pros and cons of argumentative essay

Debate Topics

Need to write an argumentative essay? Preparing for an upcoming debate? ProCon.org has over 100 topics complete with pro and con arguments, quotes and statistics from experts, historical information, and other pertinent research.

Abortion – Should abortion be legal?

Alternative Energy – Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels?

American Socialism – Should the U.S. become socialist?

Animal Dissection – Should K-12 students dissect animals in science classrooms?

Animal Testing – Should animals be used for scientific or commercial testing?

Artificial Intelligence – Is artificial intelligence good for society?

Banned Books – Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and libraries?

Binge-Watching – Is binge-watching good for you?

Cancel Culture – Is cancel culture (or callout culture) good for society?

CBD for Pets – Is CBD good for pets?

Cell Phone Radiation – Is cell phone radiation safe?

Cheerleading – Is cheerleading a sport?

Churches & Taxes – Should churches (including mosques, synagogues, etc.) remain tax-exempt?

College Education – Is a college education worth it?

Congressional Term Limits  – Should term limits be imposed on U.S. Senators and Representatives?

Constitutional Carry of Handguns – Should permitless, “constitutional carry” of guns be legal?

Corporal Punishment – Should corporal punishment be used in K-12 schools?

Corporate Tax Rate – Should the federal corporate income tax rate be raised?

Cuba Embargo – Should the United States maintain its embargo against Cuba?

DACA & Dreamers – Are DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAM Act good for America?

Daylight Saving Time – Should the United States keep daylight saving time?

DC AND Puerto Rico Statehood – Should Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico be granted U.S. statehood?

Death Penalty – Should the death penalty be legal?

Defund the Police – Should police departments be defunded, if not abolished?

Dress Codes – Should dress codes be implemented and enforced?

Drinking Age – Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age?

Drone Strikes – Should the United States continue its use of drone strikes abroad?

Drug Use in Sports – Should performance-enhancing drugs be accepted in sports?

Election Day National Holiday – Should the election day be made a national holiday?

Electoral College – Should the United States use the electoral college in presidential elections?

Employer Vaccine Mandates – Should employers be able to mandate vaccinations?

Felon Voting – Should people who have completed felony sentences be allowed to vote?

Fighting in Hockey – Should fighting be allowed in hockey?

Filibuster – Should the U.S. Senate keep the filibuster?

Fracking – Should the United States continue fracking

Free College – Should public college be tuition-free?

Fur Clothing Bans – Should fur clothing be banned?

GMOS – Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be grown?

Gold Standard – Should the United States return to a gold standard?

Golf – Is golf a sport and are golfers athletes?

Gun Control – Should more gun control laws be enacted?

Historic Statue Removal – Should historic statues be taken down?

Homework – Is homework beneficial?

Illegal Immigration – Should the U.S. government provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

Internet – Is the internet “making us stupid?”

Kneeling during the National Anthem – Is kneeling during the national anthem an appropriate form of protest?

Mandatory National Service – Should the United States have mandatory national service?

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) – Should medical aid in dying be legal?

Medical Marijuana – Should medical marijuana be legal?

Milk – Should humans consume dairy milk?

Minimum Wage – Should the federal minimum wage be increased?

Net Neutrality – Should the U.S. have net neutrality laws?

Obesity – Is obesity a disease?

Olympics – Are the Olympic games an overall benefit for their host countries and cities?

OTC Birth Control Pills – Should birth control pills be available over-the-counter (OTC)?

Penny – Should the penny stay in circulation?

Pit Bull Bans – Should breed-specific legislation (“pit bull bans”) be enacted?

Pokémon – Is Pokémon Go good for our society?

Police Body Cameras – Should police officers wear body cameras?

Prescription Drug Costs – Should the U.S. federal government regulate prescription drug prices?

Presidential Election, 2024 – 2024 Presidential Election Site

Private Prisons – Should prisons be privatized?

Recreational Marijuana – Should recreational marijuana be legal?

Reparations for Slavery – Should the federal government pay reparations to the descendants of slaves?

Right to Healthcare – Should all Americans have the right (be entitled) to health care?

Sanctuary Cities – Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?

Santa Claus – Is there really a Santa Claus?

Saturday Halloween – Should Halloween be moved permanently to Saturday?

School Uniforms – Should students have to wear school uniforms?

Single-use Plastics Ban – Should single-use plastics be banned?

Social Media & Digital Addiction – Does social media spur digital addiction and other social ills?

Social Security Privatization – Should social security be privatized?

Space Colonization – Should humans colonize space?

Standardized Tests – Do standardized tests improve education in America?

Student Loan Debt – Should student loan debt be eliminated via forgiveness or bankruptcy?

TikTok Bans – Should TikTok be banned?

Uber & Lyft – Are ride-sharing companies a benefit to society?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) – Should the United States implement a universal basic income?

U.S. Supreme Court Packing – Should packing the U.S. Supreme Court ever be considered?

Vaccines for Kids – Should states be allowed to mandate vaccines for school attendance??

Vaping E-Cigarettes – Is vaping e-cigarettes safe?

Vegetarianism – Should people become vegetarian?

Video Games & Violence – Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?

Voting Age – Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

Voting Machines – Are electronic voting machines the best method for voting?

Zoos – Should zoos exist?

Archived Topics

Please note that ProCon no longer updates these debates.

ACLU – Is the ACLU good for America?

Big Three Bailout – Should the big three car manufacturers be bailed out by the U.S. government?

Born Gay – Is sexual orientation determined at birth?

Climate Change – Is human activity primarily responsible for global climate change?

College Football Playoffs – Should college football replace the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) with a playoff system?

Dakota Access Pipeline – Should the Dakota Access Pipeline be completed?

D.A.R.E. – Is the D.A.R.E. program good for America’s kids (K-12)?

Gay Marriage – Should gay marriage be legal?

Congressional Insider Trading – Should insider trading by Congress be allowed?

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – What are the solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Obamacare – Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) good for America?

Paying College Athletes – Should colleges and universities pay college athletes?

President Bill Clinton – Was Bill Clinton a good president?

President Ronald Reagan – Was Ronald Reagan a good president?

Presidential Election, 2008 – Which candidate would make the best U.S. president?

Presidential Election, 2012 – Which candidate should be U.S. president in 2012?

Presidential Election, 2016 – The candidates and where they stand on the issues

Presidential Election, 2020 – 2020 Presidential Election Site

Prostitution – Should prostitution be legal?

School Vouchers – Should states have school voucher programs?

Tablets v. Textbooks -Should tablets replace textbooks in K-12 schools?

Teacher Tenure – Should teachers get tenure?

Under God in the Pledge – Should the words “under god” be in the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance?

U.S. Drone Shot down by Iran – Was the U.S. drone shot down by Iran over international waters?

U.S.-Iraq War – Should the U.S. have attacked Iraq?

WTC Muslim Center – Is it appropriate to build a muslim community center (aka the ”ground zero mosque”) near the World Trade Center site?

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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.

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!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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• Write a College Essay
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• College Essay Format & Structure
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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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How to write an Argumentative Essay

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS

In this article, we will explore the process of constructing a high-quality argumentative essay. The ability to craft a coherent argument and to express those arguments with others in a discussion are essential skills to encourage in our students. This skill helps our students engage with the world, process their thoughts, and discover their opinions.

Table of Contents

In this article, we will use the terms ‘discussion’ and ‘argument’ interchangeably. But, it is worth noting that the real purpose of a discussion is to explore a variety of arguments to arrive at the truth, where possible.

Teaching our students the basics of argument and discussion is not about tooling them up to ‘win’. The discussion processes are as much about the student discovering what they think as they are about persuading others to agree. As students mature and get more practised in their discussions, they will discover that often discussion is a necessary precursor to having an opinion on a given topic, no matter how basic or advanced that topic may be.

For students, the discussion often bridges the gap between speaking and listening learning areas and reading and writing. It is for this reason that we will look at some oral discussion activities before examining how to approach the writing of discussion pieces in the classroom. These oral activities can serve as excellent pre-writing exercises for the students to prepare their thoughts and ideas before writing. They also work well as standalone oral activities that allow students to practice their persuasive speaking skills and all that entails.

A COMPLETE TEACHING UNIT ON PERSUASIVE WRITING SKILLS

Teach your students to produce writing that  PERSUADES  and  INFLUENCES  thinking with this  HUGE  writing guide bundle covering: ⭐ Persuasive Texts / Essays ⭐ Expository Essays⭐ Argumentative Essays⭐ Discussions.

A complete 140 PAGE unit of work on persuasive texts for teachers and students. No preparation is required.

what is an argumentative essay

An argumentative essay, also known as a discussion, presents both sides of the argument on a specific topic so the audience can form their own opinion.

STRUCTURE OF AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

CLARITY Choose a clear, firm and debatable topic, and stress its importance. There should be no confusion about what or what you are writing about or why.

PROVIDE CONTEXT A bit of background information is often needed early in the essay to understand the argument. Bring your audience up to speed on the topic.

ORDER Use sequential paragraphs or statements. Keep things in order by creating paragraphs that lead us from opinion A to opinion B through well-crafted segways and transitions.

RESEARCH Nothing will sink your essay faster than a poorly researched paper full of questionable “facts” and ill-informed opinions . Get your evidence straight.

LOGICAL & RATIONAL You are not a “shock jock” or a biased blogger. You are presenting both sides of an argument to let your readers make a decision.

FEATURES OF AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

IMPERSONAL VOICE Keep your own opinions out and let your audience form their own.

TENSE Discussions are usually written in present tense.

LOGICAL CONNECTIVES Use terms such as therefore and however to connect concepts and points of contention.

RESPECTED SOURCES Valued information comes from respected sources. Ensure you use reputable evidence.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AN ARGUMENTIVE ESSAY AND A PERSUASIVE ESSAY?

These styles of writing are often confused, and whilst they do share common elements, they are two separate genres with different purposes. If you are looking for a complete guide to writing a persuasive essay, please view ours here.

• A PERSUASIVE ESSAY presents EMOTION, and the author’s purpose is to try and CONVINCE YOU to think as they do. It is about the sales pitch more so than an emphasis on the specifications and details of the subject area.
• An ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY presents EVIDENCE and LOGIC at its core. Whilst you are still trying to influence your readers’ thinking on a given topic, you shouldn’t pull on your reader’s heartstrings nearly as much as presenting a mountain of facts, data and specifics that cannot be ignored.

POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING YOUR ESSAY

Pick your poison wisely: choosing discussion topics.

The beauty of incorporating discussion and argument into the classroom is that you can quickly build your lessons around the student’s interests. From the youngest students in elementary to those wizened old owls in high school, a quick class brainstorm will reveal a wealth of juicy topics for them to get their mental teeth into. In this day and age of political correctness, however, be sensitive to the selection of a topic for discussion appropriate to the demographics of your class. While controversial topics can lead to the most lively of discussions, it is best to avoid subjects too close to the bone that may cause deep rifts in the class dynamic. If in doubt, rather than take suggestions from the class, have some exciting topics pre-prepared for the students to choose from or to vote on.

You can find numerous topics on the web, but here are some to get you started…

• All zoos should be shut down, and the animals should be returned to the wild. – Discuss
• Mobile phones should be embraced as learning tools in the classroom. – Discuss
• Parents have different expectations for their sons and daughters. – Discuss
• Do we give children too many trophies? – Discuss
• Is it ethical to eat meat? – Discuss
• School canteens promote poor diets. – Discuss
• Can money buy happiness? – Discuss
• Is animal testing justified? – Discuss
• Are we too dependent on computers? Discuss
• Do violent video games and films create social problems? – Discuss

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT: DO YOUR RESEARCH

The challenge in writing a good discussion or argumentative essay is to be open-minded, even if you know which side you want to support.

Factual research and evidence are your number one tool.  It gives you credibility by sourcing knowledge from experts but more importantly, it gives your own opinions and ideas greater weight as you have demonstrated a broad and accurate understanding of the topic you are writing about.

be sure to spend some time researching your topic before writing about it, and make sure you reference where you have sourced this knowledge.

Most students will head straight for the internet to find their evidence, so ensure you understand how to use it correctly.  This poster demonstrates how to get the most out of the three major search platforms on the web.   You can download the free poster version of it here.

An Argumentative Essay Outline

The aim of a well-written discussion text is to present information and opinions that express more than one viewpoint. This will often take the form of a newspaper report or a leaflet.  Regardless of the genre of the writing undertaken, however, some common factors apply to most discussion texts. Most often, they are written in the present tense and are commonly structured in the following way:

INTRODUCTION

No better place to begin than at the start. The title should typically be a general statement or even a question that draws attention to a specific issue. For example, Should cell phones be banned in schools?

  The introduction section itself should usually be relatively brief and open with a brief statement on the issue and provide some background to the issue to be discussed. It will outline the arguments to be reviewed ahead, but the introduction itself does not usually contain any of the student’s opinions or views on the topic in question. There are, however, several things to consider when writing the introduction.

As with any genre of writing, it is essential to grab the reader’s attention from the outset, and discussion texts are no different. Fortunately, there are several tried and tested methods of achieving this. Here are a few that may be suitable openers for your students’ discussion writing:

●     open with a quotation relevant to the topic being addressed. A well-chosen quotation can grab the attention of even the most distracted of readers and compel them to read more!

●     a surprising fact is another excellent way to grab the reader’s attention and illuminate the topic to be discussed. Not only is it engaging, but informative too!

●     a joke. Everyone loves a laugh, and a joke can provide an excellent in to the student’s writing. But, encourage your students to be careful here; the suitability of a humorous opening will largely depend on the topic being discussed. As jokes may not always be appropriate to the material, they must be used wisely.

THE ARGUMENTS

In writing a balanced argument, students must consider the positives and negatives of the issue. The body of the text should be focused on presenting the pros and cons, the for and against arguments, relating to the central issue. This is why oral starter activities can be so valuable as prewriting exercises.

After the student has laid out the topic in their introduction by providing the necessary background information, it is time for the student to consider laying out the case for the argument.

Using time connectives is an excellent way for students to organize their information. Adverbs of time, such as firstly, secondly, next, then etc. and phrases such as, in addition to, therefore etc., can help students structure their information chronologically and coherently.

Depending on the length of the text, it is typically recommended that each paragraph consists of a single point. It is important to remind students that in the presentation of a balanced argument, they should not express their own bias or even their own point of view , instead, they are laying out both sides of the argument for the reader and should give equal weight to each point of view. When exploring each point, whether for or against, the PEE method can be a helpful way to aid students in structuring their paragraphs and give the direction of their argument:

Be sure to check out our own complete guide to writing perfect paragraphs here .

P = Point (Student makes their point at the beginning of the paragraph)

E = Evidence (Student provides evidence that underpins this point)

E =Explain (Student explores point further and ties back to the central issue)

When the student has considered each of their points for the argument, for example, three separate paragraphs each making three points for the argument, it is now time to consider and do the same for the argument against . The purpose here is to set up an opposition to the previously made points, to offer the other side of the story.

Encourage students here to use words and phrases that set up this contrast, for example, however , contrastingly , on the other hand , etc. Displaying these words and phrases in a word bank can also be a great way to help weaker students to organize their writing.

In the conclusion, the student reviews the information, summarises the arguments made and weighs up the issue in light of the available evidence. At this point, students can offer their own opinion in favor or against the issue at hand, but only if it is appropriate to the genre of the discussion text. 

Students often find it difficult to know how to end their writing. One excellent way to finish their discussion is to end it with a question, a challenge to the readers to form their own opinion on the issue in light of the evidence that has been presented.

TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

• Make sure you clearly explain the topic to the audience before you get into taking sides.
• When you have selected a topic, ensure that you research both sides of the argument thoroughly before writing.
• In your conclusion, make it clear which side of the argument you side on, even make a recommendation but allow the reader to keep an open mind.
• Keep everything in order.
• List all the items that will be required to complete the task.
• Use paragraphs effectively. Each new argument should start with a new paragraph.
• Keep your arguments short, sharp and to the point.
• Use the correct language and terms.

ORAL ACTIVITIES TO GET IN THE ‘DISCUSSION’ ZONE

ORAL ACTIVITY 1: PROS AND CONS

This great warm-up exercise allows students to explore a topic, weigh up the different possible opinions, and even offers a chance for the student to discover what they think about a topic. This exercise can also serve as a fantastic prep exercise for a piece of extended writing and involves minimal prep.

Pros and Cons involve students making a list of a given topic’s pro and con arguments. This is often best done in small groups where the students can brainstorm together and bounce ideas off one another. The process of comparing the for and against of an issue gives them an awareness of the range of opinions on the matter, helping them on their way to forming their own opinion.

The list created during this activity can also provide a helpful outline that can work as a springboard for later writing. It is a great way to organize ideas coherently that can seamlessly feed into the writing process described later below.

BY LISTING POINTS AND COUNTERPOINTS TOGETHER, STUDENTS GET INTO THE PRACTICE OF DEVELOPING A NUANCED AND CONSIDERED ARGUMENT RATHER THAN PRODUCING MERE PROPAGANDA. THIS HELPS THEM INTERNALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING FULL CONSIDERATION TO A RANGE OF DIFFERING OPINIONS ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC.

ORAL ACTIVITY 2: THINK – PAIR – SHARE

This activity requires almost zero prep, other than giving the class a topic to get their teeth into!

First, have the students think silently about the topic for a minute or two. They may scratch down doodles or brief notes of their ideas on a piece of paper to use in the discussion portion of this exercise, but this is not a writing activity!

Then, partner them up with another student. At this stage, you may consider differentiation; you may wish to match students with other students of equal ability or with a stronger one as support. Either way, students discuss the topic with their partners for a predetermined number of minutes. The length of time will be dictated by the students’ ages and abilities. Experiment to find the most suitable length of time for your class.

After the time is up, students can share their opinions with the class. You can also scribe the ideas generated by each group onto a master list displayed on the whiteboard as part of a pre-writing exercise. This can also be an excellent exercise to begin the preparation for a formal debate, as it affords the students opportunities to think on their feet, engage with differing opinions, and to work on public speaking skills such as body language.

ORAL ACTIVITY 3. SPEED-DATING FUN

This is a pacy, fun activity to get a lively conversation going in a manner that apes the popular speed dating format – but with a more virtuous intent! You can organize the desks in rows facing each other or in concentric circles in the middle of the classroom.

Choose one row or circle to be mobile. Give students a list of topics to discuss and start the clock. After three minutes or so, signal the time is up and instruct students to move to the following table. At the next station, they can either discuss the same topic or move on to the next topic on their list.

Of course, you may shorten or lengthen the allotted time based on the student’s abilities or the complexities of the topics. However, as this exercise works best in fun and fast-paced, and the aim is for each student to have the opportunity to speak with every other student, it is often best to keep the topics fairly straightforward. Questions like Is it better to live in the town than the country? or Do dogs make better pets than cats? work well here.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCUSSION IN THE CLASSROOM

The discrete teaching of discussion and argument in the classroom is essential. It offers students invaluable opportunities to test their opinions and ideas with their peers in a safe environment. Students learn that disagreement is inevitable and not fatal! They learn, too, that it is okay to revise an opinion in the light of compelling evidence they had not previously considered.

Discussion is a proving ground for ideas. Ideas tested in the arena of classroom discussion will likely be expressed much more coherently in written form. Often, students are not fully aware of exactly how they think on an issue until they have had a chance to try out their embryonic ideas with each other in a public discussion. It also helps students avoid the dangers of the echo chamber of their minds where frequently their ideas existed without challenge.

Encouraging our students to engage in respectful and productive disagreement is perhaps one of the most important skills we can help them develop.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Discussion activities offer tremendous opportunities for some informal assessment that helps with planning to best meet the needs of your students in future lessons. The fact that they are not teacher-led gives the teacher a chance to take a backseat and give full attention to the students’ conversations. This allows you to spot areas of difficulty and gaps in learning – all valuable information that will be priceless for effective future lesson planning.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

The first task in writing an excellent argumentative essay is finding a suitable topic with solid and valid opinions for both sides of the argument.  You will find some engaging writing prompts below.

structure of argumentative essay

sample argumentative essay

Below are a collection of student writing samples of discussions.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to read them in detail, and the teacher and student guide highlight some of the critical elements of discussions to consider before writing.

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of writing a discussion.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above or below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type.

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How to write an argumentative essay

The argumentative essay is a staple in university courses, and writing this style of essay is a key skill for students across multiple disciplines. Here’s what you need to know to write an effective and compelling argumentative essay.

What is an argumentative essay?

An argumentative essay takes a stance on an issue and presents an argument to defend that stance with the intent of persuading the reader to agree. It generally requires extensive research into a topic so that you have a deep grasp of its subtleties and nuances, are able to take a position on the issue, and can make a detailed and logical case for one side or the other.

It’s not enough to merely have an opinion on an issue—you have to present points to justify your opinion, often using data and other supporting evidence.

When you are assigned an argumentative essay, you will typically be asked to take a position, usually in response to a question, and mount an argument for it. The question can be two-sided or open-ended, as in the examples provided below.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts:

Two-sided Question

Should completing a certain number of volunteer hours be a requirement to graduate from high school? Support your argument with evidence.

Open-ended Question

What is the most significant impact that social media has had on this generation of young people?

Once again, it’s important to remember that you’re not just conveying facts or information in an argumentative essay. In the course of researching your topic, you should develop a stance on the issue. Your essay will then express that stance and attempt to persuade the reader of its legitimacy and correctness through discussion, assessment, and evaluation.

The main types of argumentative essays

Although you are advancing a particular viewpoint, your argumentative essay must flow from a position of objectivity. Your argument should evolve thoughtfully and rationally from evidence and logic rather than emotion.

There are two main models that provide a good starting point for crafting your essay: the Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

The Toulmin Model

This model is commonly used in academic essays. It mounts an argument through the following four steps:

• Make a claim.
• Present the evidence, or grounds, for the claim.
• Explain how the grounds support the claim.
• Address potential objections to the claim, demonstrating that you’ve given thought to the opposing side and identified its limitations and deficiencies.

As an example of how to put the Toulmin model into practice, here’s how you might structure an argument about the impact of devoting public funding to building low-income housing.

• Make your claim that low-income housing effectively solves several social issues that drain a city’s resources, providing a significant return on investment.
• Cite data that shows how an increase in low-income housing is related to a reduction in crime rates, homelessness, etc.
• Explain how this data proves the beneficial impact of funding low-income housing.
• Preemptively counter objections to your claim and use data to demonstrate whether these objections are valid or not.

The Rogerian Model

This model is also frequently used within academia, and it also builds an argument using four steps, although in a slightly different fashion:

• Acknowledge the merits of the opposing position and what might compel people to agree with it.
• Draw attention to the problems with this position.
• Lay out your own position and identify how it resolves those problems.
• Proffer some middle ground between the two viewpoints and make the case that proponents of the opposing position might benefit from adopting at least some elements of your view.

The persuasiveness of this model owes to the fact that it offers a balanced view of the issue and attempts to find a compromise. For this reason, it works especially well for topics that are polarizing and where it’s important to demonstrate that you’re arguing in good faith.

To illustrate, here’s how you could argue that smartphones should be permitted in classrooms.

• Concede that smartphones can be a distraction for students.
• Argue that what teachers view as disruptions are actually opportunities for learning.
• Offer the view that smartphones, and students’ interest in them, can be harnessed as teaching tools.
• Suggest teaching activities that involve smartphones as a potential resource for teachers who are not convinced of their value.

It’s not essential to adhere strictly to one model or the other—you can borrow elements from both models to structure your essay. However, no matter which model of argumentation you choose, your essay will need to have an outline that effectively presents and develops your position.

How to outline and write an argumentative essay

A clear and straightforward structure works best for argumentative essays since you want to make it easy for your reader to understand your position and follow your arguments. The traditional essay outline comprises an introductory paragraph that announces your thesis statement, body paragraphs that unfold your argument point by point, and a concluding paragraph that summarizes your thesis and supporting points.

Introductory paragraph

This paragraph provides an overview of your topic and any background information that your readers will need in order to understand the context and your position. It generally concludes with an explicit statement of your position on the topic, which is known as your thesis statement.

Over the last decade, smartphones have transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, socially, culturally, and personally. They are now incorporated into almost every facet of daily life, and this includes making their way into classrooms. There are many educators who view smartphones with suspicion and see them as a threat to the sanctity of the classroom. Although there are reasons to regard smartphones with caution, there are ways to use them responsibly to teach and educate the next generation of young minds. Indeed, the value they hold as teaching tools is nearly unlimited: as a way to teach digital literacy, to reach students through a medium that is familiar and fun for them, and to provide a nimble and adaptable learning environment.

Body paragraphs

Most argumentative essays have at least three body paragraphs that lay out the supporting points in favor of your argument. Each paragraph should open with a topic sentence that presents a separate point that is then fleshed out and backed up by research, facts, figures, data, and other evidence. Remember that your aim in writing an argumentative essay is to convince or persuade your reader, and your body paragraphs are where you present your most compelling pieces of information in order to do just that.

The body of your essay is also where you should address any opposing arguments and make your case against them, either disproving them or stating the reasons why you disagree. Responding to potential rebuttals strengthens your argument and builds your credibility with your readers.

A frequent objection that teachers have to smartphones in the classroom is that students use them to socialize when they should be learning. This view overlooks the fact that students are using smartphones to connect with each other and this is a valuable skill that should be encouraged, not discouraged, in the classroom. A 2014 study demonstrated the benefits of providing students with individual smartphones. Sanctioned smartphone use in the classroom proved to be of particular importance in improving educational outcomes for low-income and at-risk students. What’s more, learning apps have been developed specifically to take advantage of the potential of smartphones to reach learners of various levels and backgrounds, and many offer the ability to customize the method and delivery of lessons to individual learner preferences. This shows that the untapped potential of smartphones is huge, and many teachers would do well to consider incorporating them into their classrooms.

Your concluding paragraph wraps up your essay by restating your thesis and recapping the arguments you presented in your body paragraphs. No new information should be introduced in your conclusion, however, you may consider shifting the lens of your argument to make a comment on how this issue affects the world at large or you personally, always keeping in mind that objectivity and relevance are your guiding principles.

Smartphones have a growing place in the world of education, and despite the presence of legitimate concerns about their use, their value as teaching tools has been clearly established. With more and more of our lives going digital and with the growing emphasis on offering distance learning as an option, educators with an eye to the future won't wait to embrace smartphones and find ways to use them to their fullest effect. As much time and space as we could devote to weighing the pros and cons of smartphones, the fact is that they are not going to disappear from our lives, and our best bet is to develop their, and our students', potential.

Frequently Asked Questions about argumentative essays

Your argumentative essay starts with an introductory paragraph. This paragraph provides an overview of your topic and any background information that your readers will need in order to understand the context and your position.

Like any traditional essay, the argumentative essay consists of three parts:

• Introduction

There are do's and don'ts in argumentative writing. This article summarizes some of them well - you should, for example, avoid coming to an argument based on feelings, without any evidence. Everything you say needs to be backed up by evidence, unless you are the renowned expert in the field.

Yes, you can start your argumentative essay with a question or with a thesis statement. Or you can do both - ask a question and then immediately answer it with a statement.

There are contrasting views on that. In some situations it can make sense to end your argumentative essay with a question - for example, when you want to create room for further discussions or want the reader to leave thinking about the question.

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Module 9: Academic Argument

The argumentative essay, learning objectives.

• Examine types of argumentative essays

Argumentative Essays

You may have heard it said that all writing is an argument of some kind. Even if you’re writing an informative essay, you still have the job of trying to convince your audience that the information is important. However, there are times you’ll be asked to write an essay that is specifically an argumentative piece.

An argumentative essay is one that makes a clear assertion or argument about some topic or issue. When you’re writing an argumentative essay, it’s important to remember that an academic argument is quite different from a regular, emotional argument. Note that sometimes students forget the academic aspect of an argumentative essay and write essays that are much too emotional for an academic audience. It’s important for you to choose a topic you feel passionately about (if you’re allowed to pick your topic), but you have to be sure you aren’t too emotionally attached to a topic. In an academic argument, you’ll have a lot more constraints you have to consider, and you’ll focus much more on logic and reasoning than emotions.

Figure 1 . When writing an argumentative essay, students must be able to separate emotion based arguments from logic based arguments in order to appeal to an academic audience.

Argumentative essays are quite common in academic writing and are often an important part of writing in all disciplines. You may be asked to take a stand on a social issue in your introduction to writing course, but you could also be asked to take a stand on an issue related to health care in your nursing courses or make a case for solving a local environmental problem in your biology class. And, since argument is such a common essay assignment, it’s important to be aware of some basic elements of a good argumentative essay.

When your professor asks you to write an argumentative essay, you’ll often be given something specific to write about. For example, you may be asked to take a stand on an issue you have been discussing in class. Perhaps, in your education class, you would be asked to write about standardized testing in public schools. Or, in your literature class, you might be asked to argue the effects of protest literature on public policy in the United States.

However, there are times when you’ll be given a choice of topics. You might even be asked to write an argumentative essay on any topic related to your field of study or a topic you feel that is important personally.

Whatever the case, having some knowledge of some basic argumentative techniques or strategies will be helpful as you write. Below are some common types of arguments.

Causal Arguments

• You write about how something has caused something else. For example, you might explore the increase of industrial pollution and the resulting decline of large mammals in the world’s ocean.

Evaluation Arguments

• You can write an argumentative evaluation of something as “good” or “bad,” but you also need to establish the criteria for “good” or “bad.” For example, you might evaluate a children’s book for your Introduction to Educational Theory class, but you would need to establish clear criteria for your evaluation for your audience.

Proposal Arguments

• With this type of writing, you need to propose a solution to a problem. First, you must establish a clear problem and then propose a specific solution to that problem. For example, you might argue for a removal of parking fines on students who use the parking deck on campus.

Narrative Arguments

• For this type of argument, you make your case by telling a story with a clear point related to your argument. For example, you might write a narrative about your negative experiences with standardized testing in order to make a case for reform.

Rebuttal Arguments

• In a rebuttal argument, you build your case around refuting an idea or ideas that have come before. In other words, your starting point is to challenge the ideas of the past. For this type of writing assignment, you have to explain what you are refuting first, and then you can expand on your new ideas or perspectives.

Definition Arguments

• In this type of argument, you use a definition as the starting point for making your case. For example, in a definition argument, you might argue that NCAA basketball players should be defined as professional players and, therefore, should be paid.

Essay Examples

• You can read more about an argumentative essay on the consequences of fast fashion . Read it and look at the comments to recognize strategies and techniques the author uses to convey her ideas.
• In this example, you’ll see a sample argumentative paper from a psychology class submitted in APA format. Key parts of the argumentative structure have been noted for you in the sample.

Link to Learning

For more examples of types of argumentative essays, visit the Argumentative Purposes section of the Excelsior OWL .

• Argumentative Essay. Provided by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/argumentative-essay/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of a man with a heart and a brain. Authored by : Mohamed Hassan. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/illustrations/decision-brain-heart-mind-4083469/ . License : Other . License Terms : https://pixabay.com/service/terms/#license

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How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay

Miscellaneous

You'll no doubt have to write a number of argumentative essays in both high school and college, but what, exactly, is an argumentative essay and how do you write the best one possible? Let's take a look.

A great argumentative essay always combines the same basic elements: approaching an argument from a rational perspective, researching sources, supporting your claims using facts rather than opinion, and articulating your reasoning into the most cogent and reasoned points. Argumentative essays are great building blocks for all sorts of research and rhetoric, so your teachers will expect you to master the technique before long.

But if this sounds daunting, never fear! We'll show how an argumentative essay differs from other kinds of papers, how to research and write them, how to pick an argumentative essay topic, and where to find example essays. So let's get started.

What Is an Argumentative Essay? How Is it Different from Other Kinds of Essays?

There are two basic requirements for any and all essays: to state a claim (a thesis statement) and to support that claim with evidence.

Though every essay is founded on these two ideas, there are several different types of essays, differentiated by the style of the writing, how the writer presents the thesis, and the types of evidence used to support the thesis statement.

Essays can be roughly divided into four different types:

#1: Argumentative #2: Persuasive #3: Expository #4: Analytical

So let's look at each type and what the differences are between them before we focus the rest of our time to argumentative essays.

Argumentative Essay

Argumentative essays are what this article is all about, so let's talk about them first.

An argumentative essay attempts to convince a reader to agree with a particular argument (the writer's thesis statement). The writer takes a firm stand one way or another on a topic and then uses hard evidence to support that stance.

An argumentative essay seeks to prove to the reader that one argument —the writer's argument— is the factually and logically correct one. This means that an argumentative essay must use only evidence-based support to back up a claim , rather than emotional or philosophical reasoning (which is often allowed in other types of essays). Thus, an argumentative essay has a burden of substantiated proof and sources , whereas some other types of essays (namely persuasive essays) do not.

You can write an argumentative essay on any topic, so long as there's room for argument. Generally, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one, so long as you support the argumentative essay with hard evidence.

Example topics of an argumentative essay:

• "Should farmers be allowed to shoot wolves if those wolves injure or kill farm animals?"
• "Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?"
• "Are alternatives to democracy effective and/or feasible to implement?"

The next three types of essays are not argumentative essays, but you may have written them in school. We're going to cover them so you know what not to do for your argumentative essay.

Persuasive Essay

Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative essays, so it can be easy to get them confused. But knowing what makes an argumentative essay different than a persuasive essay can often mean the difference between an excellent grade and an average one.

Persuasive essays seek to persuade a reader to agree with the point of view of the writer, whether that point of view is based on factual evidence or not. The writer has much more flexibility in the evidence they can use, with the ability to use moral, cultural, or opinion-based reasoning as well as factual reasoning to persuade the reader to agree the writer's side of a given issue.

Instead of being forced to use "pure" reason as one would in an argumentative essay, the writer of a persuasive essay can manipulate or appeal to the reader's emotions. So long as the writer attempts to steer the readers into agreeing with the thesis statement, the writer doesn't necessarily need hard evidence in favor of the argument.

Often, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one—the difference is all in the approach and the evidence you present.

Example topics of a persuasive essay:

• "Should children be responsible for their parents' debts?"
• "Should cheating on a test be automatic grounds for expulsion?"
• "How much should sports leagues be held accountable for player injuries and the long-term consequences of those injuries?"

Expository Essay

An expository essay is typically a short essay in which the writer explains an idea, issue, or theme , or discusses the history of a person, place, or idea.

This is typically a fact-forward essay with little argument or opinion one way or the other.

Example topics of an expository essay:

• "The History of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell"
• "The Reasons I Always Wanted to be a Doctor"
• "The Meaning Behind the Colloquialism ‘People in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones'"

Analytical Essay

An analytical essay seeks to delve into the deeper meaning of a text or work of art, or unpack a complicated idea . These kinds of essays closely interpret a source and look into its meaning by analyzing it at both a macro and micro level.

This type of analysis can be augmented by historical context or other expert or widely-regarded opinions on the subject, but is mainly supported directly through the original source (the piece or art or text being analyzed) .

Example topics of an analytical essay:

• "Victory Gin in Place of Water: The Symbolism Behind Gin as the Only Potable Substance in George Orwell's 1984"
• "Amarna Period Art: The Meaning Behind the Shift from Rigid to Fluid Poses"
• "Adultery During WWII, as Told Through a Series of Letters to and from Soldiers"

There are many different types of essay and, over time, you'll be able to master them all.

A Typical Argumentative Essay Assignment

The average argumentative essay is between three to five pages, and will require at least three or four separate sources with which to back your claims . As for the essay topic , you'll most often be asked to write an argumentative essay in an English class on a "general" topic of your choice, ranging the gamut from science, to history, to literature.

But while the topics of an argumentative essay can span several different fields, the structure of an argumentative essay is always the same: you must support a claim—a claim that can reasonably have multiple sides—using multiple sources and using a standard essay format (which we'll talk about later on).

This is why many argumentative essay topics begin with the word "should," as in:

• "Should all students be required to learn chemistry in high school?"
• "Should children be required to learn a second language?"
• "Should schools or governments be allowed to ban books?"

These topics all have at least two sides of the argument: Yes or no. And you must support the side you choose with evidence as to why your side is the correct one.

But there are also plenty of other ways to frame an argumentative essay as well:

• "Does using social media do more to benefit or harm people?"
• "Does the legal status of artwork or its creators—graffiti and vandalism, pirated media, a creator who's in jail—have an impact on the art itself?"
• "Is or should anyone ever be ‘above the law?'"

Though these are worded differently than the first three, you're still essentially forced to pick between two sides of an issue: yes or no, for or against, benefit or detriment. Though your argument might not fall entirely into one side of the divide or another—for instance, you could claim that social media has positively impacted some aspects of modern life while being a detriment to others—your essay should still support one side of the argument above all. Your final stance would be that overall , social media is beneficial or overall , social media is harmful.

If your argument is one that is mostly text-based or backed by a single source (e.g., "How does Salinger show that Holden Caulfield is an unreliable narrator?" or "Does Gatsby personify the American Dream?"), then it's an analytical essay, rather than an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay will always be focused on more general topics so that you can use multiple sources to back up your claims.

Good Argumentative Essay Topics

So you know the basic idea behind an argumentative essay, but what topic should you write about?

Again, almost always, you'll be asked to write an argumentative essay on a free topic of your choice, or you'll be asked to select between a few given topics . If you're given complete free reign of topics, then it'll be up to you to find an essay topic that no only appeals to you, but that you can turn into an A+ argumentative essay.

What makes a "good" argumentative essay topic depends on both the subject matter and your personal interest —it can be hard to give your best effort on something that bores you to tears! But it can also be near impossible to write an argumentative essay on a topic that has no room for debate.

As we said earlier, a good argumentative essay topic will be one that has the potential to reasonably go in at least two directions—for or against, yes or no, and why . For example, it's pretty hard to write an argumentative essay on whether or not people should be allowed to murder one another—not a whole lot of debate there for most people!—but writing an essay for or against the death penalty has a lot more wiggle room for evidence and argument.

A good topic is also one that can be substantiated through hard evidence and relevant sources . So be sure to pick a topic that other people have studied (or at least studied elements of) so that you can use their data in your argument. For example, if you're arguing that it should be mandatory for all middle school children to play a sport, you might have to apply smaller scientific data points to the larger picture you're trying to justify. There are probably several studies you could cite on the benefits of physical activity and the positive effect structure and teamwork has on young minds, but there's probably no study you could use where a group of scientists put all middle-schoolers in one jurisdiction into a mandatory sports program (since that's probably never happened). So long as your evidence is relevant to your point and you can extrapolate from it to form a larger whole, you can use it as a part of your resource material.

And if you need ideas on where to get started, or just want to see sample argumentative essay topics, then check out these links for hundreds of potential argumentative essay topics.

101 Persuasive (or Argumentative) Essay and Speech Topics

301 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Top 50 Ideas for Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Writing

[Note: some of these say "persuasive essay topics," but just remember that the same topic can often be used for both a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay; the difference is in your writing style and the evidence you use to support your claims.]

KO! Find that one argumentative essay topic you can absolutely conquer.

Argumentative Essay Format

Argumentative Essays are composed of four main elements:

• A position (your argument)
• Your reasons
• Supporting evidence for those reasons (from reliable sources)
• Counterargument(s) (possible opposing arguments and reasons why those arguments are incorrect)

If you're familiar with essay writing in general, then you're also probably familiar with the five paragraph essay structure . This structure is a simple tool to show how one outlines an essay and breaks it down into its component parts, although it can be expanded into as many paragraphs as you want beyond the core five.

The standard argumentative essay is often 3-5 pages, which will usually mean a lot more than five paragraphs, but your overall structure will look the same as a much shorter essay.

An argumentative essay at its simplest structure will look like:

Paragraph 1: Intro

• Set up the story/problem/issue
• Thesis/claim

Paragraph 2: Support

• Reason #1 claim is correct
• Supporting evidence with sources

Paragraph 3: Support

• Reason #2 claim is correct

Paragraph 4: Counterargument

• Explanation of argument for the other side
• Refutation of opposing argument with supporting evidence

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

• Re-state claim
• Sum up reasons and support of claim from the essay to prove claim is correct

Now let's unpack each of these paragraph types to see how they work (with examples!), what goes into them, and why.

Paragraph 1—Set Up and Claim

Your first task is to introduce the reader to the topic at hand so they'll be prepared for your claim. Give a little background information, set the scene, and give the reader some stakes so that they care about the issue you're going to discuss.

Next, you absolutely must have a position on an argument and make that position clear to the readers. It's not an argumentative essay unless you're arguing for a specific claim, and this claim will be your thesis statement.

Your thesis CANNOT be a mere statement of fact (e.g., "Washington DC is the capital of the United States"). Your thesis must instead be an opinion which can be backed up with evidence and has the potential to be argued against (e.g., "New York should be the capital of the United States").

Paragraphs 2 and 3—Your Evidence

These are your body paragraphs in which you give the reasons why your argument is the best one and back up this reasoning with concrete evidence .

The argument supporting the thesis of an argumentative essay should be one that can be supported by facts and evidence, rather than personal opinion or cultural or religious mores.

For example, if you're arguing that New York should be the new capital of the US, you would have to back up that fact by discussing the factual contrasts between New York and DC in terms of location, population, revenue, and laws. You would then have to talk about the precedents for what makes for a good capital city and why New York fits the bill more than DC does.

Your argument can't simply be that a lot of people think New York is the best city ever and that you agree.

In addition to using concrete evidence, you always want to keep the tone of your essay passionate, but impersonal . Even though you're writing your argument from a single opinion, don't use first person language—"I think," "I feel," "I believe,"—to present your claims. Doing so is repetitive, since by writing the essay you're already telling the audience what you feel, and using first person language weakens your writing voice.

For example,

"I think that Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States."

"Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States."

The second statement sounds far stronger and more analytical.

Paragraph 4—Argument for the Other Side and Refutation

Even without a counter argument, you can make a pretty persuasive claim, but a counterargument will round out your essay into one that is much more persuasive and substantial.

By anticipating an argument against your claim and taking the initiative to counter it, you're allowing yourself to get ahead of the game. This way, you show that you've given great thought to all sides of the issue before choosing your position, and you demonstrate in multiple ways how yours is the more reasoned and supported side.

Paragraph 5—Conclusion

This paragraph is where you re-state your argument and summarize why it's the best claim.

Briefly touch on your supporting evidence and voila! A finished argumentative essay.

Your essay should have just as awesome a skeleton as this plesiosaur does. (In other words: a ridiculously awesome skeleton)

Argumentative Essay Example: 5-Paragraph Style

It always helps to have an example to learn from. I've written a full 5-paragraph argumentative essay here. Look at how I state my thesis in paragraph 1, give supporting evidence in paragraphs 2 and 3, address a counterargument in paragraph 4, and conclude in paragraph 5.

Topic: Is it possible to maintain conflicting loyalties?

Paragraph 1

It is almost impossible to go through life without encountering a situation where your loyalties to different people or causes come into conflict with each other. Maybe you have a loving relationship with your sister, but she disagrees with your decision to join the army, or you find yourself torn between your cultural beliefs and your scientific ones. These conflicting loyalties can often be maintained for a time, but as examples from both history and psychological theory illustrate, sooner or later, people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever.

The first two sentences set the scene and give some hypothetical examples and stakes for the reader to care about.

The third sentence finishes off the intro with the thesis statement, making very clear how the author stands on the issue ("people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever." )

Paragraphs 2 and 3

Psychological theory states that human beings are not equipped to maintain conflicting loyalties indefinitely and that attempting to do so leads to a state called "cognitive dissonance." Cognitive dissonance theory is the psychological idea that people undergo tremendous mental stress or anxiety when holding contradictory beliefs, values, or loyalties (Festinger, 1957). Even if human beings initially hold a conflicting loyalty, they will do their best to find a mental equilibrium by making a choice between those loyalties—stay stalwart to a belief system or change their beliefs. One of the earliest formal examples of cognitive dissonance theory comes from Leon Festinger's When Prophesy Fails . Members of an apocalyptic cult are told that the end of the world will occur on a specific date and that they alone will be spared the Earth's destruction. When that day comes and goes with no apocalypse, the cult members face a cognitive dissonance between what they see and what they've been led to believe (Festinger, 1956). Some choose to believe that the cult's beliefs are still correct, but that the Earth was simply spared from destruction by mercy, while others choose to believe that they were lied to and that the cult was fraudulent all along. Both beliefs cannot be correct at the same time, and so the cult members are forced to make their choice.

But even when conflicting loyalties can lead to potentially physical, rather than just mental, consequences, people will always make a choice to fall on one side or other of a dividing line. Take, for instance, Nicolaus Copernicus, a man born and raised in Catholic Poland (and educated in Catholic Italy). Though the Catholic church dictated specific scientific teachings, Copernicus' loyalty to his own observations and scientific evidence won out over his loyalty to his country's government and belief system. When he published his heliocentric model of the solar system--in opposition to the geocentric model that had been widely accepted for hundreds of years (Hannam, 2011)-- Copernicus was making a choice between his loyalties. In an attempt t o maintain his fealty both to the established system and to what he believed, h e sat on his findings for a number of years (Fantoli, 1994). But, ultimately, Copernicus made the choice to side with his beliefs and observations above all and published his work for the world to see (even though, in doing so, he risked both his reputation and personal freedoms).

These two paragraphs provide the reasons why the author supports the main argument and uses substantiated sources to back those reasons.

The paragraph on cognitive dissonance theory gives both broad supporting evidence and more narrow, detailed supporting evidence to show why the thesis statement is correct not just anecdotally but also scientifically and psychologically. First, we see why people in general have a difficult time accepting conflicting loyalties and desires and then how this applies to individuals through the example of the cult members from the Dr. Festinger's research.

The next paragraph continues to use more detailed examples from history to provide further evidence of why the thesis that people cannot indefinitely maintain conflicting loyalties is true.

Paragraph 4

Some will claim that it is possible to maintain conflicting beliefs or loyalties permanently, but this is often more a matter of people deluding themselves and still making a choice for one side or the other, rather than truly maintaining loyalty to both sides equally. For example, Lancelot du Lac typifies a person who claims to maintain a balanced loyalty between to two parties, but his attempt to do so fails (as all attempts to permanently maintain conflicting loyalties must). Lancelot tells himself and others that he is equally devoted to both King Arthur and his court and to being Queen Guinevere's knight (Malory, 2008). But he can neither be in two places at once to protect both the king and queen, nor can he help but let his romantic feelings for the queen to interfere with his duties to the king and the kingdom. Ultimately, he and Queen Guinevere give into their feelings for one another and Lancelot—though he denies it—chooses his loyalty to her over his loyalty to Arthur. This decision plunges the kingdom into a civil war, ages Lancelot prematurely, and ultimately leads to Camelot's ruin (Raabe, 1987). Though Lancelot claimed to have been loyal to both the king and the queen, this loyalty was ultimately in conflict, and he could not maintain it.

Here we have the acknowledgement of a potential counter-argument and the evidence as to why it isn't true.

The argument is that some people (or literary characters) have asserted that they give equal weight to their conflicting loyalties. The refutation is that, though some may claim to be able to maintain conflicting loyalties, they're either lying to others or deceiving themselves. The paragraph shows why this is true by providing an example of this in action.

Paragraph 5

Whether it be through literature or history, time and time again, people demonstrate the challenges of trying to manage conflicting loyalties and the inevitable consequences of doing so. Though belief systems are malleable and will often change over time, it is not possible to maintain two mutually exclusive loyalties or beliefs at once. In the end, people always make a choice, and loyalty for one party or one side of an issue will always trump loyalty to the other.

The concluding paragraph summarizes the essay, touches on the evidence presented, and re-states the thesis statement.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 8 Steps

Writing the best argumentative essay is all about the preparation, so let's talk steps:

#1: Preliminary Research

If you have the option to pick your own argumentative essay topic (which you most likely will), then choose one or two topics you find the most intriguing or that you have a vested interest in and do some preliminary research on both sides of the debate.

Do an open internet search just to see what the general chatter is on the topic and what the research trends are.

Did your preliminary reading influence you to pick a side or change your side? Without diving into all the scholarly articles at length, do you believe there's enough evidence to support your claim? Have there been scientific studies? Experiments? Does a noted scholar in the field agree with you? If not, you may need to pick another topic or side of the argument to support.

#2: Pick Your Side and Form Your Thesis

Now's the time to pick the side of the argument you feel you can support the best and summarize your main point into your thesis statement.

Your thesis will be the basis of your entire essay, so make sure you know which side you're on, that you've stated it clearly, and that you stick by your argument throughout the entire essay .

#3: Heavy-Duty Research Time

You've taken a gander at what the internet at large has to say on your argument, but now's the time to actually read those sources and take notes.

Check scholarly journals online at Google Scholar , the Directory of Open Access Journals , or JStor . You can also search individual university or school libraries and websites to see what kinds of academic articles you can access for free. Keep track of your important quotes and page numbers and put them somewhere that's easy to find later.

And don't forget to check your school or local libraries as well!

#4: Outline

Follow the five-paragraph outline structure from the previous section.

Fill in your topic, your reasons, and your supporting evidence into each of the categories.

Before you begin to flesh out the essay, take a look at what you've got. Is your thesis statement in the first paragraph? Is it clear? Is your argument logical? Does your supporting evidence support your reasoning?

By outlining your essay, you streamline your process and take care of any logic gaps before you dive headfirst into the writing. This will save you a lot of grief later on if you need to change your sources or your structure, so don't get too trigger-happy and skip this step.

Now that you've laid out exactly what you'll need for your essay and where, it's time to fill in all the gaps by writing it out.

Take it one step at a time and expand your ideas into complete sentences and substantiated claims. It may feel daunting to turn an outline into a complete draft, but just remember that you've already laid out all the groundwork; now you're just filling in the gaps.

If you have the time before deadline, give yourself a day or two (or even just an hour!) away from your essay . Looking it over with fresh eyes will allow you to see errors, both minor and major, that you likely would have missed had you tried to edit when it was still raw.

Take a first pass over the entire essay and try your best to ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes—you're just looking at the big picture right now. Does it make sense as a whole? Did the essay succeed in making an argument and backing that argument up logically? (Do you feel persuaded?)

If not, go back and make notes so that you can fix it for your final draft.

Once you've made your revisions to the overall structure, mark all your small errors and grammar problems so you can fix them in the next draft.

#7: Final Draft

Use the notes you made on the rough draft and go in and hack and smooth away until you're satisfied with the final result.

A checklist for your final draft:

• Formatting is correct according to your teacher's standards
• No errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Essay is the right length and size for the assignment
• The argument is present, consistent, and concise
• Each reason is supported by relevant evidence
• The essay makes sense overall

#8: Celebrate!

Once you've brought that final draft to a perfect polish and turned in your assignment, you're done! Go you!

Be prepared and ♪ you'll never go hungry again ♪, *cough*, or struggle with your argumentative essay-writing again. (Walt Disney Studios)

Good Examples of Argumentative Essays Online

Theory is all well and good, but examples are key. Just to get you started on what a fully-fleshed out argumentative essay looks like, let's see some examples in action.

Check out these two argumentative essay examples on the use of landmines and freons (and note the excellent use of concrete sources to back up their arguments!).

The Use of Landmines

A Shattered Sky

The Take-Aways: Keys to Writing an Argumentative Essay

At first, writing an argumentative essay may seem like a monstrous hurdle to overcome, but with the proper preparation and understanding, you'll be able to knock yours out of the park.

Remember the differences between a persuasive essay and an argumentative one, make sure your thesis is clear, and double-check that your supporting evidence is both relevant to your point and well-sourced . Pick your topic, do your research, make your outline, and fill in the gaps. Before you know it, you'll have yourself an A+ argumentative essay there, my friend.

What's Next?

Now you know the ins and outs of an argumentative essay, but how comfortable are you writing in other styles? Learn more about the four writing styles and when it makes sense to use each .

Understand how to make an argument, but still having trouble organizing your thoughts? Check out our guide to three popular essay formats and choose which one is right for you.

Ready to make your case, but not sure what to write about? We've created a list of 50 potential argumentative essay topics to spark your imagination.

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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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Outstanding Topics for Argumentative Essay

Students think that argumentative essay writing appears to be a very tough feat without proper support and guidance. A majority of the argumentative essay topics look lengthy and cumbersome. Without awareness about the intricacies and particularities involves in this particular type of work, you too will feel lost in a maze of ideas. Lots of skills are involved in the arguments: having or coming up with a claim, analyzing the pros and cons, defending your argument through critical thought, reasoning and convincing skills, proof, taking into accounts both sides of the dispute, and reaching a conclusion. If you are aware of what you have to do, writing on argument essay topics becomes easy.

What Is A Good Argumentative Essay Topic?

Many a student wonders what is a good argumentative essay topic to work with, what does a  well structured essay  looks like, etc.? Well, it’s not that big of a deal. There are lots of good argumentative essay topics to choose from, but you have to pick one which you can easily write an essay on.

Easy Argumentative Essay Topics

Want to know what happens to be some good argumentative essay topics to pen an essay on? Let’s see:

• Fast food is making America fat.
• Parents need to be very friendly with their kids.
• Are smartphones harmful to our health?
• Education needs to be free for all.
• Is single-sex education still a good idea in 2020?
• Should all people pursue a university degree worldwide?
• Internet access must be unlimited and free.
• Modern education has to eliminate grading systems.
• Capitalism should acquire more socially-significant policies.
• Tourist tax is mandatory to save cultural heritage.
• Kindergartens must introduce foreign language instruction.
• Is hunting good for environmental well-being?
• Using animals for research must be banned.
• One’s physical attributes have implications on the occupation.
• Women perform better than men on the official positions and occupations.

Argument Essay Topics by Education Level

Ideas for argumentative essay writing have greater variety, and they are given in relation to their suitability to different education levels.

Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School

Following are some examples for middle school:

• Should parents let kids use the internet unsupervised?
• Are video games making kids smarter or are they affecting their attention spans?
• Should schools abolish homework? Give reasons to support your answer.
• Is bullying a serious problem?
• Must school cafeterias provide students with healthy lunches?
• Homeschoolers are diligent and hard working.
• Should video games be regulated at school?
• Soccer is the most resource-demanding sport.
• 9. Video games are beneficial but not harmful.
• The world will be a better place if we protect the environment.
• Physical activities as the most convenient way to relax.
• The best way to enhance education is to decrease the number of classes.
• Sports classes should become mandatory for everybody.
• The pros of using gadgets for studying purposes.
• Should tattoos be perceived as a social deviation?
• Dieting must not be practiced by schoolers.

Argumentative Essay Topics for College

Argumentative essay topics for college students to help them discuss things they feel deeply about and defend or condemn.  Appropriate writing argumentative essay topics are:

• Do paparazzi have the right to pursue celebrities?
• It’s okay to date multiple people at the same time.
• Standardized testing is the best way to judge your potential.
• The college admission process is competitive.
• The legal age of drinking should be lower.
• It’s best for students not to have the opportunity to choose courses.
• A gap year should be popularized before entering an educational institution.
• The primary mission of a college is to prepare yourself to the workforce.
• College athletes should pass the classes similarly to regular students.
• To encourage integrity, any student caught cheating should be immediately dismissed.
• Students should not be penalized for bad performance.
• College admission procedures must become more transparent and easily trackable.
• Is student loan truly a financial burden for the rest of life?
• Single-sex schools are sexist and old-fashioned.
• Students should receive governmental assistance.

Argumentative Essay Topics for High School

These argument topics give high school students a great chance to develop their views and present them:

• School proms are disappointing. Do you agree or disagree?
• Studying arts and music is very important. Argue in favor or against.
• Teens commit suicide due to pressure to get good grades.
• Should parents lay down curfew hours or not?
• Schools should impose stricter rules concerning food.
• Schoolers spend too much time in front of their cellphones.
• Cheerleading shouldn’t be considered a sport.
• Private schools are not obligatory better than ordinary ones.
• School uniform should be introduced in all public schools.
• Students are becoming less religious with each generation.
• High schools often disregard one’s potential due to bureaucracy.
• The optimal size for a class is ten schoolers.
• Do high schoolers truly know the history of their state?
• Schools are backpedaling in adapting new technologies within the in-class setting.

Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics By Subject

There are five types of claims in which an argument can be placed. Each claim is being elaborated through an example topic:

A claim of definition: What is euthanasia? A claim of cause: What causes it? A claim of value: What are its moral implications? A claim of policy: Should there be laws on it? A claim of fact: What’s the statistical ratio of people going for it?

Medical Argumentative Essay Topics

Here are a few medical ideas you can use for your write-up:

• Do people need greater cancer awareness? Why?
• Abortion is a woman’s right over her body. Do you agree?
• Should there be a moral judgment around euthanasia?
• Cannabis should be prescribed as painkiller freely.
• Generics should be barred by the FDA.
• Everyone has a moral responsibility to donate blood.
• HIV is falsely associated with homosexuals. Why?
• The birth control pills must be closely regulated to ensure consumer’s safety.
• Strain injuries are the logical consequences of personal computer use.
• Dentistry insurance should become equally distributed.
• Effective medicines are not always those from the advertisements.
• Workplaces should provide more sick leaves to the employees.
• Everybody should be taxed to contribute to medical research.
• The primary reason for all health-related problems is lifestyle.
• Why are the laws neglect prohibiting tobacco and alcohol?

Music Essay Topics

These essay topics related to music can lead you to find a topic for argumentative essay:

• Blues make us feel depressed.
• Music is a therapy that can be used for illness.
• Music should be played in an examination room to help students focus better.
• Distribution of music should be free.
• Music preferences reflect personality.
• Are Musical skills the result of talent or hard work?
• The best way to learn music is to enroll in a specialized music course.
• Why should music become mandatory in a college education?
• How many of those talented musicians remained unnoticed?
• Music has psychological implications, which should be studied more thoroughly.
• The best way to play music is to create a band.
• Music benefits one’s social life. How?
• May music change customer’s consumer preferences?
• The music industry should not be associated with music as a form of art.
• Most of the modern-time artists are the one-hit wonders.

Sports Essay Topics

Let’s see a few hot sport-related issues to work on:

• Cheerleading should be banned.
• Boxing is a dangerous sport.
• Students who are athletes don’t have to take exams.
• Should athletes be allowed to use steroids?
• Women in sports – are they as good as men?
• The best way to succeed in sports is to be born talented.
• Racial differences play a considerable role in professional sports. Why?
• Why should everybody try swimming?
• Might sport become the next universal language worldwide?
• The reasons to perceive coaches less professional than players.
• The most hailed sports players aren’t necessarily the best.
• Big money is something that ruins the sport’s competitive essence.
• Fans should not judge players after losses or failures.
• Why are sportspeople more social and proactive?
• The pros and cons of sports as a key to positive self-esteem.

American History

You need to have background knowledge for dealing with an American history topic like the ones underneath:

• America’s Foreign policy over the years: Strengths and weaknesses.
• Who has been the best American president and why?
• Landing on the moon. Did it happen or not?
• How slavery impacted America.
• The Vietnam War and its impact.
• Cold War wasn’t solely the victory of the US.
• American policies towards indigenous populations were justified: true or false?
• How the discourse of the American Revolution impacted the French Revolution?
• Woodrow Wilson as the greatest American politician.
• In what ways industrialization boosted urbanization?
• The state borders: Reasons for being disputed.
• Why New York City developed most significantly over time?
• Awareness became the reason for the construction of the national parks in the US.
• Was the American involvement in the Korean War necessary?
• The union workers gave the rise of similar movements across the globe: true or false?

Psychology topics are interesting and allow for a decent well-grounded piece. Here are some suggestions for your paper:

• Parents are responsible for their kids’ mental health
• Stress is good as it makes us perform better.
• Divorce doesn’t impact children.
• Anorexia can be overcome through will power.
• Punishment is useful for raising obedient kids.
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs should be revised in the 21st century.
• Personality tests are harmful and impractical.
• Traumatic events should be vividly discussed, but not concealed.
• Lying is natural and widespread. Why?
• Optimism may be good for your health.
• Should psychology be regarded as a scientific discipline?
• How to treat cognitive disorders?
• The tensest psychological issues in modern psychology.
• How to know that’s the right time to study psychology.
• Sleeping disorders: Health issue or individual problem?

Choose Your Topic About Animals

Care for animals and their right? See the following:

• It’s ok to test cosmetics on animals.
• Slaughtering animals as a sacrifice is barbaric.
• Endangered animals don’t need to be saved.
• Hunting is a good hobby.
• Keeping animals encaged in zoos is cruel.
• People shouldn’t use exotic animals as pets.
• The best way is to adopt, not to buy.
• Circuses must be eliminated without any exceptions.
• The best sign of love for an animal is patience.
• Zoos remind concentration camps, but for animals. Why?
• The reasons for having an animal.
• How may animals improve your mood and health?
• People who love animals are generally kinder and more optimistic. Is it true?
• Allergy to animals is a valid reason for not having one.
• Animals should have their identity cards and passports worldwide.

Immigration

Immigration argument topics are an area with room for debate. See a few ideas:

• Immigrants shouldn’t be given citizenship.
• Building a wall on the border is a great idea.
• Immigrants are stealing our jobs.
• Immigration policies are unfair to US citizens.
• Immigrants resist getting assimilated in the culture of their adopted country.
• Trump’s Wall: Inadequate announcement or a feasible policy?
• High-qualified immigrants should be given citizenship.
• Multiculturalism may change public attitude to immigration as a whole.
• What are the reasons for the US of having such a prolonged and troublesome history over immigration?
• Illegal immigration is still decent for the host state’s economy.
• Asylum seekers shouldn’t be associated with immigrants.
• When will the world have open borders? Is it possible?
• Immigration policies are impossible to be designed in a way to satisfy everybody. Why?
• Immigration is a crucial reason for the demographic boom.
• Why should immigration be even more strictly regulated?

These technology-related ideas are based on contemporary issues:

• Online activism is enough to show one’s involvement.
• It’s impossible to survive with smartphones anymore.
• Trolling others is an innocent action.
• Facebook and Instagram make people feel lonely?
• AI will eventually become superior to human intelligence.
• Technology is capable of draining one’s life energy. How?
• Social networks are best established online.
• The drive for technology is a road to progress. Why?
• Modern technologies are capable of erasing cultural distinctions.
• Technology eventually makes people less creative and imaginative.
• How electronic devices impact the human body?
• Are children becoming more socialized while using gadgets?
• Is a life without modern technology possible?
• Technologies are best utilized if used meaningfully.
• How the Internet changed the world once and forever?

Pick Out Argumentative Philosophy Essay Topic

The following philosophy statements can be debated upon:

• Are religion and philosophy opposed to each other?
• Human beings are evil by nature.
• Happiness stems from money.
• Does having a conscience increases life’s burdens?
• Is beauty indeed in the eye of the beholder?
• What is the true purpose of our existence?
• Philosophy is falsely considered to be the first of the sciences.
• Most of the classic philosophers’ ideas are irrelevant now.
• Is ageism a real thing? How should it be eliminated?
• Is morality essential to humans? Why?
• Should philosophy be perceived as the ancestor of religion?
• Might atheism be logically considered a belief?
• Should philosophers be regarded as the contemporary masterminds?
• Is morality more related to one’s character or education?
• Should patriotism be associated with virtue?
• Why is philosophy a next-level discipline?

A few science issues you can write actively on are:

• Burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment.
• Should we monitor our carbon footprint?
• Genetic engineering can help in the creation of designer babies.
• Cloning is for the good of the human race.
• Oil drilling should be banned.
• Can wars be won merely by bombing?
• Environmental concerns are hard to justify.
• Do vaccines really cause autism and related health issues?
• What’s the reason to backpedal cloning?
• What alternative sources of energy should be developed?
• How may genetic engineering contribute to the emergence of more advanced humans?
• The best way to cope with global warming is to track one’s activities.
• Lifestyle details and nuances are the natural consequence of the DNA code.
• How long will it take to introduce the language of coding as a universal one?
• What are the drawbacks of using artificial intelligence?

Fun and Interesting Argumentative Essay Topics In 2020

Following are a few interesting argumentative essay topics:

• Books are not the only things that give us knowledge.
• Why every student should give nootropics a try.
• What does free speech really mean?
• Why studying at night is the best way to study?
• Should your parents be on the contact list of your social media account?
• Why so many people tend using dating services such as Tinder?
• Blondes are not stupid at all. Are they?
• What’s the point of televising poker as a sport?
• What you consider as humor, one may regard as a bad taste.
• Don’t take your life too seriously; it will end after all.
• The best way to get more Valentine Cards is to be more social.
• Before Instagram, people shared real-life photo cards. What was so romantic about that?
• How auto-correct may ruin your career?
• Never start anything on Monday. You will ultimately fail.
• Men tend to gossip more than women.

Didn’t find an appropriate topic? Learn more about  persuasive topics for an essay .

A Few Words About Argumentative Essay Structure

One of the best ways to cope with an argumentative essay is to get acquainted with a common structure of such a task. If given a choice to be more flexible with an  argument essay structure , try using the following pattern in your essay topics:

• Start with the Introduction, which will shed light on the subject matter.
• Craft a thesis statement where you favor one position over another by listing the arguments.
• The mentioned arguments will become your body paragraphs. The claims and counterclaims will be included there to represent the controversial essence of the matter.
• Conclude with a convincing recap of what idea you maintained and supported throughout the essay. Also, don’t forget to make your writing persuasive and backed-up with decent sources.

Claim Of Policy

The claim of policy essay generally focuses on illustrating why certain circumstances should exist. Read on to get acquainted with the best claim of policy essay topics:

• Why should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• What is required to ensure just elections?
• Gun carry should be allowed only with an appropriate license.
• What might be needed to impose a new public policy?
• In what ways do media sources blur the image of the reality?
• How should the state cope with increasing crime rates?
• The best solution to crime is the decriminalization of most regulations.
• States should initiate armed conflicts when other states pose considerable threats.
• The electoral college doesn’t work properly. Why?
• The main practices of political compromise may hurt ordinary individuals. How?
• National policies may increase citizens’ welfare if they’re properly designed.
• The only reason to impose anti-immigration laws is to enhance national security.
• What’s the main condition of a proper territorial administration?
• How to overcome the national debt threat? In what ways its extent is terrific?
• The best precaution of the long-run economic growth is the stability of the state’s economic sectors.

Pros And Cons Topics

Pros and cons essays are best for assessing the positives and negatives of a certain condition, which may be best for controversial matters. The best pros and cons essays, as follows:

• Pros and Cons of social media use
• Pros and Cons of having an extended family.
• Pros and Cons of moving abroad.
• Pros and Cons of animal testing.
• Pros and Cons of abortions.
• Pros and Cons of vaccines for kids.
• Pros and Cons of medical marijuana.
• Pros and Cons of the Olympics.
• Pros and Cons of the universal basic income.
• Pros and Cons of the concealed handguns.
• Pros and Cons of gun control.
• Pros and Cons of the school uniforms.
• Pros and Cons of the vegetarianism.
• Pros and Cons of school vouchers.
• Pros and Cons of free college access.

Tips for Writing An Argumentative Essay

A few handy tips to ace your write-up:

• Write from your heart.
• Your topic needs to have two sides or a scope to be debated upon.
• Preset both the sides of the argument before supporting one.
• Support your position through substantiation.
• Don’t summarize or paraphrase things.

If given a choice, try to go for a topic for argumentative essay that you feel deeply about.  Convey your feelings in your writing in different  types of academic essays . When you have a unique topic, research it, collect evidence, develop an emphatic stance and attempt to defend it in front of the reader. Tell your readers why you are right!

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English Notes

What are the pros and cons of an argumentative essay.

If you believe that you can write an exceptional argumentative essay and cover almost all topics ranging from art to science, it means you hold mastery in writing skills. An argumentative essay helps students to develop their critical thinking skills and also enhances their research skills.

Since an argumentative essay requires in-depth research to gather information about the subject matter, students usually refer to a variety of sources such as literature, articles, scientific hypotheses, and sometimes social or political issues. To begin with, https://cheappaperwriting.com/how-to-make-an-argumentative-essay a great resource that provides insight into the steps involved in writing an argumentative essay. Following these steps is the reason to become a research wizard.

But, in the contemporary world, do argumentative essays hold any worth or are they being followed just as a tradition?

Well, an argumentative essay not only ensures students’ learning, but it holds some benefits as well. Thus, I have mentioned them to aid you to know about some pros and cons of an argumentative essay .

Pros of Argumentative Essay

Students usually come up with the concern to write my essay , because they find it quite challenging. But, an argumentative essay is helpful to create various skills in the student and has got numerous benefits as mentioned below

Improved Writing Skills

Since an argumentative essay needs to be written in a particular manner that requires compelling arguments, avoid discussing irrelevant topics, and sticking to the thesis statement. If you have written your argumentative essay by following these three terms, and it is conveying a clear and precise understanding, it means you have successfully developed your writing skills. In short, an argumentative essay helps you develop your writing skills.

You Become Smarter

This is another one of the pros of argumentative essays , which brings some positive changes to your personality. When you put valid arguments in your essay, positive or negative, it means you are convincing the reader to develop his thoughts and ideas according to you. However, if you remain successful in manipulating the ideas of the reader through your arguments, it would make you smarter. Not only this, if you believe that your arguments in the essay are supporting some logic, you’ll also learn about numerous things and grow your knowledge.

You Know How to Express

The arguments that you make in the essay should be based on opinions that should be supported by some facts and pieces of evidence. Nevertheless, these arguments allow you to express your opinions, especially if they are valid, it can make the reader accept them. Since, behind every point, there is thorough research; therefore, your expressive skills would be improved as well.

Students usually come up with the concern to write essay, because they find it quite challenging. But, an argumentative essay is helpful to create various skills in the student and has got numerous benefits as mentioned below::

Cons of Argumentative Essay

Where it holds a lot of advantages, on the flip side, it might also be disadvantageous to argue in an essay. These drawbacks are discussed underneath:

Triggers Reader’s Emotions

The argument you made in your essay may sometimes go against the ideas of the reader ultimately triggering their emotions. However, when they criticize your arguments in the light of their opinions and viewpoints, it may hurt your emotions.

Brings Hatred and Conflicts

Being an argumentative essay writing expert, when you make strong arguments on proof-based, it may not be accepted by everyone. Or, you can say you may sometimes remain unsuccessful to convince some readers through your arguments, it may bring conflicts and hatred between you and such readers.

Arguments are part of life. But, if you are an argumentative person, make sure to present your points that are supported by some shreds of evidence. However, make sure that your points do not oppose the readers’ opinions. Anyhow, I mentioned several pros and cons of argumentative essays that help you develop various skills to groom your individual and academic performance. 

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How to Write a Pros & Cons Essay

A pros and cons essay encourages you to develop critical thinking skills by examining an issue from different perspectives. Depending upon the assignment, your essay could be a simple summary of the pros and cons of an issue, or you might be required to decide which side is right or synthesize the pros and cons into concrete recommendations. As with all essays, a clear thesis guides the direction of your paper.

Before you begin writing, you'll need to research your topic. Learn what other people say about the particular issue, and pick the strongest arguments on all sides of the issue. If you're writing about a social issue, you might need to gather statistical data or look at research studies. But if you're examining something a bit more abstract such as the different perspectives on a piece of literature, you'll need to consult expert opinions. Scholarly journals, credible professional websites and university websites can provide you with a good starting point.

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What does it mean to have an objective tone in an essay, what are the four tips for writing a good thesis statement for an expository essay, how to write a rebuttal essay, rules for thesis statements, how to write characterization papers, developing a thesis.

Your thesis is a succinct statement of the central points of your paper, usually at the end of your introductory paragraph. If you're simply summarizing the pros and cons of an issue, the thesis should make this clear. For example, you might say, "Death penalty advocates argue that it serves as a crime deterrent and fair form of retribution, while opponents point to the risk of executing the wrong person and the fact that the death penalty has not lowered the crime rate." If you're making an argument based on your research or attempting to synthesize issues, your thesis should make this clear. You might say, "While death penalty advocates argue for its deterrent value, opponents point to the risk of executing the wrong person, and the evidence that the death penalty has led to the deaths of innocent people is compelling."

Pros and Cons

The body of your paper should clearly outline the pros and cons of a particular issue. Devote at least one paragraph to each argument. You might, for example, dedicate a paragraph each to arguments in favor of the death penalty such as vengeance and deterrence, and a paragraph each to arguments against it such as executing the wrong person. Be charitable to each side, fairly summarizing the strongest points of an argument, even if you don't agree with it.

Your conclusion should summarize the points you've made, and outline any further questions raised by your essay. For example, you might point out that advocates of the death penalty argue that it decreases crime and opponents argue that it doesn't, then note that there needs to be more research into this area. If you are making your own argument based on pros and cons of the issue, restate this argument and emphasize how the body of your essay has demonstrated that your approach is the correct one.

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Argumentative Essays
• Ryazan State University: Tips for Writing an Essay

Van Thompson is an attorney and writer. A former martial arts instructor, he holds bachelor's degrees in music and computer science from Westchester University, and a juris doctor from Georgia State University. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including a 2009 CALI Legal Writing Award.

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Tips on Writing a Pros and Cons Essay

Have you ever argued with someone who thinks that their point of view is the only right point? Such people don’t even try to consider the arguments and evidence from the opposite side, that’s what makes such conversations frustrating. There are many complex issues, where it’s not easy to make a choice. Our world is not black-and-white, and if you want to make a point, you should also consider the opposite point. Fortunately, writing classes teach students analytical thinking, and pros and cons essays are the best exercises. When writing such essays, you should consider both sides of an issue, and tips from specialists at College-Writers.Com will help you with it.

What Is a Pros and Cons Essay?

To write a decent pros and cons essay, you should perfectly understand what it is. This type of writing assignments is exactly what it sounds like: it’s an argumentative essay that requires you to consider both positive and negative aspects of a subject.

Perhaps, the most difficult thing about this type of writing is that you cannot just write a list of pros and cons. Instead, you should synthesize the facts that you have, picking a side and clearly stating your own point. However, your essay shouldn’t be all about supporting your point. It should provide arguments, and your opinion must be just your personal conclusion that you came to after analyzing all the arguments.

What to Consider When Writing a Pros and Cons Essay

First, you should choose a debatable topic. It means that you must be able to provide a balanced number of both negatives and positives. For example, genocide is not debatable because you cannot say anything good about it, and charity is also not debatable because there’s nothing bad you can say about it.

Another important thing to consider is that both pros and cons should be given equal weight in your essay. You should carefully analyze both sides of the argument. When you read a good pros and cons essay, you cannot understand what is the author’s opinion until you see the thesis statement at the end. Now let’s take a closer look at the writing process itself.

Pros and Cons Essays: Step-By-Step Guide

The writing process is somewhat similar to that of any argumentative essay because it includes researching, writing an outline, writing a draft, and proofreading. However, the pros and cons essays also have their own specific features.

1. Research your topic

If you’ve got your topic assigned by your instructor, or if you’ve chosen a good debatable topic, start researching it. Make sure to look for credible sources and avoid being biased. You must be open-minded about your subject, even if you have a certain opinion. Don’t let your opinion affect your research.

2. Brainstorm the pros and cons

While researching, divide the information into two categories: pros, and cons. At this point, you don’t need to write an outline, just make a list of positive and negative aspects that will serve as the basis for your outline.

3. Write an outline

Once you’ve got a list of pros and cons, write your outline. It should consist of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the body of the essay, you should address the pros and cons. You may choose to list all the pros first and then address the cons, or you may devote each paragraph of the body to a certain aspect of the issue, explaining its pros and cons. Here’s an example:

• Thesis statement
• Final thoughts

4. Write the introduction

The introduction should start with a strong hook — the very first sentence that should motivate your readers to keep reading your essay. The thesis statement must provide your opinion on the subject. However, when writing pros and cons essays, you may also present your thesis statement in the conclusion. If you include your thesis statement in the introduction, it may provide a general understanding of what the body paragraphs will be about.

5. Add details to your outline

Once you’ve written the thesis statement and the outline, it won’t be a problem for you to write the body paragraphs. Just elaborate on the points from your outline and add more details. Every body paragraph should only focus on one point but all the paragraphs should be related to the thesis statement.

6. Write the conclusion

The conclusion has two main purposes. First, it should summarize the whole essay. Secondly, it should leave your readers with something to think about. It may also reveal your opinion by presenting the thesis statement if you haven’t stated it in the introduction.

As you can see, writing a pros and cons essay is not a difficult task. If you’re still not sure that you can write a good essay, we suggest that you ask experts from College-Writers.com for help. Our professional writers know everything about writing assignments of any kind, and they will provide you with outstanding papers on any topic.

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278 Pros and Cons Essay Topics & Ideas

• Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
• Icon Page 2289 words
• Icon Clock 11 min read

Pros and cons essay topics offer an opportunity to analyze multiple aspects of a subject, weighing both positive and negative elements. They promote critical thinking, compelling the writer to delve into complex issues, presenting diverse viewpoints, and fostering a balanced argument. These themes can touch diverse fields, such as technology, social issues, politics, or the environment. However, the challenge lies in presenting a balanced perspective, not swaying too much on one side. It may become difficult if one’s personal bias toward a subject is obvious. Additionally, these topics often involve controversial issues, which require in-depth research to provide accurate, comprehensive information. The key to handling pros and cons essay topics successfully is an unbiased perspective, thorough research, and a well-structured argument.

Best Pros and Cons Topics

• Remote Learning in the Modern Age
• Genetic Modification: A Revolution in Agriculture
• Ethical Implications of Animal Testing
• Universal Basic Income: Solution to Poverty?
• Veganism: An Ethical and Healthful Choice?
• Nuclear Power: Energy Savior or Environmental Hazard?
• Cryptocurrency: Future of Finance or Speculative Bubble?
• Gun Control: Safety Measure or Infringement on Rights?
• Mandatory Vaccinations: Public Health Necessity or Personal Freedom Invasion?
• Internet Censorship: Protection or Restriction of Freedom?
• Autonomous Vehicles: Road Safety Improvement or Risk?
• Corporal Punishment: Effective Discipline or Child Abuse?
• Climate Change Mitigation: Economic Burden or Investment?
• Capital Punishment: Deterrent to Crime or Inhumane Practice?
• Cloning: Medical Breakthrough or Ethical Nightmare?
• Reality Television: Harmless Entertainment or Negative Influence?
• Artificial Intelligence: Economic Boon or Job Threat?
• Space Exploration: Worth the Investment or Financial Drain?
• Zoos: Education and Conservation Centers or Animal Prisons?
• Euthanasia: Mercy or Murder?
• Renewable Energy: Sustainable Solution or Unreliable Source?
• Youth Sports: Character Building or Too Competitive?
• Biometric Technology: Security Improvement or Privacy Erosion?
• Alternative Medicine: Healthful Practice or Pseudoscience?

Easy Pros and Cons Topics

• Homeschooling: Alternative Education or Socialization Hinderance?
• Plastic Surgery: Confidence Booster or Health Risk?
• Trade Unions: Workers’ Rights Protector or Economic Hindrance?
• Multilingual Education: Cultural Richness or Confusion?
• Immigration: Economic Growth Engine or Job Competition?
• Video Games: Skill Development or Violence Promoter?
• Social Media: Connectivity or Privacy Invasion?
• Caffeine Consumption: Health Benefit or Risk?
• Genetically Modified Foods: Solution to Hunger or Health Hazard?
• Nuclear Disarmament: Path to Peace or Security Risk?
• Surveillance Cameras: Safety Ensurer or Privacy Invader?
• Drone Technology: Efficiency Improvement or Privacy Threat?
• Mass Tourism: Economic Driver or Environmental Degrader?
• Offshore Drilling: Energy Solution or Environmental Danger?
• Celebrity Culture: Inspiration or Distraction?
• Fast Food Consumption: Convenience or Health Risk?
• Mobile Phones in Schools: Learning Tool or Distraction?
• Online Privacy: Safety or Surveillance?
• Organic Farming: Sustainable Practice or Luxury Expense?
• Hydroelectric Power: Renewable Energy or Ecosystem Disrupter?
• Deforestation: Economic Development or Biodiversity Threat?
• Animal Agriculture: Food Supply or Environmental Stressor?

Interesting Pros and Cons Topics

• Telecommuting: Work-Life Balance or Productivity Killer?
• Body Cameras on Police: Accountability Tool or Privacy Invasion?
• Online Shopping: Convenience or Traditional Retail Killer?
• Single-Gender Schools: Focused Education or Gender Stereotype Reinforcement?
• Electronic Voting: Democratic Enhancement or Security Risk?
• Free Trade Agreements: Economic Boom or Job Loss?
• Junk Food Tax: Health Initiative or Personal Freedom Infringement?
• Streaming Services: Entertainment Evolution or Traditional Media Death?
• Facial Recognition: Security Tool or Privacy Violation?
• Forest Conservation: Biodiversity Savior or Development Constraint?
• Solar Power: Sustainable Energy or Landscape Disruption?
• Drones for Delivery: Efficiency or Public Safety Hazard?
• Reality Augmentation: Technological Breakthrough or Reality Detachment?
• Fracking: Energy Solution or Environmental Hazard?
• Human Microchipping: Security Enhancement or Privacy Infringement?
• Reproductive Cloning: Medical Miracle or Ethical Minefield?
• Animal Fur in Fashion: Luxury or Cruelty?
• Homework: Academic Advantage or Unnecessary Stress?
• Fossil Fuel Dependency: Economic Necessity or Environmental Crisis?
• Carbon Capture Technology: Climate Change Solution or Greenwashing?
• Fast Fashion: Affordability or Environmental Impact?
• Legalizing Marijuana: Medical Breakthrough or Gateway Drug?
• Robot Workers: Efficiency Booster or Job Eliminator?

Pros and Cons Essay Topics for High School

• Implementation of School Uniforms: Benefits and Drawbacks
• The Influence of Social Media on Teenagers: Positive and Negative Aspects
• Incorporation of Technology in Education: Pros and Cons
• Standardized Testing: Advantages and Disadvantages
• Banning Junk Food in Schools: Right or Wrong?
• Single-Sex Education vs. Co-Education: A Comparative Analysis
• Homework Assignments: Necessary Practice or Unnecessary Pressure?
• Impacts of Extracurricular Activities on Students’ Life: Pros and Cons
• Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes: An Examination of Merits and Demerits
• School Hours Extension: Beneficial or Detrimental?
• Year-Round Schooling: A Review of Pros and Cons
• Learning Foreign Languages in School: Advantages and Disadvantages
• The Role of Sports in Schools: Positive and Negative Implications
• Integration of Arts Education: Pros and Cons
• Usage of Mobile Devices in Class: Boon or Bane?
• Compulsory Community Service for Students: Justified or Not?
• Early College Admission Programs: Assessing the Benefits and Risks
• Corporal Punishment in Schools: A Balanced Debate
• Privatization of Education: Pros and Cons
• Distance Learning: A Comprehensive Pros and Cons Analysis
• Sex Education in Schools: Critical Examination of Advantages and Disadvantages
• Parental Involvement in School Activities: Positive and Negative Aspects
• Academic Grading System: A Review of Its Merits and Demerits
• Inclusion of Meditation and Yoga in School Curriculum: Pros and Cons
• Mandatory Attendance Policies: An Examination of Benefits and Drawbacks

Pros and Cons Essay Topics for Middle School

• Incorporation of Life Skills Education in Curriculum: A Debate
• Boarding Schools vs. Day Schools: A Comparative Analysis
• Personalized Learning: Merits and Demerits
• Strict Dress Code Policies: A Balanced Argument
• Providing Student Counselling in Schools: Weighing the Pros and Cons
• Coed Sports in Schools: A Discussion of Benefits and Challenges
• Multicultural Education: Examining the Positives and Negatives
• Introduction of Philosophy Classes in High School: Pros and Cons
• Group Work in School Assignments: A Review of Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advancement of STEM Education: Weighing Its Merits and Demerits
• School Cafeterias: An Analysis of Health and Convenience Aspects
• Teaching Critical Thinking in Schools: A Balanced Examination
• School Field Trips: Weighing Educational Value and Risks
• Bilingual Education: A Comprehensive Pros and Cons Analysis
• Animal Dissection in Biology Class: Ethical Considerations and Practical Benefits
• Dual Enrollment Classes: Weighing Academic Benefits and Challenges
• Censorship of Books in School Libraries: A Balanced Argument
• Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Comprehensive Analysis
• Adoption of Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools: A Debate
• Healthy Eating Programs in Schools: Pros and Cons
• Teacher Tenure: An Examination of Its Benefits and Drawbacks
• Climate Change Education: The Importance and Challenges in Schools
• Cyberbullying: Understanding Its Impacts and Ways to Mitigate
• School Security Measures: Weighing Safety and Freedom
• Influence of Video Games on Students: A Discussion on Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros and Cons Essay Topics for College Students

• Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Life
• Online Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Instruction
• Use of Cryptocurrencies as a Primary Form of Exchange
• Introduction of Universal Basic Income in Developed Nations
• Implication of Driverless Cars on Traffic Management and Safety
• Consumption of Genetically Modified Foods and Health Outcomes
• Exploration of Space as a Priority for Modern Society
• Legalization of Medical Marijuana for Pain Management
• Impacts of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication
• Roles of Animal Testing in Biomedical Research
• Significance of Nuclear Energy in the Global Energy Mix
• Influence of Violent Video Games on Youth Behavior
• Efficacy of School Uniforms in Promoting Discipline and Equality
• Relevance of Single-Gender Schools in Contemporary Education
• Adoption of Veganism for the Health and Environment
• Deregulation of the Energy Market: Benefits and Drawbacks
• Value of Mandatory Military Service in Modern Democracies
• Practice of Telecommuting in Post-Pandemic Times
• Use of Drones in Delivery and Surveillance Services
• Importance of Privacy in the Age of Big Data
• Effects of Multilingualism on Cognitive Development
• Application of Genetic Engineering in Human Health
• Debate on Climate Change and Global Warming Policies
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Open Office Spaces

Pros and Cons Essay Topics for University

• Impacts of Homeschooling on Children’s Social Skills
• Roles of Religion in Public Schools
• Potential of 3D Printing in Manufacturing Industries
• Influence of Celebrity Culture on Youth Identity Formation
• Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Professional Sports
• Prospects of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles in Decarbonization
• Responsibility of Developed Countries in Climate Change Mitigation
• Evaluation of Renewable Energy Subsidies for Energy Transition
• Influence of Parenting Styles on Child Development
• Adoption of Facial Recognition Technology in Law Enforcement
• Question of Human Cloning: Ethical Implications
• Roles of Internet Censorship in Protecting National Security
• Effects of Mass Tourism on Local Cultures
• Impacts of Fast Fashion on the Environment
• Application of Nanotechnology in Medicine
• Importance of Liberal Arts Education in a Technological Society
• Effects of Mandatory Voting on Democratic Participation
• Impacts of Music Therapy on Mental Health
• Influence of Body Cameras on Police Accountability
• Pros and Cons of Full-Time Employment vs. Freelancing
• Role of Animal Zoos in Wildlife Conservation
• Application of Blockchain Technology Beyond Cryptocurrencies
• Debate on Genetically Modified Babies for Disease Prevention
• Consideration of Eco-Tourism as a Sustainable Travel Alternative

Pro and Con Debate Topics

• Space Tourism: Exciting Frontier or Elitist Extravagance?
• Universal Healthcare: Basic Human Right or Economic Burden?
• Polar Tourism: Adventure or Environmental Threat?
• eSports: Athletic Recognition or Sedentary Lifestyle Promoter?
• Online Dating: Convenient Connection or Relationship Ruin?
• Zero-Waste Lifestyle: Sustainable Practice or Unrealistic Expectation?
• Artificial Photosynthesis: Energy Breakthrough or Technological Hurdle?
• Underwater Cities: Innovative Living or Ecological Disaster?
• Job Automation: Efficiency Gain or Workforce Threat?
• Wildlife Trafficking: Economic Opportunity or Conservation Crisis?
• Gender-Neutral Parenting: Equality Promoter or Identity Confusion?
• Food Waste: Resource Mismanagement or Consumer Habit?
• Carbon Offsetting: Climate Solution or Responsibility Shift?
• Genetic Privacy: Personal Protection or Research Obstacle?
• Cashless Society: Convenience or Privacy Threat?
• Aging Population: Burden or Wisdom Source?
• Digital Learning Tools: Learning Enhancer or Traditional Teaching Underminer?
• Designer Babies: Medical Miracle or Ethical Disaster?
• Intellectual Property Rights: Innovation Protection or Monopolization?
• Digital Currency: Economic Revolution or Financial Instability?

Controversial Pro and Con Topics

• Mandatory Vaccination: Pros and Cons
• Legalization of Recreational Drugs: Benefits and Drawbacks
• Nuclear Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages
• Animal Testing in Medical Research: Arguments For and Against
• Capital Punishment: Exploring the Upsides and Downsides
• Adoption of Universal Basic Income: Prospects and Challenges
• Internet Censorship: Freedom vs. Safety
• Gene Editing Technology: Ethical Implications
• Driverless Cars: A Technological Breakthrough or Risky Innovation
• Homeschooling: Assessing Its Strengths and Weaknesses
• Protesting Rights: Balancing Freedom and Public Safety
• Concealed Firearms: Public Protection or Public Threat?
• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Feeding the World or Damaging the Environment
• Surveillance Technology: Safeguarding or Invading Privacy
• Social Media Influence: Connectivity or Toxicity
• Animal Rights vs. Human Needs: A Delicate Balance
• School Uniforms: Promoting Equality or Suppressing Individuality
• Euthanasia: Compassionate Response or Moral Dilemma
• Outsourcing Jobs: Boost for Global Economy or Local Unemployment Trigger
• Veganism: Healthy Lifestyle or Nutritional Risk
• Fracking: Energy Solution or Environmental Hazard
• Polygamy: Cultural Practice or Human Rights Violation
• Deforestation: Economic Gain vs. Environmental Loss
• Human Cloning: Scientific Progress or Ethical Nightmare
• Space Colonization: Next Frontier or Dangerous Fantasy

Pros and Cons Ideas

• Wind Power: Renewable Solution or Noise Pollution?
• Animal Rights in Entertainment: Fun Show or Unethical Practice?
• Artificial Meat: Sustainability Savior or Health Concern?
• Screen Time for Children: Educational Tool or Developmental Hindrance?
• GMO Labeling: Consumer Right or Unnecessary Panic?
• Public Surveillance: Crime Deterrent or Freedom Infringement?
• Trophy Hunting: Conservation Strategy or Cruelty?
• Quantum Computing: Technological Revolution or Security Threat?
• Prescription Drug Advertising: Informed Choice or Misleading Practice?
• Assisted Suicide: Compassionate Care or Ethical Dilemma?
• Nuclear Family Structure: Social Stability or Outdated Model?
• Paper Books vs. E-Books: Tradition or Technology?
• Colonizing Mars: Human Achievement or Unnecessary Distraction?
• Performance Enhancing Drugs: Fair Advantage or Cheating?
• Modern Art: Creative Expression or Financial Speculation?
• Professional Gaming: Career Opportunity or Unhealthy Lifestyle?
• Beauty Pageants: Self-Expression or Objectification?
• Child Labor: Economic Necessity or Human Rights Violation?
• Overtourism: Economic Prosperity or Cultural Erosion?
• Multiculturalism: Social Enrichment or Integration Challenge?
• Invasive Species: Ecological Threat or Biodiversity Booster?

Pro and Con Paper Topics

• Extreme Sports: Thrill or Danger?
• Lifelong Learning: Personal Growth or Economic Necessity?
• Paying College Athletes: Fair Compensation or Amateur Spirit Ruin?
• Self-Driving Cars: Traffic Solution or Safety Issue?
• Artificial Wombs: Medical Advancement or Ethical Quandary?
• Violent Media: Artistic Freedom or Social Malady?
• Helicopter Parenting: Child Safety or Overprotection?
• Cybersecurity Measures: Essential Safeguard or Privacy Intrusion?
• Holographic Technology: Futuristic Communication or Privacy Concern?
• Virtual Reality: Exciting Innovation or Isolation Enhancer?
• Hyperloop Travel: Transportation Revolution or Pipe Dream?
• Geoengineering: Climate Savior or Ecological Risk?
• Population Control: Sustainable Solution or Human Rights Violation?
• Nanotechnology: Revolutionary Science or Unpredictable Threat?
• Bioplastics: Environmental Solution or Greenwashing?
• Internet of Things: Connected Convenience or Surveillance Nightmare?
• 3D Printing: Manufacturing Revolution or Intellectual Property Nightmare?
• Digital Nomad Lifestyle: Freedom or Isolation?
• Dark Tourism: Educational Experience or Insensitive Practice?
• Autonomous Weapons: Military Efficiency or Ethical Disaster?

Pros and Cons Issues

• Telemedicine: Healthcare Accessibility or Patient Risk
• Labor Unions: Employee Advocacy or Business Hindrance
• Artificial Intelligence: Boosting Efficiency or Threatening Jobs
• Plastic Surgery: Cosmetic Enhancement or Health Risk
• Crypto-Currencies: Future of Finance or Bubble Waiting to Burst
• Assisted Reproduction: Miracle of Science or Ethical Quandary
• Multicultural Education: Promoting Diversity or Dividing Society
• Reality TV: Entertainment or Cultural Decay
• Extreme Sports: Thrilling Adventure or Unnecessary Risk
• Designer Babies: Genetic Customization or Ethical Issue
• Lobbying: Advocacy Tool or Unfair Influence
• Violent Video Games: Entertainment or Negative Influence
• Organic Farming: Sustainable Practice or Inefficient Production
• Renewable Energy: Long-Term Solution or Unrealistic Ideal
• Civil Disobedience: Necessary Protest or Legal Violation
• Zoos: Conservation Efforts or Animal Cruelty
• Performance Enhancing Drugs: Sporting Equality or Unfair Advantage
• Stem Cell Research: Medical Breakthrough or Ethical Dilemma
• Online Dating: Romantic Revolution or Relationship Ruin
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Ethical Practice or Marketing Gimmick
• Junk Food Taxation: Public Health Initiative or Personal Freedom Infringement
• Single-Gender Education: Enhanced Learning or Limited Socialization
• Offshore Drilling: Energy Opportunity or Environmental Threat
• Monarchy: Historical Heritage or Outdated System
• GMO Labeling: Consumer Right or Unnecessary Fearmongering

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50 Pros and Cons Essay Topics

What is the point of pros and cons essay topics? They help students understand what they would like to write about. Imagine that you got an assignment: your professor asked you to craft an essay where you evaluate an object along with its advantages and disadvantages. This would be a pros & cons type of task, and it’s represented by a set of different features. You might be concerned about how much research you’re going to need and when to find time for writing, but the truth is, selecting which pros and cons subjects to explore is one of the major factors affecting your success. If you make a wrong decision, then your research and efforts won’t pay off as well as they could have otherwise. This kind of essay is essential because it develops your analytical skills and teaches you to look into the depth of an object, underlining its weak and strong sides. We hope to assist you by making it clear why choice of topics plays such a major role in writing and where to find inspiration for it.

How to Choose Pro Con Essay Topics?

All students should follow some writing strategies when they start working on a new task. We’re going to outline four of them. Take a look and try to keep these things in mind. They usually apply in all situations, and with their help, you have more chances at writing a strong and engaging essay.

• Always make things interesting for yourself.  All topics could be made interesting, at least to an extent. If you were forced to take a topic from a professor-generated list, then it could be tough, but otherwise, you can always look for something that will trigger your honest interest. There are plenty of good pros and cons topics — all you need is take a dive into your own mind. Think about stuff that you’re invested in. Perhaps you’re an athlete passionate about swimming. Maybe you love cooking, prefer theater performances over movies, or love sea over the ocean. Why not write about this? It would be exciting for you, and if you feel interested in your topic, your writing is going to reflect it, so your readers will find enjoyment as well.
• Preserve your objectivity.  Some pro con paper topics are less fortunate than others. Try not to pick something that is obviously good or bad. For example, if you decided on exploring the benefits and cons unemployment has, the latter will clearly prevail, so you won’t be able to write a balanced essay. If you have passion for some topic, it might be great, but it could also hinder you from being objective. Assess your reactions and attitudes, and choose a theme you could build a fantastic essay on.
• Check if your ideas are supported.  Pro con topics could be controversial, which is something professors usually like, but you’re going to have to use sources for supporting your points. Don’t make statements that reality refutes. Even if you feel strongly about a topic, you should rely on facts, not emotions. So watch out for it and check whether there are enough articles or books that could be incorporated as you need it.
• Discuss.  Talk about your ideas with others. This could be a teacher — in most cases, they appreciate being consulted. Classmates are also a great bet: discuss your ideas together and brainstorm. Maybe you’ll find common inspiration. Talk with your friends or family members — they could offer you ideas you haven’t considered. Write about things you like, and you’ll learn to feel enjoyment during this process.

50 Useful Pro and Cons Topics

The list below has various suggestions you could use for your essay. We devised it so that you could find inspiration whenever you need it: just look through these 50 options and settle on the ones you like. Take them and write an essay on them or shift some ideas in the way you like before doing this. The choice is yours: we are here only for boosting your productivity.

Education Pros and Cons Essay Topics

In many ways, success depends on the education you receive. These pros and cons topics could let you argue against this point or in favor of it.

• Should Students Be Motivated to Receive Education in the US?
• Doing Homework: Is This a Good Idea?
• Prolonging Education by Getting a Master’s Degree: Waste of Time or Step Toward a Better Future?
• Moving into Campus: Good or Bad Decision?
• Sending Children to Preschool: Do They Really Need to Go There?
• Tuition Costing Money: What Are Advantages and Disadvantages of This Issue?
• Academic Grades As a Method for Evaluating Performance: Motivating or Discouraging?
• What Are the Perks and Drawbacks of Online Education?
• Taking Gap Year Before Entering College: Yes or No?
• Purpose of Application Essays and Degrees of Effectiveness

Health Pros and Cons Essay Ideas

Billions of people all over the world are terrified for their health right now. Choose a pro con topic that speaks to you most.

• Wearing Masks Outside: Pros & Cons
• Hospice: Place of Hope or Despair for Those Who Are Already Dying?
• Should Students Choose Nursing as Their Career?
• Pros & Cons of Studying at Medical University
• Is Personal Hygiene Really That Important?
• The Benefits & Dangers of Alternative Medicine
• Should People Who Want to Lose Weight Rely on Diets?
• Reasons for Getting or Not Getting Health Insurance in the US
• Going Vegan: Should Most People Do It?
• Safety & Dangers Presented By Modern Vaccines

Social Media and Technology Topics

Almost all of us have an account on one of social media platforms. These pro and con topics reflect this trend.

• What Are the Benefits and Dangers Posed By Online Dating?
• Discuss What Makes iPhones a Great & Terrible Choice
• Gaining Popularity on Social Platforms: A Curse or a Blessing?
• Using Facebook For Most Communication Needs
• Reading E-Books Instead of Physical Books: Did This Change Make People’s Lives Easier?
• Relying on Your Cell Phone: Why Is This Useful & What Dangers It Could Lead To
• Evolution of Technology: Did It Improve Our Lives or Made Them Unhealthier?
• Becoming a Technician: Is There a Point?
• Skype as a Way to Stay in Touch Visually No Matter the Distance: Pluses and Minuses
• Twitter as a Platform for Exchanging Crucial Info.

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History and Politics

Here’s an example of advantage and disadvantage topics related to historical & political aspects of our life.

• Was Trump a Good President for Americans?
• Was Obama’s Presidency a Good or Bad Thing for Other Countries?
• Different Wars from the perspective of the US: Who Got Rich & Poor?
• Monarchy as System of Government: Should It Be Applied More Often?
• Age Limit for Participating for President Position: Is It Necessary?
• Being a Queen That Rules an Entire Country: Too Much Trouble or Endless Pleasure?
• Civil Right Movements: Victories and Losses That Resulted From It
• Should Students Be Encouraged to Study Political Science In Colleges?
• Is There a Sense in Political Theories Or Are They All Meaningless?
• Communism as Structure Based on Equality: In What Way Does It Work in Reality?

Morality and Social Issues Pro and Cons Essays Topics

Morality could be seen as a simple area of discussions, but at the same time, it’s incredibly complex. These topics with pros and cons could push you in the right direction.

• Provision of Free Apartments for Homeless People: Is This a Viable Solution?
• Discuss if Death Penalty Should Be Applied in Violent Cases Where Guilt Is Proven Beyond Reasonable Doubt
• Living in a Third World Country: Positive & Negative Aspects
• Adopting Pets From Shelter: Is It Always a Better Choice?
• Having Children Despite Being Poor: Should It Be Done?
• Living with a Person You No Longer Love for the Sake of Children
• Giving Gifts to People You Do Not Care About: Is There a Point?
• Helping People Despite Not Being Well Off Yourself
• Being Brave Regardless of the Circumstances: Is It Noble or Stupid?
• Should Children Be Punished by Their Parents If They Misbehave?

Learn How to Pick Pros and Cons Essay Topics and Improve Your Writing

Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you

Want to write a winning essay but lack experience? Browse our free essay samples

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237 Original Pros And Cons Topics To Write A Great Thesis

Pros and cons writing assignments are sometimes referred to as advantages and disadvantages papers. Even though these papers are not generally difficult to write, you still need to come up with some great pros and cons. After all, these are the most important parts of your essay and your professor will grade you according to their quality. Of course, to come up with great arguments, you need to find some great pros and cons topics to write about.

Writing your paper on a topic like “the pros and cons of getting a pet cat” will most likely not get you an A+. This is why you should definitely take a look at our list of 237 100% original topic ideas. We have topics about everything you can write about. And yes, our list also includes some very thought-provoking pro con controversial topics. You can use any of these ideas free of charge and you don’t even have to give us credit. Just choose one and start writing!

What Are Pros And Cons Papers?

Did you just receive a writing assignment related to writing a pros and cons essay? Most students don’t really know what this is, so it’s time to shed some light on the matter. Pros and cons is just another name for the argumentative essay. You’ve probably heard of the argumentative essay, but do you really know what they are and why they are important?

Pros and cons essays are a type of academic writing that present the arguments for and against a particular topic. The purpose of this type of essay is to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of a particular issue, decision, or situation and provide an informed opinion. Argumentative papers are important because they:

Encourage critical thinking and evaluation of both sides of an issue Help the writer develop a well-rounded understanding of the topic Provide the opportunity to present both sides of an argument Can be used to present both personal and research-based opinions

Writing such a paper is not difficult, but the quality of your pro con arguments depends on the topic you choose. Fortunately, we have 237 unique topics for you right here on this page, so all you have to do is take your pick:

Best Pros And Cons Topics For Students

As you probably know already, we have some of the best pros and cons topics for students. Take a look at these ideas and choose the one you like the most:

• The impact of social media on human relationships
• The pros and cons of remote work arrangements
• Using social media in United States schools: pros and cons
• The ethical considerations of artificial intelligence and automation
• The effect of the gig economy on employee benefits
• The role of standardized testing in education in South Korea
• The impact of climate change on global food security
• Standardized testing in education: pros and cons
• The future of transportation: electric cars vs. self-driving cars
• Pros and cons of advancements in mobile technology
• The use of drones in military and civilian contexts
• Online learning vs. traditional classroom education: pros and cons
• The effects of online privacy on corporate responsibility
• The impact of automation on job displacement and the economy
• The value of a college education in today’s job market

Pro And Con Debate Topics

Do you need to prepare for a debate? Then you should make sure that you come up with the best topic possible. Here are some excellent pro and con debate topics for you:

• The use of GMOs in the production of agricultural products
• The use of facial recognition technology by police
• The effects of social media on our mental health
• The use of single-use plastics in everyday life
• The impact of remote work on work-life balance
• Pros and cons of using drones in military and civilian contexts
• The effect of the rise of automation on job displacement
• The impact of mobile technology on social interactions
• The role of government in regulating the tech industry
• The impact of internet censorship on free speech
• The use of animal testing in scientific research
• The impact of renewable energy sources on the environment
• Pros and cons of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use
• The role of vaccination in public health in China
• The effect of immigration policies on the economy

Pro Vs Con Topics Related To Animals

Who doesn’t love animals? So, why not write your paper on an interesting topic? Check out these original pro vs con topics related to animals:

• The impact of deforestation on wildlife habitats
• The ethics of zoos and captive animal displays
• The role of hunting in wildlife conservation
• The impact of climate change on migration patterns
• The use of animal testing in cosmetics: pros and cons
• The impact of overfishing on marine ecosystems
• The effects of plastic pollution on marine life
• The impact of urbanization on wildlife populations
• The benefits and drawbacks of domesticated animals as pets
• The role of animal agriculture in global food security
• The impact of pollution on wildlife health and populations
• The ethics of wildlife trade and trafficking: pros and cons
• The role of wildlife conservation in protecting biodiversity
• The impact of invasive species on native wildlife
• The effects of human-wildlife conflict on animal populations
• The impact of oil and gas drilling on wildlife habitats
• The benefits and drawbacks of wildlife tourism: pros and cons

Pro And Cons Topics For High School

Are you a high school student? Do you need a topic idea that will get you a top grade? Pick one of our pro and cons topics for high school and start writing in minutes:

• Summer break: pros and cons for student learning
• The impact of technology on relationships
• The effects of social media on self-esteem
• The role of education in preparing students for the future workforce
• The effects of poverty on health in the UK
• The impact of advertising on body image
• The effects of standardized testing on student motivation
• The impact of cell phone use on student learning: pros and cons
• The impact of parental involvement on student success
• The role of peer pressure on adolescent decision-making
• The effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance
• Bullying in US High schools: pros and cons
• The effects of social media on political engagement and activism
• The role of community service in developing leadership skills
• The impact of technology on mental health in the US
• The effects of stress on student health: pros and cons
• The impact of parental involvement on adolescent substance abuse

Advantages And Disadvantages Topics For 2023

Interested in some topics that are of interest right now? We have selected the absolute best advantages and disadvantages topics for 2023 for you:

• The impact of genetically modified crops on the environment
• The impact of internet censorship on democracy in 2023
• The benefits and drawbacks of remote work employers
• The advantages and disadvantages of using AI in healthcare
• Should schools continue with online learning?
• The pros and cons of genetically modifying crops
• The benefits and drawbacks of smart cities in Europe
• Should individuals be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19?
• The advantages and disadvantages of space exploration
• The benefits and drawbacks of renewable energy sources
• The advantages and disadvantages of self-driving cars
• The impact of AI on privacy in 2023
• Should countries adopt a Universal Basic Income?

Pro Con Paper Topics For College Students

The following topics are a bit more difficult than the ones we’ve listed so far. These are unique pro oncon paper topics for college students:

• The impact of e-commerce on brick-and-mortar businesses
• The pros and drawbacks of using drones for delivery
• The impact of technology on interpersonal relationships
• Advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy sources
• Advantages and disadvantages of animal testing
• The effects of personalized marketing on consumer privacy
• Pros and cons of using autonomous drones for delivery
• The impact of wearable technology on personal privacy
• Pros and cons of using crowdfunding for small business funding
• The effect of autonomous vehicles on the insurance industry
• Benefits and disadvantages of using blockchain technology for voting
• The impact of wearable fitness trackers on healthy behaviors
• The benefits and drawbacks of using smart homes technology
• The impact of 5G technology on the telecommunications industry
• Pros and cons of using AI in financial services in the US
• The effect of the sharing economy on the hospitality industry

Good Pros And Cons Topics For 2023

Looking for some topics that should work great in 2023? You’ll be thrilled to hear that we have some exceptional good pros and cons topics for 2023 right here:

• The impact of telemedicine on healthcare accessibility
• The pros and cons of using smart home technology
• Augmented reality in education and learning
• Renewable energy sources or traditional fossil fuels?
• The impact of virtual reality on entertainment in Europe
• The advantages and disadvantages of biodegradable packaging
• The impact of robotics on manual labor jobs in the UK
• The effect of AI on decision-making
• Telepresence technology for remote work and meetings
• The impact of renewable energy sources on the economy
• Biometric technology for personal identification and security
• Pros and cons of using autonomous vehicles for logistics
• Effects of renewable energy sources on energy independence
• The advantages and disadvantages of using AI in criminal justice

Pro Versus Con Ideas Related To Science And Tech

If you want to write about science and tech, our seasoned writers and editors have created a list of interesting pro versus con ideas related to science and tech just for you:

• Is the use of AI in the workplace increasing productivity or taking away jobs?
• The benefits and drawbacks of using robots in manufacturing
• Is the use of biotechnology in agriculture posing a threat to the environment?
• The impact of augmented reality on human behavior
• Should governments invest in commercial space travel?
• Is the use of smart home technology invading privacy?
• The pros and cons of using nanotechnology healthcare
• The impact of 3D printing on manufacturing
• The advantages and disadvantages of using drones for surveillance
• Is the increasing use of AI in the criminal justice system fair?
• The pros and cons of using telemedicine for healthcare delivery
• The impact of autonomous vehicles on transportation
• Is the widespread use of social media damaging interpersonal relationships?

Easy Topics With Pros And Cons

Choose one of these easy topics with pros and cons if you don’t want to spend too much time writing your paper:

• The impact of exercise on physical health
• Pros and cons of spending time in nature
• The benefits and drawbacks of living in a big city in the United States
• The impact of a diet on mental health
• The benefits and drawbacks of online education
• The impact of social media on body image
• The pros and cons of volunteering in the United Kingdom
• The effects of stress on mental health
• The benefits and drawbacks of living in a small town
• The role of advertising in influencing consumer behavior
• The pros and cons of planning for the future
• The effect of screen time on children’s development
• The pros and cons of practicing mindfulness and meditation
• The advantages and disadvantages of exploring new cultures
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As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

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Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments

Life without Parole

Retribution

Victims’ Families

Methods of Execution

Medical Professionals’ Participation

Federal Death Penalty

1. Legality

The United States is one of 55 countries globally with a legal death penalty, according to Amnesty International. As of Mar. 24, 2021, within the US, 27 states had a legal death penalty (though 3 of those states had a moratorium on the punishment’s use).

Proponents of the death penalty being legal argue that such a harsh penalty is needed for criminals who have committed the worst crimes, that the punishment deters crime, and that the US Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty as constitutional.

Opponents of the death penalty being legal argue that the punishment is cruel and unusual, and, thus, unconstitutional, that innocent people are put to death for crimes they did not commit, and that the penalty is disproportionately applied to people of color.

Read More about This Debate:

Should the Death Penalty Be Legal?

ProCon.org, “International Death Penalty Status,” deathpenalty.procon.org, May 19, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should the Death Penalty Be Legal?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021 ProCon.org, “States with the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Bans, and Death Penalty Moratoriums,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Mar. 24, 2021

2. Life without Parole

Life without Parole (also called LWOP) is suggested by some as an alternative punishment for the death penalty.

Proponents of replacing the death penalty with life without parole argue that imprisoning someone for the duration of their life is more humane than the death penalty, that LWOP is a more fitting penalty that allows the criminal to think about what they’ve done, and that LWOP reduces the chances of executing an innocent person.

Opponents of replacing the death penalty with life without parole argue that LWOP is just an alternate death penalty and parole should always be a consideration even if the prisoner never earns the privilege. While other opponents argue that life without parole is not a harsh enough punishment for murderers and terrorists.

Should Life without Parole Replace the Death Penalty?

ProCon.org, “Should Life without Parole Replace the Death Penalty?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

3. Deterrence

One of the main justifications for maintaining a death penalty is that the punishment may prevent people from committing crimes so as to not risk being sentenced to death.

Proponents who argue that the death penalty is a deterrent to capital crimes state that such a harsh penalty is needed to discourage people from murder and terrorism.

Opponents who argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent to capital crimes state that there is no evidence to support the claim that the penalty is a deterrent.

Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?

ProCon.org, “Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

4. Retribution

Retribution in this debate is the idea that the death penalty is needed to bring about justice for the victims, the victims’ families, and/or society at large.

Proponents who argue that the death penalty is needed as retribution argue that “an eye for an eye” is appropriate, that the punishment should match the crime, and that the penalty is needed as a moral balance to the wrong done by the criminal.

Opponents who argue that the death penalty is not needed as retribution argue that reformative justice is more productive, that innocent people are often killed in the search for retribution, and that “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Should the Death Penalty Be Used for Retribution for Victims and/or Society?

ProCon.org, “Should the Death Penalty Be Used for Retribution for Victims and/or Society?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

5. Victims’ Families

Whether the death penalty can bring about some sort of closure or solace to the victims’ families after a horrible, life-changing experience has long been debated and used by both proponents and opponents of the death penalty.

Proponents who argue that the death penalty is needed to bring about closure and solace to victims’ families argue that the finality of the death penalty is needed for families to move on and not live in fear of the criminal getting out of prison.

Opponents who argue that the death penalty is needed to bring about closure and solace to victims’ families argue that retributive “justice” does not bring closure for anyone and that the death penalty can take years of media-friendly appeals to enact.

Does the Death Penalty Offer Closure or Solace to Victims’ Families?

ProCon.org, “Does the Death Penalty Offer Closure or Solace to Victims’ Families?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

6. Methods of Execution

Because the drugs used for lethal injection have become difficult to obtain, some states are turning to other methods of execution. For example, South Carolina recently enacted legislation to allow for the firing squad and electric chair if lethal injection is not available at the time of the execution.

Proponents of alternate methods of execution argue that the state and federal government have an obligation to carry out the sentence handed down, and that, given the recent botched lethal injection executions, other methods may be more humane.

Opponents of alternate methods of execution argue that we should not be reverting to less humane methods of execution, and that the drug companies’ objection to use of lethal injection drugs should signal a need to abolish the penalty altogether.

Should States Authorize Other Methods of Execution Such as Hanging or the Firing Squad?

ProCon.org, “Should States Authorize Other Methods of Execution Such as Hanging or the Firing Squad?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

7. Innocence

Reports indicate over 150 innocent people have been found not-guilty and exonerated since the death penalty was reinstated in 1973.

Proponents of abolishing the death penalty because innocent people may be executed argue that humans are fallible and the justice system is flawed, putting more Black and brown people on death row than are guilty of capital crimes, and that we cannot risk executing one innocent person just to carry about retributive “justice.”

Opponents of abolishing the death penalty because innocent people may be executed argue that the fact that death row inmates have been exonerated proves that the checks and balances to prevent innocent people from being executed are in place and working well, almost eliminating the chance that an innocent person will be executed.

Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished Because Innocent People May Be Executed?

ProCon.org, “Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished Because Innocent People May Be Executed?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

8. Morality

Both religious and secular debates have continued about whether it is moral for humans to kill one another, even in the name of justice, and whether executing people makes for a moral and just government.

Proponents who argue that the death penalty is a moral punishment state that “an eye for an eye” is justified to promote a good and just society than shuns evil.

Opponents who argue that the death penalty is an immoral punishment state that humans should not kill other humans, no matter the reasons, because killing is killing.

Is the Death Penalty Immoral?

ProCon.org, “Is the Death Penalty Immoral?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

9. Medical Professionals’ Participation

With the introduction of lethal injection as execution method, states began asking that medical professionals participate in executions to ensure the injections were administered properly and to provide medical care if the execution were botched.

Proponents who argue that medical professionals can participate in executions ethically state that doctors and others ensure that the execution is not “cruel or unusual,” and ensure that the person being executed receives medical care during the execution.

Opponents who argue that medical professionals cannot participate in executions ethically state that doctors and others should keep people alive instead of participate in killing, and that the medicalization of execution leads to a false acceptance of the practice.

Is Participation in Executions Ethical for Medical Professionals?

ProCon.org, “Is Participation in Executions Ethical for Medical Professionals?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

10. Federal Death Penalty

The federal death penalty has only been carried out 16 times since its reinstatement after Furman v. Georgia in 1988: twice in 2001, once in 2003, ten times in 2020, and three times in 2021. Several moratoriums have been put in place by presidents in the interims. Under President Joe Biden, the US Justice Department has enacted a moratorium on the death penalty, reversing President Donald Trump’s policy of carrying out federal executions.

Proponents of keeping the federal death penalty argue that justice must be carried out to deter crime and offer closure to families, and that the federal government has an obligation to enact the sentences handed down by the courts.

Proponents of banning the federal death penalty argue that the United States federal government should set an example for the states with a ban, and that only a ban will prevent the next president from executing the prisoners on death row.

Should the US President Reinstate the Federal Death Penalty?

ProCon.org, “Most Recent Executions in Each US State,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Aug. 26, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should the US President Reinstate the Federal Death Penalty?,” deathpenalty.procon.org, Sep. 20, 2021

People who view this page may also like:

• States with the Death Penalty and States with Death Penalty Bans
• US Executions by Race, Crime, Method, Age, Gender, State, & Year
• Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?

ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA

Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved

• History of the Death Penalty
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• Historical Timeline
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• The ESPY List: US Executions 1608-2002
• Federal Capital Offenses
• Death Row Inmates
• Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Elephant, Jan. 4, 1903

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Social Media — Social Media Pros and Cons

Social Media Pros and Cons

• Categories: Effects of Social Media Internet Social Media

About this sample

Words: 889 |

Updated: 7 November, 2023

Words: 889 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Advantages of social media, disadvantages of social media, video version.

Hook Examples for Argumentative Essay on Social Media

• A Startling Statistic: Did you know that over 3.6 billion people worldwide use social media? Join me as we explore the impact of this global phenomenon on our lives and society as a whole.
• An Intriguing Quote: As Oscar Wilde once remarked, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” These words prompt us to examine the balance between the benefits and drawbacks of social media in our lives.
• A Personal Revelation: My own journey with social media led me to question its role in my life. Join me as I share my experiences and insights into the pros and cons of this omnipresent digital landscape.
• A Societal Mirror: Social media reflects the best and worst of our society, from fostering connections to perpetuating misinformation. Explore with me how it both mirrors and shapes our cultural landscape.
• An Evolving Debate: As technology advances and society changes, so does our understanding of social media’s impact. Join me in examining the ever-evolving debate surrounding the pros and cons of this powerful communication tool.
• Van der Bank, C. M., & van der Bank, M. (2014). The impact of social media: advantages or disadvantages. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 4(2), 1-9. (http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_17_vol4(2)july-nov_2015.pdf)
• Abudabbous, N. (2021). Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media and Its Effects on Young Learners. Available at SSRN 4002626. (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4002626)
• Holmes, W. S. (2011). Crisis communications and social media: Advantages, disadvantages and best practices. (https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=ccisymposium)
• Roebuck, D., Siha, S., & Bell, R. L. (2013). Faculty usage of social media and mobile devices: Analysis of advantages and concerns. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 9, 171. (https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facpubs/3171/)
• Farrugia, R. C. (2013). Facebook and relationships: A study of how social media use is affecting long-term relationships. Rochester Institute of Technology. (https://www.proquest.com/openview/04bf6121089bb04b74dcaba7486bd814/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750)

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Pros and Cons of Abortion to the Society Argumentative Essay

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Introduction

Pros of abortion, cons of abortion, relationship between abortion and the course on religion, works cited.

If you’re studying the pros and cons of abortion, the essay below will be a great place to start your research.

For a very long time now, the right to abortion has been one of the most controversial topics on the planet, pitying two major sides. On one side, pro-lifers insist that it is immoral and amounts to murdering an innocent child, while pro-abortionists argue that it is just a form of birth control. The latter claim that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it as all children should be born when they are wanted.

The numerous legislations, policies by governments and even hard-line stands by some organizations like the church have made this subject more controversial instead of offering solutions. At one point, one may argue that there would never be a consensus on abortion’s pros and cons in any essay or discussion.

This debate is likely to go on for several years unless the sturdy stands taken by both pro-lifers and pro-abortionists are softened. People have to find ways of accommodating the views of each other regarding the subject. The author will evaluate the issues surrounding the abortion debate. Analyzing the pros and examining the cons of abortion, the essay will seek to find solutions to the conflicting ideas.

There are several arguments that one forward in support of abortion. First of all, any birth of a child should occur when the parents want and not by chance (Potts et al. 229). This way it would go a long way in assisting the world to have an environment where all children that are born in this world have an environment conducive for proper development.

There is no need for inflating the world with many children who cannot have access to basic needs like adequate clothing, food, shelter, and education. It should also be noted that when a person decides to carry out an abortion it is not out of her dislike for children but because she feels that it would not be a wise decision to proceed with the pregnancy as it is still not yet the right time to have a baby (Potts et al. 229).

In the case of rape or incest, keeping a pregnancy is very traumatizing to the person raped as no one would wish to keep a child that is a result of this, and the best solution to this problem would be to abort the unborn child.

For the case of rape, the emotional effects of the occurrence are too traumatizing and take time to heal, and some rape victims do not recover at all. Adding a child to the rape victim is like adding more salt to a wound and would be a constant reminder that is likely to add more emotional trauma to the victim (Khoster 35).

Many studies on the morality or immoralities of abortion have found that some of those against the morality of abortion tend to agree that it is acceptable to abort a pregnancy that is a result of rape.

For instance, the gulp poll carried out in Canada found only 13% of the respondents were against the practice completely while interestingly a whopping 65% were of the view that it is acceptable to abort an unwanted pregnancy in certain conditions like if it is a result of rape (Flanagan 130).

There has also been an unending debate on the exact time that a fetus acquires life and becomes a person with rights and ability to have feelings (Sather 159). Sather further argues that before the 24 th – 28 th week, the fetus has not yet acquired human features and it does not amount to murder if you perform an abortion before this time.

Pro-lifers led by the Catholic Church insist that life begins at conception and anyone who is found guilty of having performed an abortion could be excommunicated from the church because of committing murder (Kohmescher 137). That is not all several studies when life stars in the case of an unborn child have resulted in conflicting dates.

The impending standoff as to, when a person can and cannot have an abortion, have left it possible for anyone to conduct an abortion. It is not clear as to when life begins, and as so long as a woman feels that she cannot have a baby, she has the freedom to do it since it is not yet clear when the life of a person begins.

Sometimes complications can occur to a pregnancy that may put the life of the mother or unborn child in danger and even at times all of them. In this case, abortion ought to be permitted to save the physical health of the mother although some of those advocating for abortion have often argued that the mental health of the mother ought to be included when talking about health (white & Baldwin 113).

At this point, the life of the mother is given first consideration as the fetus cannot survive without the mother, and in any case, the chances are that the mother can always get other children if she wants, but there is no way a fetus can survive on its leave alone getting other parents which is impossible.

Several disadvantages of abortion are argued out by pro-lifers. Most of the books on the subject are mostly in support of the drawbacks of abortion as compared to the advantages. According to Koster abortion is only a temporary and irrational decision that make women feel that they have gotten some relief to an unwanted child against chances of permanent loss of infertility (Koster 304).

She further argues that although removing an unwanted pregnancy may somehow offer relief to the woman the possibility of becoming infertile especially if an unqualified person performed the operation is very significant and once you lose your fertility there is zero chance that you will regain it.

Even when performed by a qualified medical doctor there is a chance that complications may arise like in some medical procedures and if this happens, you could definitely lose your fertility. In fact, interviews conducted on women who had complications when performing an abortion revealed that a majority of them had lost the ability to conceive or hard a miscarriage (Koster 304)

The relief that one feels after procuring an abortion is usually short-lived, and it dies after some time leading to a permanent feeling of guilt and sadness. In fact, in most of the times, this feeling of relief is just a deliberate attempt by the psychology of a person to delete the sense of guilt and shame that creeps in immediately one procures an abortion (Holman 321).

Holman further adds that although most of the legislation and policies concerning abortion allow the practice in the case of schoolgirls the idea that you once killed part of you is not likely to go away and will haunt you forever.

A lot of pro-lifers would equate abortion to murder, and it is therefore morally wrong and should be outlawed. Genovesi defines murder as an intentional act of taking away the life of a human being (Genovesi 340). Fro this he further adds that since the fetus of a person has life, then taking it away will amount to killing it, which is the same as murder.

Of course from this reason arguments are bound to arise as to when the life of a person actually begins. To all Christians led by the Catholic Church, it is completely unacceptable to allow a person to take away another person’s life for whichever reason and at whatever stage in life as it is still murder.

The late Pope John Paul is on record as having condemned the practice and even stating that it would threaten the freedom and dignity of humankind as it promotes a culture of accepting death as a normal thing (Zastrow & Kirst 82)

Procuring an abortion is not the only solution in the event of unwanted pregnancy as the child could also be put to adoption. It is estimated that in all married couples in the United States alone, between 10% -15% of them do not have the ability to have children (Grunlan 217).

This figure is so high that more and more Americans are turning to other countries overseas in order to get children of their own and as Grunlan further adds; this figure has been increasing in the recent years as more mothers turn to abortion as a way of controlling birth.

Furthermore, as Zastrow & Kirst add, in this age where there are so many available contraceptive methods; there should be very minimal unwanted pregnancies that warrant the need to abort a baby who has already been conceived (Zastrow & Kirst 82).

The main concern in the abortion controversy is whether it is morally and ethically right or wrong. Ethics and morality are significantly discussed in unit one of the course.

In unit one, the main issue discussed is how to know what is right and what is wrong. As argued by Aristotle in part of the course, to become ethical he should first reason well and have good character, and total happiness can only be achieved if people are noble.

The abortion debate centers on ethics in that while those who are for abortion argue that it offers a solution to lots of problems that could be brought about by having unwanted children, those against it argue that this relief is only temporary.

Unit three of the course is mainly on how to live a good life as Christians. In this essential part, the unit deals on acceptable Christian virtues and values. One such virtue is having unconditional love towards others. On abortion, it is argued that when one performs an abortion automatically, she does not have love for that child regardless of the conditions.

Moreover, all Christians should preserve human life and have respect for Gods creations, and failure to do so is a sin. People are also supposed to think critically of their actions and be held accountable to these actions, and, as discussed in the unit, they should avoid searching for quick-fix solutions to problems facing them.

The Catholic Church has been the most vocal in speaking against abortion for a long time, and as it stands, there is no chance that this sturdy stand will be reverted. In the book Catholic morality and human sexuality, the author argues that immediately after fertilization, the resulting zygote has human features and should be respected as a human being. Removing it from the uterus amounts to murder (Genovesi 344).

Furthermore, if you reject human life at any point, it is like rejecting God as humans are created in the image of God (Ferrara & Ireland 20). Accepting abortion has been argued by the church as accepting a culture of death and living without Jesus Christ as it amounts t killing an innocent creature of God who has not yet performed any sin.

Even in cases of rape or incest, the church does not permit abortion (Kohmescher 138). In this case, a woman may seek treatment immediately after the incident but not abortion weeks after the incident, and even if the pregnancy is a threat to human life, there should be an attempt to save both lives human lives are sacred and equal before God an none is unique to the other.

As it stands today, it seems the debate on abortion will not come to an end soon. The stands taken by both the pro-abortionists and anti-abortionists are so rigid, and there have not been any attempts to build a consensus.

For instance, the church will certainly not relent on its claim that abortion is murder and therefore a capital sin while pro-abortionists argue that having a child should be a choice. The conflicting policies by different governments regarding the issue have added more controversy to this subject instead of offering guidelines.

There should be efforts to provide a clear policy on this issue that would be acceptable in the whole world through an international body like the United Nations. Apart from that the church and other organizations that are anti-abortion ought to soften their stand in some incidences like rape which are too traumatizing.

Ferrara, Jennifer & Ireland, Patricia. The catholic mystique: fourteen women find fulfillment in the Catholic Church. Huntington: Sunday visitor publishing, 2004. Print.

Flanagan, Thomas . Game theory and Canadian politics . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998. Print.

Genovesi, Vincent. In pursuit of love: Catholic morality and human sexuality . Minnesota: Hutts Publishing, 2002. Print.

Grunlan, Stephen . Marriage and the family . Michigan: Zondervan. 1983. Print.

Holman, Thomas . The family in the new millennium . Westport: Praeger Publishers. 2007. Print liturgical press, 1996. Print.

Khoster, Winnie. Women and abortion in the Yoruba society, Nigeria . Amsterdam: Aksant academic publishers, 2003. Print.

Kohmescher, Matthew. Catholicism today: a survey of Catholic belief and practice the third edition. New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1999. Print.

Potts, Malcolm, Diggory Peter & Peel John . Abortion . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977. Print.

Sather, Trevor . Pros and cons: a debaters handbook 18 th edition . London: Routledge, 1999. Print.

White, Stuart & Baldwin, Timothy . Legal and ethical aspects of anesthesia, critical care, and preoperative medicine. Cambridge: Cambridge university press, 2004. Print.

Zastrow, Charles & Kirst, Karen. Understanding human behavior and the social environment: 8 th edition. Belmont: Brookscole, 2007. Print.

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