Philosophy 204

Spring 2004

Argumentative Essay

This paper is to be an argumentative essay. In the context of philosophy, this means that it is the defense of a thesis, that is, a persuasive presentation supported by reason and data in such a way that a reader may conclude that your position is valid.

An essay consists of three parts: a thesis, an argument, and a conclusion. The thesis is a sentence which captures the statement or proposition which is to be proved (argued). The argument is the main body of the paper and includes references and source materials which support your thesis. This may include quotes and/or summaries from primary and secondary sources, periodicals, and the internet. In every case, references to the work of another must be properly noted. References to internet sites must include the name of the author, the name of the site, the URL address, and the date you took it from the site. Be wary of the internet, and if the author’s name is not listed, how can you judge its content? If you are using internet material and the name of the author is not available, you must reference it as “Author Unknown.” You will also need a title and a bibliography or “List of Works Cited.”

Please note that the conclusion of your argument may, in fact disprove your thesis. It is fully acceptable that your research will lead you away from the original thesis. In this case, rewrite your introduction to reflect the results of your findings. (This does not mean changing your thesis, however. It does mean acknowledging that “In my original thesis I hypothesized X, Y, and Z, but my research demonstrated X and Y, but not Z.”)

To begin, you will need to write a thesis statement. You may write on a topic of your own choice, but two areas suggested below (with example thesis statements):

The value of organ transplantation has been demonstrated by medical science, but organ availability remains a problem. My hypothesis is that the need for organs can be better met if people are permitted to sell their organs.

Today some people are talking about the rationing of health care as a means of curbing rising costs in our society. It is my thesis that human life is priceless and precious, and therefore cost should not be factor in determining medical treatment.