities?
• Should tipping practices be phased out?
• Should employees who choose not to have children be given the same amount of paid leave as parents?
• Should MLMs (multi-level marketing companies) be illegal?
• Should employers be allowed to factor tattoos and personal appearance into hiring decisions?

In Conclusion – Argument Essay Topics

Using the tips above, you can effectively structure and pen a compelling argumentative essay that will wow your instructor and classmates. Remember to craft a thesis statement that offers readers a roadmap through your essay, draw on your sources wisely to back up any claims, and read through your paper several times before it’s due to catch any last-minute proofreading errors. With time, diligence, and patience, your essay will be the most outstanding assignment you’ve ever turned in…until the next one rolls around.

Looking for more fresh and engaging topics for use in the classroom? You might consider checking out the following:

• 125 Good Debate Topics for High School Students
• 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• 7 Best Places to Study
• Guide to the IB Extended Essay
• How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay
• AP Lit Reading List
• How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay
• 49 Most Interesting Biology Research Topics
• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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Persuasive Essay: Why is Education Important in Our Society?

Introduction.

Education is more than just learning from books, and it is a shame that a lot of schools do not see that it is more than just a curriculum and school score. A good education can teach a child how to learn so that the child may take up independent learning as an adult. Education may also teach a child how to reason so that a child does not grow up to be ignorant.

I will show you the two best reasons why education is important in our society.

Persuasive point 1

The biggest selling point for education in our society is the fact that it helps people learn “how” to learn. It is not about the knowledge they accumulate, it is the way a child is taught how to “learn” things. A child may come away from school not knowing a lot of the course, but if that child has been taught how to learn, then that child may become an adult that learns everything he or she needs in life. Otherwise, that child may grow up to be a person that cannot see the obvious because he or she cannot reason and consciously learn new things.

Persuasive point 2

Education teaches people how to reason, and if they are taught how to reason well, then they help subdue their own thoughts of ignorance. For example, there are lots of posts and websites on the Internet about childhood vaccinations and how dangerous they are. Ignorant people than never learned how to reason will look at them, believe them and support them. If a person is taught how to reason then he or she will know how to recognize empirical evidence.

That person would look at all the people in the US that have had childhood injections (most of them) and then look at all the people with autism. They would reason that if childhood vaccinations caused autism then most of the people in the US would have autism. If a person is taught how to reason then that person may see how people that smoke seem more likely to develop emphysema than people that do not smoke. They would then reason there is a link between smoking and emphysema. This sort of reasoning can be taught in schools, and if children are not taught it then they walk around risking their children’s lives by not vaccinating them, and walk around smoking because their daddy smoked for years and it never hurt him.

If education is not seen as important, then one day it will just be all about school scores and hitting the factors of a curriculum. There will be a day when children start to hate learning because school put them off it for life (this already happens in some cases). Plus, without education teaching people how to reason things out and teaching them how to separate what is fact from what is faulty evidence, then our society will become more and more ignorant until a smarter country simply marches over and takes our country from under out ignorant noses.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 perfect persuasive essay topics for any assignment.

General Education

Do you need to write a persuasive essay but aren’t sure what topic to focus on? Were you thrilled when your teacher said you could write about whatever you wanted but are now overwhelmed by the possibilities? We’re here to help!

Read on for a list of 113 top-notch persuasive essay topics, organized into ten categories. To help get you started, we also discuss what a persuasive essay is, how to choose a great topic, and what tips to keep in mind as you write your persuasive essay.

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

In a persuasive essay, you attempt to convince readers to agree with your point of view on an argument. For example, an essay analyzing changes in Italian art during the Renaissance wouldn’t be a persuasive essay, because there’s no argument, but an essay where you argue that Italian art reached its peak during the Renaissance would be a persuasive essay because you’re trying to get your audience to agree with your viewpoint.

Persuasive and argumentative essays both try to convince readers to agree with the author, but the two essay types have key differences. Argumentative essays show a more balanced view of the issue and discuss both sides. Persuasive essays focus more heavily on the side the author agrees with. They also often include more of the author’s opinion than argumentative essays, which tend to use only facts and data to support their argument.

All persuasive essays have the following:

• Introduction: Introduces the topic, explains why it’s important, and ends with the thesis.
• Thesis: A sentence that sums up what the essay be discussing and what your stance on the issue is.
• Reasons you believe your side of the argument: Why do you support the side you do? Typically each main point will have its own body paragraph.
• Evidence supporting your argument: Facts or examples to back up your main points. Even though your opinion is allowed in persuasive essays more than most other essays, having concrete examples will make a stronger argument than relying on your opinion alone.
• Conclusion: Restatement of thesis, summary of main points, and a recap of why the issue is important.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Essay Topic?

Theoretically, you could write a persuasive essay about any subject under the sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Certain topics are easier to write a strong persuasive essay on, and below are tips to follow when deciding what you should write about.

It’s a Topic You Care About

Obviously, it’s possible to write an essay about a topic you find completely boring. You’ve probably done it! However, if possible, it’s always better to choose a topic that you care about and are interested in. When this is the case, you’ll find doing the research more enjoyable, writing the essay easier, and your writing will likely be better because you’ll be more passionate about and informed on the topic.

You Have Enough Evidence to Support Your Argument

Just being passionate about a subject isn’t enough to make it a good persuasive essay topic, though. You need to make sure your argument is complex enough to have at least two potential sides to root for, and you need to be able to back up your side with evidence and examples. Even though persuasive essays allow your opinion to feature more than many other essays, you still need concrete evidence to back up your claims, or you’ll end up with a weak essay.

For example, you may passionately believe that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream flavor (I agree!), but could you really write an entire essay on this? What would be your reasons for believing mint chocolate chip is the best (besides the fact that it’s delicious)? How would you support your belief? Have enough studies been done on preferred ice cream flavors to support an entire essay? When choosing a persuasive essay idea, you want to find the right balance between something you care about (so you can write well on it) and something the rest of the world cares about (so you can reference evidence to strengthen your position).

It’s a Manageable Topic

Bigger isn’t always better, especially with essay topics. While it may seem like a great idea to choose a huge, complex topic to write about, you’ll likely struggle to sift through all the information and different sides of the issue and winnow them down to one streamlined essay. For example, choosing to write an essay about how WWII impacted American life more than WWI wouldn’t be a great idea because you’d need to analyze all the impacts of both the wars in numerous areas of American life. It’d be a huge undertaking. A better idea would be to choose one impact on American life the wars had (such as changes in female employment) and focus on that. Doing so will make researching and writing your persuasive essay much more feasible.

List of 113 Good Persuasive Essay Topics

Below are over 100 persuasive essay ideas, organized into ten categories. When you find an idea that piques your interest, you’ll choose one side of it to argue for in your essay. For example, if you choose the topic, “should fracking be legal?” you’d decide whether you believe fracking should be legal or illegal, then you’d write an essay arguing all the reasons why your audience should agree with you.

Arts/Culture

• Should students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Did the end of Game of Thrones fit with the rest of the series?
• Can music be an effective way to treat mental illness?
• With e-readers so popular, have libraries become obsolete?
• Are the Harry Potter books more popular than they deserve to be?
• Should music with offensive language come with a warning label?
• What’s the best way for museums to get more people to visit?
• Should students be able to substitute an art or music class for a PE class in school?
• Are the Kardashians good or bad role models for young people?
• Should people in higher income brackets pay more taxes?
• Should all high school students be required to take a class on financial literacy?
• Is it possible to achieve the American dream, or is it only a myth?
• Is it better to spend a summer as an unpaid intern at a prestigious company or as a paid worker at a local store/restaurant?
• Should the United States impose more or fewer tariffs?
• Should college graduates have their student loans forgiven?
• Should restaurants eliminate tipping and raise staff wages instead?
• Should students learn cursive writing in school?
• Which is more important: PE class or music class?
• Is it better to have year-round school with shorter breaks throughout the year?
• Should class rank be abolished in schools?
• Should students be taught sex education in school?
• Should students be able to attend public universities for free?
• What’s the most effective way to change the behavior of school bullies?
• Are the SAT and ACT accurate ways to measure intelligence?
• Should students be able to learn sign language instead of a foreign language?
• Do the benefits of Greek life at colleges outweigh the negatives?
• Does doing homework actually help students learn more?
• Why do students in many other countries score higher than American students on math exams?
• Should parents/teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?
• What’s the best way to reduce cheating in school?
• Should colleges take a student’s race into account when making admissions decisions?
• Should there be limits to free speech?
• Should students be required to perform community service to graduate high school?
• Should convicted felons who have completed their sentence be allowed to vote?
• Should gun ownership be more tightly regulated?
• Should recycling be made mandatory?
• Should employers be required to offer paid leave to new parents?
• Are there any circumstances where torture should be allowed?
• Should children under the age of 18 be able to get plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons?
• Should white supremacy groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Does making abortion illegal make women more or less safe?
• Does foreign aid actually help developing countries?
• Are there times a person’s freedom of speech should be curtailed?
• Should people over a certain age not be allowed to adopt children?

Government/Politics

• Should the minimum voting age be raised/lowered/kept the same?
• Should Puerto Rico be granted statehood?
• Should the United States build a border wall with Mexico?
• Who should be the next person printed on American banknotes?
• Should the United States’ military budget be reduced?
• Did China’s one child policy have overall positive or negative impacts on the country?
• Should DREAMers be granted US citizenship?
• Is national security more important than individual privacy?
• What responsibility does the government have to help homeless people?
• Should the electoral college be abolished?
• Should the US increase or decrease the number of refugees it allows in each year?
• Should privately-run prisons be abolished?
• Who was the most/least effective US president?
• Will Brexit end up helping or harming the UK?

• What’s the best way to reduce the spread of Ebola?
• Is the Keto diet a safe and effective way to lose weight?
• Should the FDA regulate vitamins and supplements more strictly?
• Should public schools require all students who attend to be vaccinated?
• Is eating genetically modified food safe?
• What’s the best way to make health insurance more affordable?
• What’s the best way to lower the teen pregnancy rate?
• Should recreational marijuana be legalized nationwide?
• Should birth control pills be available without a prescription?
• Should pregnant women be forbidden from buying cigarettes and alcohol?
• Why has anxiety increased in adolescents?
• Are low-carb or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• What caused the destruction of the USS Maine?
• Was King Arthur a mythical legend or actual Dark Ages king?
• Was the US justified in dropping atomic bombs during WWII?
• What was the primary cause of the Rwandan genocide?
• What happened to the settlers of the Roanoke colony?
• Was disagreement over slavery the primary cause of the US Civil War?
• What has caused the numerous disappearances in the Bermuda triangle?
• Should nuclear power be banned?
• Is scientific testing on animals necessary?
• Do zoos help or harm animals?
• Should scientists be allowed to clone humans?
• Should animals in circuses be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
• What’s the best way to reduce illegal poaching in Africa?
• What is the best way to reduce the impact of global warming?
• Should euthanasia be legalized?
• Is there legitimate evidence of extraterrestrial life?
• Should people be banned from owning aggressive dog breeds?
• Should the United States devote more money towards space exploration?
• Should the government subsidize renewable forms of energy?
• Is solar energy worth the cost?
• Should stem cells be used in medicine?
• Is it right for the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement?
• Should athletes who fail a drug test receive a lifetime ban from the sport?
• Should college athletes receive a salary?
• Should the NFL do more to prevent concussions in players?
• Do PE classes help students stay in shape?
• Should horse racing be banned?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should children younger than 18 be allowed to play tackle football?
• Are the costs of hosting an Olympic Games worth it?
• Can online schools be as effective as traditional schools?
• Do violent video games encourage players to be violent in real life?
• Should facial recognition technology be banned?
• Does excessive social media use lead to depression/anxiety?
• Has the rise of translation technology made knowing multiple languages obsolete?
• Was Steve Jobs a visionary or just a great marketer?
• Should social media be banned for children younger than a certain age?
• Which 21st-century invention has had the largest impact on society?
• Are ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft good or bad for society?
• Should Facebook have done more to protect the privacy of its users?
• Will technology end up increasing or decreasing inequality worldwide?

Tips for Writing a Strong Persuasive Essay

After you’ve chosen the perfect topic for your persuasive essay, your work isn’t over. Follow the three tips below to create a top-notch essay.

Do Your Research

Your argument will fall apart if you don’t fully understand the issue you’re discussing or you overlook an important piece of it. Readers won’t be convinced by someone who doesn’t know the subject, and you likely won’t persuade any of them to begin supporting your viewpoint. Before you begin writing a single word of your essay, research your topic thoroughly. Study different sources, learn about the different sides of the argument, ask anyone who’s an expert on the topic what their opinion is, etc. You might be tempted to start writing right away, but by doing your research, you’ll make the writing process much easier when the time comes.

Make Your Thesis Perfect

Your thesis is the most important sentence in your persuasive essay. Just by reading that single sentence, your audience should know exactly what topic you’ll be discussing and where you stand on the issue. You want your thesis to be crystal clear and to accurately set up the rest of your essay. Asking classmates or your teacher to look it over before you begin writing the rest of your essay can be a big help if you’re not entirely confident in your thesis.

Consider the Other Side

You’ll spend most of your essay focusing on your side of the argument since that’s what you want readers to come away believing. However, don’t think that means you can ignore other sides of the issue. In your essay, be sure to discuss the other side’s argument, as well as why you believe this view is weak or untrue. Researching all the different viewpoints and including them in your essay will increase the quality of your writing by making your essay more complete and nuanced.

Summary: Persuasive Essay Ideas

Good persuasive essay topics can be difficult to come up with, but in this guide we’ve created a list of 113 excellent essay topics for you to browse. The best persuasive essay ideas will be those that you are interested in, have enough evidence to support your argument, and aren’t too complicated to be summarized in an essay.

After you’ve chosen your essay topic, keep these three tips in mind when you begin writing:

• Do your research
• Make your thesis perfect
• Consider the other side

What's Next?

Need ideas for a research paper topic as well? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

Thinking about taking an AP English class? Read our guide on AP English classes to learn whether you should take AP English Language or AP English Literature (or both!)

Deciding between the SAT or ACT? Find out for sure which you will do the best on . Also read a detailed comparison between the two tests .

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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100 Persuasive Essay Topics

• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Persuasive essays are a bit like argument essays and persuasive speeches , but they tend to be a little kinder and gentler. Argument essays require you to discuss and to attack an alternate view, while persuasive essays are attempts to convince the reader that you have a believable argument. In other words, you are an advocate, not an adversary.

A Persuasive Essay Has 3 Components

• Introduction : This is the opening paragraph of your essay. It contains the hook, which is used to grab the reader's attention, and the thesis, or argument, which you'll explain in the next section.
• Body : This is the heart of your essay, usually three to five paragraphs in length. Each paragraph examines one theme or issue used to support your thesis.
• Conclusion : This is the final paragraph of your essay. In it, you'll sum up the main points of the body and connect them to your thesis. Persuasive essays often use the conclusion as a last appeal to the audience.

Learning how to write a persuasive essay is an essential skill that people use every day in fields from business to law to media and entertainment. English students can begin writing a persuasive essay at any skill level. You're sure to find a sample topic or two from the list of 100 persuasive essays below, sorted by degree of difficulty.

Watch Now: 12 Ideas for Great Persuasive Essay Topics

• Kids should get paid for good grades.
• Students should have less homework.
• Snow days are great for family time.
• Penmanship is important.
• Short hair is better than long hair.
• We should all grow our own vegetables.
• We need more holidays.
• Aliens probably exist.
• Gym class is more important than music class.
• Kids should be able to vote.
• Kids should get paid for extra activities like sports.
• School should take place in the evenings.
• Country life is better than city life.
• City life is better than country life.
• We can change the world.
• Skateboard helmets should be mandatory.
• We should provide food for the poor.
• Children should be paid for doing chores.
• We should populate the moon .
• Dogs make better pets than cats.

Intermediate

• The government should impose household trash limits.
• Nuclear weapons are an effective deterrent against foreign attack.
• Teens should be required to take parenting classes.
• We should teach etiquette in schools.
• School uniform laws are unconstitutional.
• All students should wear uniforms.
• Too much money is a bad thing.
• High schools should offer specialized degrees in arts or sciences.
• Magazine advertisements send unhealthy signals to young women.
• Robocalling should be outlawed.
• Age 12 is too young to babysit.
• Children should be required to read more.
• All students should be given the opportunity to study abroad.
• Yearly driving tests should be mandatory past age 65.
• Cell phones should never be used while driving.
• All schools should implement bullying awareness programs.
• Bullies should be kicked out of school.
• Parents of bullies should have to pay a fine.
• The school year should be longer.
• School days should start later.
• Teens should be able to choose their bedtime.
• There should be a mandatory entrance exam for high school.
• Public transit should be privatized.
• We should allow pets in school.
• The voting age should be lowered to 16.
• Beauty contests are bad for body image.
• Every American should learn to speak Spanish.
• Every immigrant should learn to speak English.
• Video games can be educational.
• College athletes should be paid for their services.
• We need a military draft .
• Professional sports should eliminate cheerleaders.
• Teens should be able to start driving at 14 instead of 16.
• Year-round school is a bad idea.
• High school campuses should be guarded by police officers.
• The legal drinking age should be lowered to 19.
• Kids under 15 shouldn't have Facebook pages.
• Standardized testing should be eliminated.
• Teachers should be paid more.
• There should be one world currency.
• Domestic surveillance without a warrant should be legal.
• Letter grades should be replaced with a pass or fail.
• Every family should have a natural disaster survival plan.
• Parents should talk to kids about drugs at a young age.
• Racial slurs should be illegal.
• Gun ownership should be tightly regulated.
• Puerto Rico should be granted statehood.
• People should go to jail when they abandon their pets.
• Free speech should have limitations.
• Members of Congress should be subject to term limits.
• Recycling should be mandatory for everyone.
• High-speed internet access should be regulated like a public utility.
• Yearly driving tests should be mandatory for the first five years after getting a license.
• Recreational marijuana should be made legal nationwide.
• Legal marijuana should be taxed and regulated like tobacco or alcohol.
• Child support dodgers should go to jail.
• Students should be allowed to pray in school.
• All Americans have a constitutional right to health care.
• Internet access should be free for everyone.
• Social Security should be privatized.
• Pregnant couples should receive parenting lessons.
• We shouldn't use products made from animals.
• Celebrities should have more privacy rights.
• Professional football is too violent and should be banned.
• We need better sex education in schools.
• School testing is not effective.
• The United States should build a border wall with Mexico and with Canada.
• Life is better than it was 50 years ago.
• Eating meat is unethical.
• A vegan diet is the only diet people should follow.
• Medical testing on animals should be illegal.
• The Electoral College is outdated.
• Medical testing on animals is necessary.
• Public safety is more important than an individual's right to privacy.
• Single-sex colleges provide a better education.
• Books should never be banned.
• Violent video games can cause people to act violently in real life.
• Freedom of religion has limitations.
• Nuclear power should be illegal.
• Climate change should be the president's primary political concern.
• Arizona State University Writing Center staff. " Persuasive Essay Structure ." ASU.edu, June 2012.
• Collins, Jen, and Polak, Adam. " Persuasive Essays ." Hamilton.edu.
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• How to Write a Great Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC
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• Bad Essay Topics for College Admissions
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Why Arguments (Almost) Never Work: Motivated Reasoning And Persuasion

Were I writing this essay a year or two ago, I’d have started it this way: When disagreements arise, the first impulse for many of us is to give direct arguments in favor of our own viewpoint. In other words, you give reasons directly for some conclusion in the expectation that the audience will share your reasons and thereby come to accept your conclusion. As I’ll explain, this sets up the discussion as a zero-sum game that actually makes the other side far less likely to accept your reasons. If your argument wins the day, then your opponent loses (and vice versa), and this win-lose setup is exactly what makes the participants in the discussion defensive and argumentative, resistant to your ideas. I have come to believe that such attempts are practically useless for reasons that are widely acknowledged but rarely applied to the subject of rational persuasion. Everyone knows about motivated reasoning at some level or another. (At the very least, we recognize when other people are engaged in wishful thinking or confirmation bias, etc.; we can see all too clearly when the other political party is reasoning in bad faith by our standards.) Nevertheless, few seem to draw the obvious conclusion that rational persuasion via head-on arguments is doomed to fail in most cases. Nor has anyone developed a clear alternative. I aim to do both.

As you read that, I’m betting that one of three things just happened. In the worst-case scenario, you have already gotten defensive. “That can’t be right,” you say to yourself, and you begin to marshal all your attention to the task of finding flaws in my forthcoming arguments. In the best-case scenario, your interest was piqued, and you are on your way to accepting some or all of my conclusions. In that case, what I have to offer is to take you willingly down a path you want to walk, hopefully a bit further than you would have gone on your own. You might be in this headspace because you were already skeptical of the effectiveness of rational discourse, already disillusioned with humanity’s basic inability to be compelled by reason-giving. Either way, very little is happening in terms of persuasion and a whole lot is happening in terms of motivated reasoning. Persuasion moves you toward viewing the world in a different (hopefully, more accurate) way. But in most cases, head-on arguments like the one above are not really going to change anyone’s view of the world. We resist ideas and evidence that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or incongruent with what we currently believe, and we subject the familiar, comfortable, and congruent to far less scrutiny. We are unlikely to be persuaded, even if our interlocutor has a better grip on the truth.

The third most likely response to my “opener” is that you have not given the matter much thought at all prior to reading this, and that’s why you’re open to being persuaded. Here, I am reminded of a saying I heard from a mentor, “The only point of giving arguments is to convince unaffiliated grad students.” In the academy, grad students are the initiates, and many of the debates they are initiated into are too arcane to be on the radar of the average layperson. Having never encountered the debate before, the initiate does not necessarily have any clear idea of what to think. So, the point of the saying is this: the only case in which anyone is persuaded by reasons is when they didn’t have a dog in the fight to begin with. Otherwise, no real persuasion is happening. If you were already disposed to agree, then you don’t need persuasion, and if you already disagree, then motivated reasoning will likely kick in and prevent persuasion.

If this is right, then Max Plank’s famous quip captures the best hope for head-on arguments: “Truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die.” Initiates to a debate are (hopefully) convinced by the more rational arguments (unless there are plenty of rational arguments on all sides!), and the matter is gradually settled by attrition. But is this the only hope for rational discourse to lead to knowledge or understanding? That error and falsehood will eventually just peter out as their defenders leave the discussion by one means or another? My hope here is for us to find greater optimism about rational discourse and persuasion.

Motivated Reasoning: Soldier and Scout

First, we need a clearer view of reasons for despair or skepticism about rational discourse and persuasion. The problem is that it is incredibly difficult to get anyone (including oneself!) to change their mind about most matters of importance. Why is this? There is a complicated story to tell about a whole host of biases and heuristics by which we navigate the world and make decisions, and some have even done the hard work of funneling these heuristics and biases into a kind of cheat sheet with broader categories. However, in most domains of rational discourse, the simple answer seems to reside in our defensiveness. In her recent book, The Scout Mindset , Julia Galef starts with a thoughtful examination of motivated reasoning, or what she calls soldier mindset. However, she goes a step further to identify an opposing set of inclinations and habits of mind that she calls scout mindset. Whereas soldiers want to defend their ideas, scouts just want an accurate picture of how things really are.

What is soldier mindset defending? Galef identifies six different categories of ego defense.

• Comfort: We shield ourselves from unpleasant emotions. If you have invested time and energy in convincing yourself and others of something (e.g., that the earth is flat or not, that global warming is a threat or not, that abortion is okay or not), you will avoid evidence to the contrary because you want to avoid the shame, embarrassment, or dissonance that would go along with admitting you were wrong.
• Self-esteem: We enhance or protect our self-image. If you are wealthy, you might ignore or discount evidence of systemic injustice or inequality. At some level, you want to maintain the belief that you earned what you got within a just and equitable system. If you are relatively poor, you’ll think the opposite and blame bad luck for your setbacks.
• Morale: We fight to preserve our motivations and expectations. If you are committed to a new business idea, you might avoid evidence that it could fail. You want to protect your motivation to give it your best shot, holding on to your expectation that your hard work will pay off.
• Persuasion: We defend our ability to convince others. If you’re in the middle of a messy divorce or court battle, you might fiercely deny your adversary’s claims, however reasonable. You want to stay convinced of the righteousness of your cause so that you can be convincing to others.
• Image: We shield our reputation. If someone accuses you of plagiarism, you may look for all kinds of reasons why your uncited use of a source was excusable. As in the case of René Diekstra .
• Belonging: We protect our place of belonging in social groups. If your belief in God is required for membership and belonging in a community of faith (or required to keep your job in it), then you may tend to avoid evidence that God might not exist.

Each of these categories represents a way in which an idea can get caught up with one’s identity, understood in terms of social affiliations, personal commitments, and closely held goals, dreams, and values. So, then we get defensive about the idea, because by defending it, we think we are defending ourselves. While there is much more to say about motivated reasoning and many more ways to think about it (for example, the metaphor of the psychological immune system ), I think Galef’s metaphors of the soldier and scout are especially helpful where rational persuasion is concerned. The issues where people have the most difficult time coming to a consensus are exactly the ones that we defend because of their connection to our social, political, and religious identities. In Galef’s terms, soldier mindset aims to protect the self/ego and thus manifests most forcefully when the self is threatened. Moreover, the self is threatened in rational discourse when our ideas are attacked, at least if the ideas under attack have become entangled with one’s identity. Most of us can probably agree that soldier mindset interferes with our ability to get to the truth through rational discourse: If an idea becomes too entangled with your identity, it will become next to impossible for anyone to persuade you that it is wrong as you dig in your heels to defend it. Thus, I suspect most people will agree that to improve rational discourse requires becoming better scouts ourselves.

Galef fleshes out several different strategies for accomplishing this. Her central idea is to change one’s guiding motivation in reasoning. We start actively caring more about the truth than making our ideas win, and we do so by intentionally challenging our ideas, a habit of mind that some psychologists have dubbed active open-mindedness.

Nevertheless, Galef is not the only one imagining what it might look like to make ourselves more amenable to revising our beliefs via rational discourse. For example, Scott Aikin and John Casey, leading defenders of head-on arguments, suggest that to have better arguments, we ought to do the following: have some intellectual humility, get more familiar with other perspectives, expect arguments to feel like attacks, learn how to view “losing” an argument in a positive light.

These correctives are helpful so far as they go, but what are they helpful for? It seems to me that they are all directed at making oneself better at receiving other peoples’ arguments, but they don’t necessarily make your own arguments any more effective, at least when we stop to consider the perils of activating defensiveness in others.  Nevertheless, at the end of the day, Aikin and Casey (and probably many others) think you should still be giving arguments for your position and that in many cases, this is the most fruitful approach to navigating disagreement. I won’t say they are entirely wrong. In some instances, head-on arguments are very helpful, “unaffiliated grad students” come to mind here. Another case is when you’re discussing some factual matter that has no grip on someone’s identity, as when you are arguing about the exact date the Declaration of Independence was signed. Yet, in many of the most important disagreements of our day, people do have a personal stake in the outcome (as I suggested above). In those cases, you might be conducting yourself like an inveterate scout, but even so, your attempts to persuade others with head-on arguments will likely fail in most cases. It may even feel like there was little point in trying.

Ever since the 1950s, social psychologists have been aware of the “ boomerang effect ,” whereby attempts to convey information have the opposite effect, as people respond by entrenching themselves deeper into what they already believe. Working on myself may help me become less likely to boomerang when someone gives me a direct argument, but it will probably do nothing to make my own attempts at persuasion less likely to boomerang.

In other words, rational discourse always involves more than one person, and so, if it is ailing or defective, it is unlikely to find its entire remedy in self-work. Some self-work is clearly necessary, but I would suggest we also need new ways of relating to each other when we are giving reasons and navigating different ideas together; ways that don’t put our conversation partner on the defensive and threaten to undermine our attempts at persuasion or the truths they may convey. That is what my next post here will offer.

• Editor: Matt Clemons
• Julia Galef
• Motivated Reasoning
• Scout Mindset
• Soldier Mindset

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V. I.   Lenin

Speech delivered at an international meeting in berne, february 8, 1916 [1].

Published: Berner Tagwacht , No. 33, February 9, 1916. First published in the Russian in 1929 in the second and third editions of Lenin’s Collected Works , Vol. XIX. Translated from the German. Published according to the text in Berner Tagwacht . Source: Lenin Collected Works , UNKNOWN, [19xx] , Moscow, Volume 22 , pages  123-126 . Translated: UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Transcription\Markup: D. Walters Public Domain: Lenin Internet Archive (2005). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source. • README

Comrades! The European war has been raging for more than eighteen months. And as each month, as each day of the war goes by, it becomes clearer and clearer to the masses of the workers that the Zimmerwald = Manifesto [2] expressed the truth when it declared that phrases about “defence of the fatherland” and the like are nothing but capitalist deception. It is becoming more evident every day that this is a war between capitalists, between big robbers, who are quarrelling over the loot, each striving to obtain the largest share, the largest number of countries to plunder, and the largest number of nations to suppress and enslave.

It may sound incredible, especially to Swiss comrades, but it is nevertheless true that in Russia, also, not only bloody tsarism, not only the capitalists, but also a section of the so-called or ex-Socialists say that Russia is fighting a “war of defence,” that Russia is only fighting against German invasion. The whole world knows, however, that for decades tsarism has been oppressing more than a hundred million people belonging to other nationalities in Russia; that for decades Russia has been pursuing a predatory policy towards China, Persia, Armenia and Galicia. Neither Russia, nor Germany, nor any other Great Power has the right to claim that it is waging a “ war of defence ”; all the Great Powers are waging an imperialist, capitalist war, a predatory war, a war for the oppression of small and foreign nations, a war for the sake of the profits of the capitalists, who are coining golden profits amounting to billions out of the appalling sufferings of the masses, out of the blood of the proletariat.

Four years ago, in November 1912, when it had become clear that war was approaching, the representatives of the Socialist Parties of the whole world gathered at the International Socialist Congress in Basle . Even at that time there was no room for doubt that the impending war would be a war between the Great Powers, between the great beasts of prey; that responsibility for the war would rest upon the governments and the capitalist classes of all the Great Powers. The Basle Manifesto, which was adopted unanimously by the Socialist Parties of the whole world, openly stated this truth. The Basle Manifesto does not say a word about a “war of defence,” or “defence of the fatherland .” It castigates the governments and the bourgeoisie of all the Great Powers without exception. It said openly that war would be the greatest of crimes, that the workers would consider it a crime to shoot at each other, that the horrors of war and the indignation these would rouse among the workers would inevitably lead to a proletarian revolution.

When the war actually broke out it was realised that its character had been correctly defined at Basle. But the Socialist and labour organisations were not unanimous in carrying out the Basle decisions; they split. We see now that in all countries of the world the Socialist and labour organisations are split into two big camps. The smaller section, the leaders, functionaries and officials, have betrayed Socialism and have deserted to the side of the governments. Another section, to which the mass of class conscious workers belong, continues to gather its forces, to fight against the war and for the proletarian revolution.

The views of this latter section also found expression in the Zimmerwald Manifesto.

In Russia, from the very beginning of the war, the workers’ deputies in the Duma waged a determined revolutionary struggle against the war and the tsarist monarchy. Five workers’ deputies—Petrovsky, Badayev, Muranov, Shagov and Samoilov—distributed revolutionary manifestoes against the war and energetically carried on revolutionary agitation. Tsarism ordered the arrest of those five deputies, put them on trial, and sentenced them to lifelong exile in Siberia. For months the leaders of the working class of Russia have been pining in Siberia; but their cause has not gone   under; their work is being continued by the class-conscious workers all over Russia.

Comrades! You have heard the speeches of representatives of various countries, who have told you about the workers’ revolutionary struggle against the war. I merely want to quote one other example from that great and rich country, the United States of America. The capitalists of that country are now making enormous profits out of the European war. And they, too, are agitating for war. They say that America must also prepare to take part in the war, hundreds of millions of dollars must be squeezed out of the people for new armaments, for armaments without end. And in America, too, a section of the Socialists echoes this false, criminal call. Let me read to you what Comrade Eugene Debs, the most popular leader of the American Socialists, the Presidential candidate of the American Socialist Party, writes.

In the September 11, 1915, American weekly, The Appeal to Reason , [3] September 11, 1915, he says: “ I am not a capitalist soldier; I am a proletarian revolutionist. I do not belong to the regular army of rite plutocracy, but to the irregular army of the people. I refuse to obey any command to fight for the ruling class.... I am opposed to every war but one; I am for that war with heart and soul, and that is the world-wide war of the social revolution. In that war I am prepared to fight in any way the ruling class may make it necessary.... ”

This is what Eugene Debs , the American Bebel , the beloved leader of the American workers, writes to them.

This again shows you, comrades, that in all countries of the world real preparations are being made to rally the forces of the working class. The horrors of war and the sufferings of the people are incredible. But we must not, and we have no reason whatever, to view the future with despair.

The millions of victims who will fall in the war, and as a consequence of the war, will not fall in vain. The millions who are starving, the millions who are sacrificing their lives in the trenches, are not only suffering, they are also gathering strength, are pondering over the real cause of the war, are becoming more determined and are acquiring a clearer revolutionary understanding. Rising discontent of the masses, growing ferment, strikes, demonstrations,   protests against the war—all this is taking place in all countries of the world. And this is the guarantee that the European War will be followed by the proletarian revolution against capitalism.

[1] [ A] This speech was delivered at an international rally during the enlarged meeting of the I.S.C. [executive of the Zimmerwald group] in Berne.

[2] [ PLACEHOLDER.]

[3] [ PLACEHOLDER.]