argumentative essay on ethical issues

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Argumentative Essay on an Ethical Issue | Writing Guide

For every member of academia, the art of persuasive writing holds paramount importance. Among the various genres of writing, crafting an argumentative essay on ethical issue demands a nuanced approach that combines critical thinking, logical reasoning, and ethical analysis. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive roadmap for mastering this skill, empowering writers to articulate their perspectives effectively and ethically.

Understanding the Ethical Landscape for Argumentative Essay on Ethical Issue

Before writing an argumentative essay on ethical issue, it is crucial to develop a profound understanding of the ethical landscape surrounding the chosen topic. Ethical issues permeate various facets of human existence, encompassing dilemmas related to morality, justice, rights, and responsibilities. Whether addressing topics such as environmental sustainability, healthcare access, or technological advancements, writers must navigate the complexities of ethical reasoning with clarity and precision.

Choosing a Relevant Ethical Issue for Argumentative Essay on Ethical Issue

Selecting a pertinent ethical issue forms the cornerstone of a compelling argumentative essay. Writers should identify topics that resonate with their interests, align with their values, and spark meaningful discourse within academic or societal contexts. Additionally, opting for contemporary issues ensures relevance and enhances the essay’s impact by addressing pressing concerns in today’s world.

Conducting In-Depth Research

To substantiate their arguments effectively, writers must conduct comprehensive research to gather relevant evidence, statistics, and scholarly sources. Exploring diverse perspectives enables writers to develop a nuanced understanding of the ethical issue at hand, fostering empathy and intellectual rigor. Moreover, engaging with primary sources, empirical studies, and expert opinions enhances the credibility and persuasiveness of the essay’s arguments.

Structuring the Argumentative Essay

A well-structured essay serves as a scaffold for presenting arguments coherently and persuasively. Following a traditional essay structure comprising an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion facilitates clarity and organization. The introduction should provide a compelling overview of the ethical issue, contextualize its significance, and present a clear thesis statement that encapsulates the writer’s stance.

Developing Persuasive Arguments

The body paragraphs constitute the heart of the essay, where writers expound upon their arguments with logical reasoning and compelling evidence. Each paragraph should focus on a distinct aspect or subtopic, supported by relevant examples, case studies, or empirical data. Employing logical fallacies should be avoided, as they undermine the credibility of the argument and detract from the essay’s persuasive power.

Acknowledging Counterarguments

A hallmark of scholarly integrity is the acknowledgment and refutation of counterarguments. By anticipating opposing viewpoints and addressing them thoughtfully, writers demonstrate intellectual honesty and rigor. Refuting counterarguments strengthens the essay’s credibility and underscores the writer’s ability to engage critically with differing perspectives, thereby enriching the discourse surrounding the ethical issue.

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Appealing to Ethical Principles

Central to crafting an argumentative essay on ethical issues is the incorporation of ethical principles and frameworks. Drawing upon established ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, or ethical relativism provides a theoretical lens through which to analyze and evaluate the moral dimensions of the issue. Writers should elucidate how their arguments align with ethical principles and contribute to ethical decision-making processes.

Writing or creating an argumentative essay on ethical issues requires diligence, critical thinking, and ethical discernment. By selecting relevant topics, conducting thorough research, structuring arguments coherently, and appealing to ethical principles, writers can elucidate their perspectives effectively and contribute meaningfully to ethical discourse. Ultimately, the potency of an argumentative essay lies not only in its persuasive force but also in its ethical integrity and commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding in complex ethical terrain.

Argumentative Essay on Ethical Issue Example

Introduction | argumentative essay on ethical issue.

Our lives are full of complexities and rapid advancements, so the importance of ethical considerations cannot be overstated. Ethical behavior forms the cornerstone of a civilized society, guiding individuals and institutions towards actions that prioritize morality and human welfare. However, as ethical dilemmas continue to surface in various spheres of life, it becomes crucial to reiterate the significance of upholding ethical standards to foster a just and equitable world.

Body Paragraph 1 | Argumentative Essay on Ethical Issue

First and foremost, embracing ethical principles ensures the protection of individual rights and dignity. In an era marked by technological innovation and globalization, issues such as data privacy, human rights abuses, and corporate responsibility have come to the forefront. Ethical conduct serves as a safeguard against exploitation and discrimination, guaranteeing that all members of society are treated fairly and with respect. Without adherence to ethical standards, the vulnerable risk being marginalized and oppressed, undermining the very fabric of democracy and social justice.

Body Paragraph 2

Moreover, ethical behavior fosters trust and integrity within communities and institutions. Whether in the realm of business, politics, or personal relationships, honesty and transparency form the bedrock of meaningful interactions. When individuals and organizations prioritize ethical considerations, they cultivate a culture of trustworthiness and accountability, strengthening social cohesion and fostering mutual respect. Conversely, a lack of ethical integrity breeds cynicism and disillusionment, eroding public confidence in institutions and hindering collaborative efforts towards progress and prosperity.

Body Paragraph 3

Furthermore, ethical decision-making is essential for addressing pressing global challenges and promoting sustainable development. From climate change to socioeconomic inequality, the issues confronting humanity are inherently ethical in nature, requiring collective action and moral leadership. By prioritizing ethical values such as environmental stewardship, social equity, and intergenerational justice, societies can chart a course towards a more sustainable and inclusive future. Failure to integrate ethical considerations into policymaking and governance processes not only exacerbates existing disparities but also jeopardizes the well-being of future generations.

Body Paragraph 4: Counterargument and Refutation

Despite the compelling arguments in favor of ethical conduct, some may contend that pragmatic concerns or competitive pressures justify compromising on ethical principles. However, this perspective fails to recognize that short-term gains achieved through unethical means often lead to long-term consequences that undermine societal cohesion and individual well-being. Moreover, history has repeatedly demonstrated that ethical lapses, whether in business, politics, or personal conduct, ultimately exact a heavy toll on both individuals and societies, eroding trust and sowing the seeds of discord.

In conclusion, ethical considerations are not merely a luxury but a necessity in navigating the complexities of the modern world. Upholding ethical principles safeguards individual rights, fosters trust and integrity, and addresses global challenges in a manner that promotes human flourishing and societal well-being. As individuals and as a society, we must reaffirm our commitment to ethical conduct, recognizing that our actions today shape the world of tomorrow. Let us embrace the imperative of ethical considerations, not as a constraint but as a guiding beacon towards a more just, compassionate, and sustainable future.

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• Ethical Arguments in Essays

Argumentative essays frequently address controversial ideas, like the effects of structural racism, whether abortion should be legal, and the morality of physician-assisted suicide. Often, a writer's argument for their paper will state whether the idea they are writing about is morally right or wrong. If argued from this perspective, these listed topics are examples of ethical arguments.

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What is an Ethical Argument?

An ethical argument is a type of argument that evaluates whether an idea or proposal is morally right or wrong. An ethical argument is concerned with ethics , or the moral principles which guide a person’s behavior and beliefs.

Ethical argument: An argument based on ethics that evaluates whether an idea is morally right or wrong.

Ethics: Moral principles that guide a person's behavior and beliefs.

Writers use ethical arguments to convince a reader about the moral correctness of a topic. This type of argument can be effective if the audience shares the writer’s ethics.

To see how an author makes an ethical argument, read this passage from Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech “I Have a Dream." 1

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.

King makes an ethical argument about how the United States has failed to live up to its founding ideals in granting people of color political equality. King could use statistics or facts to make a logical argument. He could also use an anecdote about the racism he experienced to make an emotional argument. Instead, he makes an ethical argument about how the country is morally wrong by appealing to the moral principles from America’s founding documents.

Types of Ethical Arguments in Essays

There are two ways to construct an ethical argument in your paper: principles and consequences.

Ethical arguments from principles

One way to incorporate ethical arguments in your essay is from principles. Principles are the ideas that are the basis of ethical ideas and theories. When making an ethical argument, writers use principles from these different viewpoints:

Religious beliefs

Political ideologies, philosophical theories.

You can form a claim or thesis for an ethical argument essay from principles using the following template. 2

An act is right/wrong because it follows/violates principles A, B, and C.

Ethical arguments from consequences

You can also write ethical arguments based on consequences. To write an ethical argument from consequences, you would list and evaluate the positive and negative effects of an idea or proposal. If there are more positive effects, you would argue the idea or proposal is ethical. If there are more negative effects, you would argue the idea or proposal is not ethical.

You can form a thesis for an ethical argument essay based on consequences using the following template. 3

An act is right/wrong because it will lead to consequences A, B, and C, which are good/bad.

Examples of Ethical Arguments

Using the topic of whether the death penalty should be legal, let’s explore how and why a writer could construct different ethical arguments.

People’s religious beliefs and traditions inform their morality. Writers will use their religious beliefs to make an ethical argument because their beliefs help them to distinguish what is right and wrong. For example, you could argue against the death penalty in an essay using Christian teachings, which emphasize the ideas of forgiveness and mercy toward sinners. Your claim based on Christian principles might look like this thesis: the death penalty is wrong because it violates Jesus’ teachings about forgiveness and mercy.

A person’s political ideology can also help them make ethical arguments. People subscribe to differing political beliefs, such as liberalism, conservatism, feminism, socialism, or libertarianism. These ideas inform people’s moral beliefs about a topic by informing their views about human rights and the responsibility people have in addressing others’ needs. For example, you might use liberalism to argue against the death penalty. Liberalism promotes the idea that individuals have civil rights and liberties that the government should not violate. Following these beliefs, you could make this argument in your paper: the death penalty is wrong because it violates a person’s right to not experience cruel and unusual punishment .

People can make ethical arguments using ideas from philosophical theories. Many philosophers develop theories of ethics, and writers use these theories to create ethical arguments. You could use Kant’s ethics, which stated that punishable actions should receive an equal consequence, to argue that the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for a horrific crime like murder. You could then write the following argument in your essay: keeping the death penalty is right because it follows Kant’s ethical principles that a horrific crime should receive an equivalent punishment .

Consequences

Writers can also make an ethical argument by examining the consequences of an idea or policy. To make this argument, you would list the idea or policy’s positive and negative effects. Based on whether there are more positive or negative consequences, you would decide whether it is morally right or wrong. You could make an argument based on the consequences of the death penalty. Listing its positive and negative effects, let’s imagine you find that there are more positive effects of keeping the death penalty. You might write the following argument in your paper: the death penalty is right because it will deter crime and punish the worst criminals .

Try to create an ethical argument from the opposing viewpoint to those listed above. How could someone use religious beliefs to justify the death penalty? What political ideologies would support the death penalty? Which philosophical theories would oppose the death penalty? Practicing forming arguments from a variety of perspectives will help you in making your arguments and identifying the main claims and appeals in others' arguments.

When to use principles/consequences in an ethical argument

Writers need to know when to use ethical arguments based on principles or consequences depending on their audience. An audience with similar ethics will find an ethical argument based on principles convincing because they share similar values.

Writers encounter challenges when making ethical arguments for diverse audiences. With a diverse audience, people will share a variety of beliefs and may not agree with someone’s moral principles. When you write an essay, you will need to know your audience and be careful in relying too much on ethical arguments based on principles to avoid alienating your audience.

An ethical argument based on consequences is more effective if there is a diverse audience. Because the argument is not built on divisive ethics or values, you can argue for a particular moral outcome by pointing out the consequences of an idea or proposal.

The advice above about using ethical arguments is general writing advice. For exams, your score for an argumentative essay might come from your ability to state your thesis clearly and to explain how your evidence supports your thesis. You may use ethical arguments based on principles as support in your essay, but make sure to explain how these principles support your thesis!

How Do I Select a Topic For an Ethical Argument?

When selecting a topic for your essay where you want to include an ethical argument, make sure you can frame the argument in a way where you argue whether the idea or proposal is morally right or wrong. You should be able to argue for or against the topic by using ethical principles or evaluating their consequences.

Examples of non-ethical topics for essays

The following examples are not appropriate topics for using ethical arguments. These topics do not address whether an idea or proposal is morally right or wrong based on principles or consequences. The topics instead would need logical reasoning or data to support their arguments.

Installing solar panels is an effective way to address climate change because they are cheaper than fossil fuels.

The government should address hunger in disadvantaged communities since it will increase productivity in the workforce.

Governments should increase funding for college tuition to stimulate economic growth.

Et hical Arguments Topics

The following topics would be appropriate for ethical arguments in an essay. They argue for or against a topic based on principles or consequences.

Installing solar panels is the best way to address climate change because it follows Meadows and Dalys’ principles on conserving planetary resources.

Governments should address hunger in disadvantaged communities to adhere to the values outlined in Article 25 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is right for governments to increase funding for college tuition for the following positive reasons: to lessen the financial burden placed on graduating students and to guarantee more equitable access to higher education.

List of Potential Topics For An Ethical Argument In Essays

Topics for ethical arguments in your essay should be arguable and address the ethics behind the topic. Topics will often be about controversial issues because people have different moral beliefs about these topics. Below are several examples of topics that could be the basis of an ethical argument in an essay or paper.

Does the government have an obligation to provide healthcare to its citizens?

Should universities be required to have racial quotas for admissions to address racial disparities?

Should offensive speech be protected by the First Amendment?

Is it ethical for a doctor to refuse care for a patient’s gender transition if gender transitioning goes against the doctor’s religious beliefs?

Does the government have the responsibility to provide reparations to individuals whose families were once enslaved?

What is an individual’s responsibility in addressing climate change?

Is the government obligated to regulate factory farming to reduce animal suffering?

Should hunting be considered a form of animal cruelty?

Using Rhetorical Appeals in Ethical Arguments

Writers rarely make an argument solely from an ethical perspective. Academic philosophers may write papers only using ethical arguments, but you may combine different appeals to craft a convincing argument.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about the importance of including different rhetorical appeals in an argument. Rhetorical appeals are the different ways you can engage your audience. He explained that there are three primary ways of engaging the audience:

Ethos (appealing to the writer’s credibility or morals/values)

Logos (appealing to logic)

Pathos (appealing to emotions)

Understanding each will help you when making an argument, especially when you want to write an argument primarily from an ethical perspective

Ethos is appealing to morals/values or the author’s credibility. For Aristotle, these ideas are connected. Ethos translates from Greek as “character.” When you appeal to the audience’s morals, you are hoping to convince them based on their “character.” The previous examples have shown how you can build ethical arguments through principles or consequences and how to use these arguments depending on your audience.

Ethos also refers to a writer's credibility or “character.” The audience needs to know the writer is trustworthy, both in the writer’s ethics and on the topic. If you appear biased or ill-informed on your topic, your audience will not be receptive to your argument. The next section will detail how to appear credible to your audience.

Logos is the appeal to logic and reasoning. When you think of argumentation, you probably think of logos, with an argument built on claims with supporting evidence . This supporting evidence is often factual information, such as information from experts and previous research. To help your audience understand your logic, you would explain how this information supports your claim.

Using logos can support an ethical argument, especially those based on consequences. Ethical arguments based on consequences often address whether a policy is right or wrong. You can supplement your argument by using logical arguments with supporting evidence. For example, you are writing an ethical argument based on the consequences of the death penalty. You want to include the consequence that the death penalty leads to the death of innocent individuals. To support this ethical claim, you could use logos in your essay by using data on the high number of wrongly convicted killed.

Pathos is the appeal to emotion. Emotions are powerful since your audience can use their feelings to connect with your argument. Based on your topic, you can think of emotions you would want to appeal to in your audience, like sympathy, anger, or frustration. Using strategies like vivid details and storytelling can create an emotional response in the audience.

You can use pathos to support an ethical argument. Ethical arguments are built on moral principles, and you can use stories or details to evoke both an ethical and emotional response in your audience. By writing an argument against the death penalty, you could tell the story of a wrongly convicted individual killed due to the death penalty. This story would elicit sympathy in the audience and help them understand the ethical reasons for not supporting the death penalty.

Ethical Principle In Ethical Argument Essay

Many professions have rules governing behavior and decision-making. These rules are called ethical principles . These rules ensure that an individual is performing their job in an ethical manner, which builds trust in the profession.

Ethical principles: Rules which govern behavior and decision-making

There are ethical principles writers should follow to appear trustworthy in their writing. You need to think carefully about how you will present an argument in an essay, especially if you are writing about controversial topics. The following suggestions will help you appear credible to your audience.

Be knowledgeable about your topic. Make sure you have prepared to argue about your topic. You should be familiar with the experts and research on your topic and discuss this knowledge in your argument. Being knowledgeable about your topic will build credibility with your audience. They will trust your argument and perspective if you have expertise in your topic.

Be fair to your audience. Your audience may be a group of diverse individuals. Because your audience may hold different views, avoid being too harsh when addressing opposing views. Unfairly attacking opposing viewpoints may alienate your audience, who may think you are too biased. Instead, appeal to universal values or ideals in your argument to connect with your audience.

Be professional. Make sure there are no errors in your paper. Adopting a formal writing style, following common writing conventions, and proofreading your work will make your essay appear credible. Writing with mistakes will appear less credible and trustworthy.

Ethical arguments in essays - Key Takeaways

• An ethical argument is an argument based on ethics that evaluates whether an idea or proposal is morally right or wrong. Ethics are the moral principles that inform behavior or beliefs.
• Writers can form an ethical argument based on principles or an ethical argument based on consequences.
• The effectiveness of an ethical argument depends on the audience. An audience with similar values may find an ethical argument based on principles effective, while an audience with differing views may find an ethical argument based on consequences effective.
• Writers include emotional and logical appeals to improve their ethical arguments.
• Writers maintain their credibility, or ethical principles, in writing by being knowledgeable about their topic, being fair to their audience, and being professional.

1. Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream," 1963.

2. John Ramage, John Bean, and June Johnson, Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings , 2016.

3. John Ramage, John Bean, and June Johnson, Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings , 2016.

• Fig. 6 - Rhetorical triangle (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Rhetorical_Triangle.png/512px-Rhetorical_Triangle.png) by ChloeGui (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? title =User:ChloeGui&action=edit&redlink=1) licensed by Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International ( Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International)

Flashcards in Ethical Arguments in Essays 20

What is an ethical argument?

An argument based on ethics that evaluates whether an idea is morally right or wrong

What are ethics?

Moral principles that guide a person's behavior and beliefs

What are ethical principles?

Rules which govern behavior and decision-making

What are two types of ethical arguments?

Ethical arguments based on principles and ethical arguments based on consequences

Which of the following is NOT an ethical argument based on principles?

Physician-assisted suicide is right because it leads to the following positive consequences: individuals have more control over end-of-life decisions and physicians can provide care better aligned with the patient’s quality of life.

Which of the following is an argument based on principles?

Physician-assisted suicide is wrong because it violates Kant’s moral theory about human life.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ethical Arguments in Essays

What are examples of ethical arguments?

An ethical argument can be built on principles or by examining consequences. An example of an ethical argument based on principles would state, "The death penalty is wrong because it violates a person’s right to not experience cruel and unusual punishment." An example of an ethical argument based on consequences would say, "The death penalty is right because it will deter crime and punish the worst criminals."

How do you write an ethical argumentative essay?

To write an ethical argument essay, you will need to frame the argument in a way where you can argue whether the idea or proposal is morally right or wrong. You should be able to argue for or against the topic by using ethical principles or evaluating their consequences. You will decide if you want to write based on principles or consequences. You will then decide what other rhetorical appeals you will want to include in your essay to support your argument. 

What makes an argument an ethical argument?

An argument is an ethical argument if it evaluates whether an idea or proposal is morally right or wrong. The argument is based on ethics, which are the moral principles that guide a person's behavior or beliefs. 

What are ethical arguments? 

Ethical arguments evaluate whether an idea or proposal is morally right or wrong. An ethical argument is concerned with ethics, or the moral principles which guide a person’s behavior and beliefs. 

How to include ethics in an argumentative essay?

You can include ethics in an argumentative essay by choosing a topic that you can argue from an ethical perspective. This perspective means that you can argue whether the idea or proposal you are evaluating is right or wrong. Then, you can choose whether you want to argue about the topic using ethical principles or by examining the consequences. Ethical principles include religious beliefs, political ideologies, and philosophical theories. 

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

Which of the following is NOT used to make ethical arguments from principles?

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627 Ethics Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

📃 10 tips for writing essays on ethics, 🏆 best ethics topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on ethics, 🎓 simple & easy ethics essay titles, 📌 writing prompts for ethics, 🥇 most interesting ethics topics to write about, ✍️ ethics essay topics for college, ❓ ethics essay questions.

People make ethical choices every day, even when they do not realize it. Ethics is a debatable topic that covers many aspects of our daily life.

Ethics essays can help students to understand ethical dilemmas and problems better. Although writing an ethics essay can be challenging, we are always here to help!

Start with choosing an issue you want to discuss in the paper. Some good ethics essay topics and examples we can suggest are:

• The aspects of utilitarianism as an ethical theory
• Ethical dilemmas in the field of healthcare
• Theories that explain human behavior
• The significance of the personal code of ethics
• Should euthanasia/abortion/personal use of drugs be legal?
• Is morality related to society or culture?
• Are there moral obligations all individuals should follow?

Remember that you can discuss other ethics essay questions and topics too. Choose one of the titles that seem most relevant to you. Now you are ready to start working on your paper. Here are ten tips that will help you to write an outstanding essay:

• Research the issue you have selected thoroughly. You should gain an excellent understanding of its aspects, causes, and consequences. Try to rely on credible sources (such as peer-reviewed articles) only.
• If you are not sure that the selected problem is relevant, find an ethics essay example online. This step can also help you to analyze your ethics essay structure and see whether you should make some changes.
• Develop a good outline for your essay. Include an introductory section, several body paragraphs (at least three, if possible), and a summary or a conclusion. Note that an argumentative essay should include a refutation section too.
• Introduce your thesis statement clearly. Your reader should understand the main argument of your essay.
• Discuss all significant aspects related to ethics. Provide a definition of this term and examples of ethical dilemmas that may arise. It can make your paper more engaging to your audience.
• Avoid overly complex sentences. Your essay should look professional but be easy-to-read. Remember that in general, sentences should not be longer than 35 words.
• Discuss your perspectives on ethical issues you are presenting. State your opinion and include the recommendations you would provide. If you have relevant experiences or know people who have faced ethical dilemmas, discuss them in your paper.
• Remember that the last paragraph of the essay is important. You need to present your thesis statement once again, along with the main arguments of your work. Discuss the findings of your study and make a conclusion.
• Support your claims with evidence. Include in-text citations whenever you are referring to someone else’s work. At the same time, your paper should not include information from outside sources only. Add comments to each of the facts you are presenting.
• Check the paper several times before sending it to your professor. You need to make sure that there are no grammatical mistakes. Pay attention to the sentence structure too. An important tip would be to put your essay away for several days and revise your ideas later with “fresh” eyes. Do not hesitate to ask your peers for help in revising your essay too.

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• Ethical Issues Surrounding Intellectual Property Rights The owner of the copyright in spite of the absence of necessity to provide the copyright notice on the work is the only person who can determine the ways of possible usage of the work.
• Importance of Ethics in Communication Essay The issue that arises is whether employees make the right decision that would benefit the company or they make the wrong choices that call for the downfall of the company.
• PepsiCo Ethical Issues & Achievements The firm has established a global code of conduct that generally identifies the main objective of conducting business in the right way as a part of its corporate mechanism aimed at ensuring that customers of […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice If one is to discuss the issue with the senior management of the organization in which the crime occurred, there is a high chance that the issue will not be taken as seriously due to […]
• Merck Company and River Blindness Case Study Ethics According to the report, any country that requested for the drug would receive the drugs in coordination with the World Health Organization.
• Unethical and Ethical Issues in Prisons (Corrections) This is one of the unethical practices that are evident in the prison systems. In this case, prison warders and authorities are usually noted to be actively involved in the business.
• Social Media Ethics Essay: Examples & Definition In the initial stages of social media, it was easy fro companies to brush aside the idea of social media and have nothing to do with it, hence, risk being victims of the two risks.
• Psychological Testing: Ethical and Legal Issues Two of the cases that have had a major impact on the institution of psychological testing are ‘Larry P.v Riles and Crawford v.
• Chernobyl Disaster: Ethical Aspects and Effects The cause of the disaster was a faulty design that caused a nuclear reactor to overheat and explode. The constructors of the plant violated the construction technology and there were plenty of design deviations.
• Anthropocentric and Non-Anthropocentric Environmental Ethics In the current reality, non-anthropocentric environmental ethics are impractical in fields of international development, and poverty reduction as the primary focus is on improvements for the human population.
• Ethics and Artificial Intelligence The various AI systems utilize patients’ data without their consent and expose their private information. Many AI systems in the healthcare environment utilize patients’ data and information without their full consent.
• The Concept of Environmental Ethics Environmental ethics is concerned with the ethical relationship of human beings with the environment. Human beings must relate ethically with all other living organisms.
• Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution | Essay Example Secondly, I was supposed to show other employees that no one is above the policies of this company and if anyone commits a mistake the individual must be punished.
• My Sister’s Keeper: Ethical and Legal Issues When Sara is informed by Campbell that her daughter had the right to reject the kidney donation surgery, Sara argues that Anna was too young to decide for herself and that she was going to […]
• Ethical Dilemma of Child Abuse In the above example, a nurse has to apply rational judgment to analyze the extent and threats when making decisions in the best interest of the victim of child abuse.
• The Philosophical Approaches to Ethics The main point of the argument is that philosophical approaches to business ethics provide guidelines for making ethical business decisions, but some of these approaches are controversial and have no support from most moral scholars.
• Key Ethical Issues in Retailing and Distribution As Barnett et al.observed empirically, there are several self-evident dimensions to ethical consumerism which players in retail and distribution function should comprehensively be aware of, for these dimensions may act in an organized and collective […]
• Business Ethics Theories and Values The theory of Moral Unity is amongst the fundamental opinions featuring within the age-old debacle of seemingly tolerant morals within the business environment.
• Ethical Relativism: Advantages and Disadvantages It is necessary to acknowledge this difference to understand that the world is diverse and unequal. The most significant weakness refers to the fact that it is possible to rely on ethical relativism to justify […]
• Ethical and Legal Considerations in Quantitative Research The proposed research question is appropriate to be used in the study the aim of which is to find out how the students’ interest in playing computer and video games can predict their achievement at […]
• Legal-Ethical Issues Affecting Patient Rights for the Elderly The kind of relationship that healthcare professionals can have with their elderly clients can have legal and moral implications in relation to patient rights for the elderly.
• Family Therapy: Ethical Dilemmas One of the ethical dilemmas in the case is that of deciding whether or not to disclose the information about Breen’s relationship with her boyfriend to her parents.
• Ethics in Social Research: Peculiarities of the Genie Case and the Milgram Experiment The main idea of the experiment consists in the physical and even moral injury of the object. The consent of the experiment was not informed.
• Richard Angelo: A Serial Killer and His Ethical Dilemma The convicted claimed he made the injections to cause crises to be able to revive patients and become a hero in front of his colleagues.
• Ethics of Politics of Social Research This is followed by describing the political aspects focusing on the possible deviations in the procedure of the research due to the influence of personal and political beliefs of the researcher.
• Ethical and Social Responsibility Issues in IHRM Despite the fact that different scholars hold different opinions about ethics and corporate social responsibility, there is need for a multinational firm to include the two in its operations so as to create a good […]
• Apple’s Ethical Challenges Regarding Labor Practices Despite the fact that this aspect violates Apple’s principles of ethical supply chains, which prohibit the use of child labor, the company continued to cooperate with the supplier for another three years.
• Teleological vs. Deontological Ethics They are meta-ethics, deontological ethics, hedonism, normative ethics, teleological ethics, and many others The present paper is aimed at describing teleological and deontological ethics as well as the differences between them.
• Ethical Manager It therefore falls on company regulations and carefully formulated codes of ethics to ensure that the ethical manager can be able to restore proper business conduct in the organization.
• Adelphia Communications Scandal and Ethical Issues This is because of the huge sums of money involved, and the suspicious arrangement the Rigas family made with the company that required the company and the Rigas family to be guarantors of each other.
• Early Childhood Education Center’s Ethical Dilemma Therefore, it is necessary to involve different people in the discussion of this case because there are several ethical responsibilities applied to a new child, the children of the class, the staff, parents, and the […]
• Comparison of Codes of Ethics: The American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association Both the Psychologist and the counselor abide to the same codes of conduct with regard to terminating their services to a client.
• Max Weber – The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Max Weber in his book the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism sought to explain the emergence of the modern capitalism and the origin of the modern secular and industrial society.
• The Mechanical Engineering Ethics Understanding Ethics refers to a set of values and principles that guide the conduct of members of a profession. Shared responsibility is a quality that enables one to work in a manner that promotes cooperation.
• Workplace Ethical Issues Essay Harassment of the co-workers or clients is one of the major workplace ethical issues that involve violation of the employers’ workplace ethics policy.
• Ethics as a Theme in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley From the novel, it is evident that humans drove the monster into a state of madness when they subjected it to hatred and rejection, and thus the monster’s madness emerged due to the treatment it […]
• Ethical Dilemma as Witnessed in the Cassavetes’ Film “My Sister’s Keeper” Organ transplants require the voluntary participation of donors and the society at large in donating the vital organs from living or deceased members of the society.
• Pornography and Ethics This paper is going to assess the extent to what extent is the definition of pornography qualified to be used, and if pornography is ethical in modern society.
• Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Physical Therapists In the recent past, as a result of the increased autonomy of physical therapists in executing their duties, there has been an increase in the number of ethical and legal responsibilities of individuals in this […]
• Essay on Media Ethics and Principles of Media Companies The ethics of the media becomes necessary in order to address the above issues. The issue of “media ethics” seeks to promote the best standards in the industry.
• Ethical Subjectivism and Emotivism in Society The challenge is that they are unable to account for the use of moral reason as a driver behind an emotive statement.
• Ethical Issues at the Radiology Department Since the radiographer was not concerned with the fact that the patient could not speak English properly, the former broke the principles of radiography ethics by conducting a procedure that could harm the patient in […]
• Musk and Tesla: A Strong Code of Corporate Ethics? These guidelines consider the ideas, norms, laws, and business regulations that govern how individuals act within the institution and how the firm operates in the community.
• Dealing With Ethical Issues in the Workplace In the second case, the initial perception of the manager as to the applicant’s personality is that of a qualified, mature and sociable person.
• The Ethical Issues of the Mattel Toy Scandal The reasons for the considerable recalls of products were that the toys manufactured on the facilities based in China were dangerous for children’s health due to the lead paint discovered in the toys and the […]
• Laws and ethics Since the law must be obeyed, it becomes enforceable and that is why institutions such as the police and the judiciary have a duty of enforcing the law.
• The Ford Pinto Case and Ethical Dilemma Lee Iacocca, the Ford company’s president, was accused of disregarding the need to improve the safety of Pinto cars due to the increased cost.
• Kant’s Ethical Theory of Deontology in Nursing Kant advanced two approaches of categorical imperative; first, the maxim of an individual’s action should be universal; and second, a person should treat another with dignity, not as means to reach personal objectives. Also, section […]
• The Volkswagen Scandal: Ethical & Unethical Choices Indeed, seeing that Volkswagen has jeopardized both the safety and the health of the global community by allowing the production and purchase of air-polluting cars, it is expected that the levels of trust between the […]
• Pornography: Breaching Ethical Standards However, before delving into the details surrounding this argument, it is important to understand the ethical issues and breaches of pornography.
• An Ethical Analysis of Animal Rights Animal rights advocates state that the interests of animals are of vital importance to them and they should not be limited by human beings. Animal activism requires the person to concede that animals have rights […]
• Corporate Social Responsibility at the Tesco PLC Most of them look at the poor and superior activities that the company is engaged in.the impact of both their produce is scrutinized in terms of the value it brings to the society.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Counselling and Treatment Methods The case of Brett has become an ethical issue based on the following; questions are revolving around what information can be released to the parents and parents request to review the diagnosis since no procedure […]
• Death Penalty and Ethics The arguments for the capital punishment as explained earlier are also extremely weak and the practice of death penalty is morally wrong.
• Analysis of the Differences Between Laws and Ethics Ethics tells people what they ought to do and in what ways. In conclusion, law and ethics are similar because they aim to promote order and cohesion in society.
• Personal Values and Beliefs in Ethical Issues Therefore, the constructs of deontology have enabled me to make decisions based on my responsibilities and obligations as per the expectations of society.
• Business Ethics: Is It Profitable? Business ethics is a set of professional ethics that tries to inspect ethical problem or the principles of ethics that can emerge in a business organization. Implementation of ethics in a business organization increases costs […]
• Ethical Dilemmas Facing Teachers The proponents of this system claim that it is authentic and offers a first hand experience to the learners. The needs in this system include having a strong foundation in the areas that the knowledge […]
• Ethical Leadership: Martin Luther King All individuals were expected to consider his actions and embrace the idea of morality. Through the use of a positive community culture and empowerment tactics, King managed to model such desirable behaviors.
• Business & Legal Issues: Ford Pinto To be more precise, the Ford Pinto case will be evaluated from the legal point of view to establish which laws were violated in the process of corporate decision-making that led to the production of […]
• Business Ethics of the H&M Company Additionally, all employees should have a written contract in their local language provided to them by H&M, and they should be aware of the terms and conditions.
• Nestlé’s Ethical Issues in Developing Countries In this case, the ethical elements of the operations pose questions about the motives of such corporations, which results in displeasure to the greatest majority.
• Ethical Issues Associated With Psychological Testing The second case along the line of psychological testing includes the case of Brown V. Reason The above case was used to examine the validity of psychological testing.
• Public Administration Ethical Dilemma and Theories Smith should take the responsibility of ensuring that the needs of the majority are upheld since the welfare of the community, and the organization is of importance.
• Ethical Issues With the Stanford Prison Experiment – Essay Nowadays, modern psychologists are expected to adhere to a strict and rigid code of ethical principles in order to ensure the validity of their practices and the safety of the patients and participants.
• Legal and Ethical Issues in International Business This is an unfavorable situation for foreign companies considering that these are credited with introducing revolutionary technologies, products, and ideas to the host countries, leading to improvement in the quality of life in such countries.
• Samsung’s Ethical Dilemma of Child Labor The paper will critically analyze the ethical dimensions of the dilemma from the perspective of the utilitarian ethical theory. It will be argued that according to the fundamental principles of the theory, the company’s behavior […]
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Sports It is also important to take into account the health problems of athletes caused by doping and address them on a case-by-case basis.
• Fifteen Ethical Principles of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics Hence, giving sufficient data and teaching the patient about actual factors, and getting educated consent before exposing a patient to any medical procedure is fundamental.
• Ethics in Cyber Age Therefore, ethics in cyber age is the breakdown of the environment and social impact of cyber space or computer technology along with the resultant development and validation of policies regarding ethical use of the information […]
• Ethics and Safety in Nursing Informatics It is suggested that, first of all, nurses need to inform patients about the type of the accumulated data that may be disclosed and with whom it can be shared prior the beginning of the […]
• Ethics in the Film “A Time to Kill” As a result, Carl undermines the possibility of the courts doing justice to the two men this time round. Therefore, the consequences of Carl’s action are desirable to the African- American community.
• Public Administration: The Ethical Challenges This case study of craftsmanship inspects the ethical implication of integrating the same principles of cultivating virtue and embracing collective values.
• Ethical Theories and Nepotism Relationships Relating to the ethical theory of ethics of justice to nepotism, it should be mentioned that justice is considered to be fair on the basis of various human considerations.
• Walmart Company’s Global Ethics and Compliance Challenges According to the theory, it may be viewed as a set of guidelines that help to determine the level of appropriateness of corporate norms, policies, and activities.
• Zodiac Movie: Crime, Media Reporting and Ethics The development of the events and the rise of the killer’s popularity began as soon as the reporters of the San Francisco Chronicle received and discovered the letter with threats to American society.
• Ethical and Illegal Computer Hacking For the ethical hackers, they pursue hacking in order to identify the unexploited areas or determine weaknesses in systems in order to fix them.
• Ford Motor Company Ethical Strategies and Policies The leaders of Ford Motor Company pay much attention to respecting the needs and interests of employees and customers and to preventing the ethical problems.
• Tesco Company Business Ethics: Deontology and Teleology However, it is the policy of the company to consider the effect that the product will have on the people or customers rather than considering the financial gain that the company will derive from such […]
• Ethics in the Business Research It is, therefore, extremely essential for the researcher to assess the weight of every research issue in order to determine how best to approach the whole research process without causing harm to any one.
• Immanuel Kant’s – Duty Theory of Ethics Kant indicates that the goodness has not to contain a meaning of the consequences and results, it is good in itself.
• Violation of Basic Ethical Principles in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study This principle was also violated during the Tuskegee Study as the subjects were not treated as autonomous agents capable of and entitled to make their own decisions concerning their treatment and participation in the study.
• Ethical Failure in the Pulpit: Impact on the Church, Congregation, and Community It claims that when the people of the congregation of the minister sin, the priest is the one to blame. Thus, the pulpiteer must avoid ethical failures in addressing their congregation, as they know the […]
• Volkswagen Company’s Emissions Fraud: Ethical Issues The scandal, otherwise known as the VW emissions fraud, occurred when the EPA carried out a series of tests on VW vehicles and discovered that the cars were not in compliance with emission regulations established […]
• Jaguar Land Rover Business Strategy and Ethics This study evaluates the internal and external environments using different tools and techniques, including the PEST and four corners models to study the impact of CSR in line with the Jaguar Land Rover business strategy.
• NSPE Code of Ethics vs. Other Engineering Codes Essay Similarities between NSPE code of ethics and AiChE Engineers should use their skills to ensure health, welfare and safety of the public as provided by the first principle. The goal is to enhance health and […]
• Nestlé Ethics and Social Responsibility The research in the sphere of Nestle’s ethics shows that the company has lots of low-rated ethical criteria to be accused of.
• Ethics in Advertising and Its Importance Therefore, the following essay describes why ethics in advertising is an issue that requires increased attention, the types of advertising, and the benefits of advertising.
• Reflection of Ethical Self-Assessment I am good at managing my efforts on the way of ethical improvement and ethical conduct, I strive to achieve compliance with the accepted ethical model and I am already able to move further from […]
• Volkswagen Group’s Corporate Governance and Ethics According to the narrow approach, corporate governance is perceived as a set of procedures and activities for governing the company in order to remain accountable to major shareholders’ interests.
• The Concept of Ethics in Groups Understanding group dynamics plays a crucial role in increasing the level of success in a group. Second, group members should conduct themselves in a manner that promotes the values and interests of their group.
• Sex Shop Opening in Germany: Legal and Ethical Issues The government in Germany intervened in the prostitution and drug sector immediately after the increasing number of cases of women trafficking and kidnapping in different parts of Germany.
• Ethical Analysis of the Movie “Liar, Liar” The story described in the movie is one of egoism and a self centered person who will resort to anything just to win the case.
• What is an ethical choice? Once all these steps are followed and one is still uncertain if they will be making an ethical choice, then one would rather opt for the alternative that will turn out the majority good for […]
• Ethical Analysis of the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew Chapters 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount refers to a portion of the Bible that contains some of the things that Jesus said and the lessons that He taught to his disciples.
• Differential Aptitude Test and Ethical Principles According to the representatives of the psychological organizations and committees, “the psychometric qualities of the DAT are rated highest” among all the tests invented for the evaluation of the cognitive abilities in both children and […]
• The Ethical Decision-Making (EDM) Model Principles The two possible courses of action are either unfriending Andrea and continuing to ignore her or explaining the importance of autonomy and confidentiality to the client.
• Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Informatics One of the basic underpinnings is the fact that confidentiality violations can result in various issues for the patient whose well-being can be threatened, which is unacceptable for the nurse whose job is to ensure […]
• Key Issues Concerning Computer Security, Ethics, and Privacy The issues facing computer use such as defense, ethics, and privacy continue to rise with the advent of extra ways of information exchange.
• Ethical Principles in the Movie The Firm The main persuasive element of this approach is to combine the two, the material and the ethical concerns, which may lead to the belief that any behavior consists of “a process and a consequence”.
• Immanuel Kant Ethics Kant argues that, “a person is good or bad depending on the motivation of their actions and not on the goodness of the consequences of those actions”.
• Ethics in Mass Media Regarding Pepsi’s Commercial The media practitioner at the center of the dilemma is the company’s public relations and marketing professionals who created and produced the commercial.
• Business Ethics Differences Around the World As such, its developments will be used to explain parts of the analysis and to put the different cultures discussed in this essay into the same framework.
• Consequentialist, Deontological, and Virtue Ethics: Ethical Theories Ethical principles are rooted in the ethical theories, and ethicists, when trying to explain a particular action, usually refer to the principles, rather than theories.
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing: Case Study Today, being a nurse is associated with a number of complexities due to the need to comply with diverse obligations in social, political, and healthcare segments.
• The Four Steps Leading to Ethical Behavior Negative rights determine the obligations of the government and other people to refrain from certain actions in relation to the individual.
• Ethical Issues in Mass Communication and Advertising The following are some of the primary ethical issues that mass communication and advertising need to observe in modern society where media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion.
• Ethical Issues in the “Unthinkable” Film However, the crescendo of the interrogation is reached when the nuclear explosions are about to occur, and the interrogator threatens the victim’s family in a bid to stop the explosion by locating the bombs; the […]
• Ethics Types, Differences, Applications To be more particular about the two types above of ethics, virtue ethics can be defined as the type of ethics that “focuses on the character traits and nonobligatory ideas that facilitate the development of […]
• Ethical Issues in Organizational Behavior In line with its context, this paper addresses major ethical issues that affect organizational behavior through the following three questions: Why ethical issues are major distress in different organizations How individual influences impact on organizations […]
• Ethics and Human Resource Management The staff at the human resource department should always show the importance of ethics in the organization. Therefore, the HRM should know that reward and appraisal systems can be harnessed to promote ethical behavior in […]
• Medical Ethics in Radiography The engineering and paternal model is not applicable in modern medicine since the patient must consent to any procedure. It shows the guidelines and principles that radiographers must stick to in order to provide quality […]
• Ethical Codes and Their Importance Thus, the primary objective of the code of ethics is to formulate a positive perception of the organization while improving the quality of working conditions.
• Ethics in Engineering: Goodrich A7D Brake Case The optimal involvement of the relevant stakeholders in the engineering sector is an essential initiative cause of the profound articulation of the apt operative standards.
• Economy and Ethics in the Inside a Job Documentary The movie concentrates on the complicated ethical issues connected to the financial services market and the market’s reaction to the recession.
• Ethics of Nepotism in Business Practicing nepotism in an organization from the basic concern is that it brings about the issue of contradiction of the typical customs in employment to hiring and promoting the most qualified and performing candidates for […]
• The Significant Facts and Ethical Issues Surrounding Coca-Cola India The company manufactures these brands in such a way that they reflect the tastes, cultures, and lifestyles of the Indians. The major ethical issue that rocked the Coke Company in 2003 was caused by the […]
• Ethical Issues in Interior Design Lastly, is the issue of honesty and an interior designer should always be honest as this principle forms the core of customer relations in any business.
• Military Professional Ethics This is where ethical decision-making must be applied to be fair to the nation and my friend. In conclusion, one has to stress that the military is expected to act in a good and ethical […]
• Wall Street (1987): Ethics Analysis As anticipated, Gekko takes Bud in and offers him a big opportunity to make good money; however, Bud has to play the game according to rules.
• Ethical Approaches in the Retail Clothing Industry Clothing industries have adopted ethical and sustainable fashion, which maximizes the benefits to industry and society and minimizes the negative impact on the environment.
• Ethics of Decision-Making in Social Work The ethics of decision-making is choosing one of the alternative ways of solving a problem based on the foresight of the immediate and long-term consequences of the decisions made and their responsibility.
• Apple Corporation Social and Ethical Responsibility The paper will further discuss the methods Apple can utilize to make sure its standards on wage and benefits are adhered to, determine the impacts of increased prices of goods on customer purchasing behavior, and […]
• Ethics of Bottled Water The manufacture of bottled water began in Europe in the 1970s. The availability of bottled water allows consumers to buy water when they need it.
• Ethical Considerations in Decision-Making This means that the leader should listen to the other team members and more so give them more power in decision making.
• Wal-Mart’s Ethical Issues This paper forms an analysis of the ethical issues raised against or for Wal-Mart Corporation and the potential outcomes of some of the negative or conflicting views about the firm.
• Internet and Ethical Challenges The Internet began in 1969 as an experiment of the United States Defence Department that resulted in the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. In 1993, the number of internet users increased dramatically to get the […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Social Workers’ Practice In order to resolve the emerging dilemma, it is necessary to identify the involved stakeholders, model two possible courses of events, evaluate the implications of each and come to a conclusion regarding the preferential option […]
• Microsoft Corporation’s Ethical Perspectives A global organization like Microsoft has both ethical and social responsibility issues it has to deal with in the course of its operations. According to Microsoft, employee diversity is a good indication of the company’s […]
• Abortion and Virtue Ethics Those who support the right of a woman to an abortion even after the final trimester makes the assertion that the Constitution does not provide any legal rights for a child that is still within […]
• The Ethical Dilemma: Siemens In relation to the above dilemmas, the bounded bribery applies to the psychological tendency of the conspirators to fulfill selfish interests of self enrichment at the expense of the shareholders’ goals and objectives.
• Ethics in Public Administration The most convincing argument that proves that the new public management model does not pose a direct threat to the integrity of organizations deals with corruption.
• Home Care and Nurse’s Ethical and Legal Concerns The main goal of this paper is to discuss the ethical and legal responsibilities of a nurse who supports the idea that home care patients need to be cared for in a hospital, and that […]
• Ford Pinto’s Fuel System Redesign and Ethics However, the core of the decisions that the head management of Ford Motor Company had to make to resolve the key issues go far beyond the concept of cost-benefit analysis.
• Ethical Issues in the Novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley The paper looks at the ethical issues that the author highlights in her paper, such as the promotion of artificial life to help in the development of the discussions of this paper. Victor Frankenstein is […]
• Child Labour: Ethical Aspects of Employment In spite of its rich history, the question of child labour cannot be answered in a proper way; a number of issues like personal desire, necessity, and living conditions have to be taken into consideration; […]
• Act Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics: Pros and Cons Therefore, act utilitarianism is better than virtue ethics since it is clear, concise, and focuses on the majority. Virtue ethics’ strengths can be utilized to enhance the act-utilitarianism theory.
• AICPA: The Ethics in the Organization Under Professional competence, a member should have technical qualifications and has the capacity to oversee and assess the quality of work.
• Deontological Ethics and Morality According to the theory, moral ethics should enable members of society to attain happiness. Finally, moral ethics should also provide room for improvement to nurture the desired behaviors in society.
• Role of Ethics in Advertising When proper ethics are applied in advertising, there is a certainty that public morality and the progress socially will not be gravely endangered in any way through the misuse of the media services.
• “Virtue Ethics and Adultery” by Raja Halwani
• Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” and Major Ethical Dilemmas Raised
• McDonald’s Ethical and Moral Dilemma
• Nursing Code of Ethics
• Nonmaleficence as Ethical Principle in Healthcare
• Eastern Ethics and Natural Law
• Ethical Reasoning: Dominant and Alternative Approaches
• The Role of Ethics in “Gone Baby Gone”
• History of Ethical Principles in Psychology
• Using Food Preservatives Ethical
• Plastic Surgery In Pets. Case Studies in Ethical Choice
• Samsung Company’s Quality Issue and Kantian Ethics
• Information Technology: Ethical Issues in Computing
• Ergonomics in Job and Workplace Design
• Ethical Implications of Implementing Religion or Spirituality Into Therapy
• Technology Use among Children: Ethical Issues
• Caterpillar Company’s Ethical Problems
• Ethics in Group Counseling
• Application of ethical theory
• Nike Business Code of Ethics
• Ethics of Discovery in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
• Campus Rape: Ethical and Social Aspects
• Corey’s Ethical Decision-Making Model Application
• Clinical Laboratories’ Legal and Ethical Issues
• Pros, Cons and Ethics of “Stop and Frisk” Law
• Starbucks’ Ethical Accusations
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Ethical Consideration
• Ethical Issues on HIV/AIDS
• Kitsch – under the Title of Taste and Ethics
• The Ethics of Critique
• The APA Code of Ethics
• Ethics and Civics of the Patriots in the 18th Century
• Code of Ethics in the Hospitality Industry
• The Unilever Global Company’s Business Ethics
• Ethical and Social Implications of Testing
• Ethical Responsibility: MS Excel and SPSS
• Social and Ethical Responsibility: Martin Shkreli Scandal
• The Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering
• British Airways Ethical System
• Value and Ethics in Organizations
• Ethical Responsibilities in Social Work
• Ethical Issues in Road Construction
• Biblical and Human Views on Ethical Standards
• Ethics Unwrapped: Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices
• Criminal Justice Ethics of Traffic Police Officers
• Ethics Activity in Management Accounting
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing
• Meritorious Deeds at No Cost: Ethics of Ming Era
• Ethical, Legal and Multicultural Challenges in a Crisis
• Target Behavior Design Ethical Aspects
• Power and Ethics in Organizations
• Factors Influencing Individuals’ Ethical Behaviour
• The Ethical Issues in Financial Management
• Ethical Issues With Performance Enhancing Drugs in Professional Sports
• Accounting Ethics
• Theories of Ethics: Virtue, Teleological and Deontological Theory
• Prescribing Drugs: Ethical and Legal Implications
• Enron Management Practices’ Ethical Principles
• Food Ethics
• Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Hacking
• Kant’s Ethics: Objection to Lying
• Louis Pojman’s Ethical Theory
• Feminist Ethics Concept
• Ethics of Data Misuse in Urban Planning
• Sexual Abuse in the Workplace as an Ethical Issue
• Digital Communication Laws and Ethics
• Apple Inc.’s Mission, Vision, and Code of Ethics
• Ethical Dilemma of a 2016 TV Commercial for Milk by Juhayna
• The International Olympic Committee’s Ethical Issues
• College Student’s Ethical Problem
• Fast Fashion and Ethical Consumption
• Ethics in Nursing Profession and Its Importance
• Surrogacy and Its Ethical Implications on Nursing
• Leah Curtin’s Classic Model in Nursing Ethics
• Invention of Light Bulbs by Davy: Ethical Issues
• Is The Phrase “Business Ethics” A Contradiction?
• Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic
• Kant’s Deontological Ethics Review
• Importance of Ethics in Research
• Ethical Issues Faced By Multi-National Companies Operating In Less Developed Countries
• Business Ethics and Child Labour
• How Business Ethics Reflected In Milk Powder Production
• Ethical issues in the Digital Age
• New Belgium Brewing: Ethical and Environmental Responsibility
• Purdue Pharma’s Marketing and Ethical Implications
• Mental Health Nursing Practice and Ethical Issues
• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
• Law Ethics: Something Rotten in Hondo
• Politics and Ethics in Plato’s Republic
• Coke and Pepsi in India: Issues, Ethics, and Management
• Joe Smith and Bill Bateman: Ethical Dilemma Analysis
• Puma Company’s Business Conduct and Ethics
• Arranged Marriage and Its Ethical Dilemma
• Valeant Pharmaceuticals: Ethical Evaluation
• Conservation and Preservation Ethics
• Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision-Making
• Ethics and Computer Security
• Ethics by Linda Pasten
• Teleological and Deontological Theories of Ethics Definition
• Reflection on Professional Ethics of Counselors
• The Ethical Dilemma in Nursing
• Bayview University’s College: Ethical Behavior of Business Students
• Journalism: Media Law and Ethics
• Renewable Energy Ethical Question
• Role of the Ethical Values for a Human Being
• Gattaca: Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering
• Mill’s vs. Kant’s Ethical Theories on Lie
• Bhopal Gas Incident of 1984: Ethical Issues
• Patients’ Spiritual Needs and Ethical Principles
• Dante’s Ethical System in His Divine Comedy
• Ethical Dilemmas in the “21” Movie
• Hyundai Dispatch Workers and Ethical Dilemma
• Egoism and Altruism as Ethical Theories
• Ethics in “The Corporation” Documentary
• Benetton’s Shocking Advertising and Its Ethics
• Engineering Ethics and Legal Standards
• Nestle Company’s Child Labor and Business Ethics
• H. B. Fuller and His Resistol Products Ethical Case
• The Barangaroo South Development Project Ethical Case
• Ethics in School-Based Action Research
• Confucian Ethics
• Ethical Issues in Apple Inc.
• Ethical Issues in GlaxoSmithKline
• Ethics in Entertainment Journalism
• Issue of Nepotism in Business Ethics
• Medical Ethics – The Four Pillars Explained
• Environmental Ethics: Gender Equity and Education
• Ethical and Legal Implications in Healthcare: Case Study
• Zoom Technology and Its Ethical Issues
• Ethical Dilemma in “The Reader” Film by S. Daldry
• Volkswagen Emissions Scandal From Ethical Viewpoint
• Business Ethics, Globalization and Sustainability
• Business Ethics in John Q. and Wall Street Movies
• Lockheed Corporation’s Ethical Decision-Making
• Public Speaking: Ethics and Critical Thinking
• Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management
• Ethics and Faith in the Movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors”
• An Ethical System of Deontology: Erin Brockovich (2000)
• Business Ethics Theories From a Practical Perspective
• Abortion in Australia: Legal and Ethical Issues
• Ethics of Informed Consent in DNA Research
• Business Ethics: Triple Bottom Line
• The Unocal Firm’s Ethical Dilemma in Burma
• The Wells Fargo Firm’s Ethical Case Analysis
• Ethical Considerations in Future Research
• Bioethical Issue and Ethical Theory in “Gattaca”
• Ethics of Television Reality Shows
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180 Ethics Topics & Ethical Questions to Debate

Our code of ethics is derived from what we think is right or wrong. On top of that, we have to agree to the moral standards established by the society we live in. Conventional norms generally label theft, murder, or harassment as bad. However, there are many influences that impact our considerations and understanding of ethics.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies moral issues. This article outlines the three different types of ethics and presents a list of compelling ethics topics for essays and research papers, as well as ethical questions to debate.

You don’t know how to write about ethics or which ethical argument topic to choose for your paper? Maybe your assignment deadline is dreadfully looming over you? Our custom writing service is happy to help you craft a fantastic essay on ethics whenever the need arises.

🔝 Top 10 Ethical Topics

• 🧑🤝🧑Types of Ethics
• 🤔 Ethical Issues
• 🖥️ Computer Ethics
• 🧬 Bioethics
• 🚓👮 Criminal Justice
• ⚖️ Ethical Dilemmas

⭐ Top 10 Ethics Topics to Debate

😈 ethical questions to debate, 🔍 references.

• Religious beliefs vs. medical care
• Issues behind unpaid internships
• Toxic environment at the workplace
• The dilemma of reporting an accident
• Should one’s political leanings be private?
• The limits of doctor-patient confidentiality
• Is it ethical to pay children for good grades?
• Ethics at the workplace and discrimination
• Should social media be allowed at the workplace?
• Promotion of environmental responsibility in business

🧑🤝🧑 Types of Ethics

Modern philosophy splits ethics into three groups: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.

• The core question of metaethics is: “What is morality, and where does it come from?” It is also concerned with the emergence of human values, motivation, and reasoning.
• Normative ethics seeks to answer the question, “How should I act?” An example of a normative moral theory is Kant’s Categorical Imperative: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law . In other words: be kind.
• Applied ethics seeks to apply moral considerations into real-life controversial subjects. Its contents can vary greatly and touch bioethics as well as criminal justice. It studies specific actions and practices from the point of moral acceptance.

However, ethics does not end with these three types. Over the centuries, philosophers have proposed various ethical theories. Their four general categories are deontological, utilitarian, right, and virtue ethics.

• A deontologist is a person with a set of moral duties from which they will not adhere. When faced with an ethical conflict, they will always act according to their self-proclaimed obligations.
• For a utilitarian , a decision needs to yield the greatest benefit for the majority.
• If rights are the root of an ethical theory, these are the highest priority. A person’s rights can either be established in a society by law or bestowed from one individual upon another.
• Judging someone by virtue means considering a person’s character rather than their actions. Here, an individual’s reputation, motivation, and ethics play a crucial role.

Now that you know the basics, you have the perfect ground to start your ethics essay.

🤔 Ethical Topics for an Essay

Ethical issues are situations in which an individual needs to evaluate which course of action is morally right. Essays on this topic shine a light on difficult questions. Therefore, students need to defend their position convincingly.

• Discuss what we should do about climate change.
• What are the moral problems surrounding abortion?
• Can we still justify eating meat?
• Investigate the use of plastic in the beauty industry.
• Is it unethical to be extremely rich?
• Should you buy Nestlé products despite the fact that the company privatizes water?
• Is the unequal distribution of wealth unethical?
• Discuss how workplace ethics should take sexism into account.
• What can we do to combat racism?
• Why are LGBT+ people discriminated against?
• Should euthanasia be legal?
• Can war be ethical?
• Should schools punish students for attending the Fridays for Future protests?
• Would drug use be unethical if it were legal?
• Explain the moral problems that come with automating jobs.

• Is it ethical to hire someone to do assignments for you?
• How far should everyone’s right to privacy go?
• Is using animals for scientific testing unethical?
• How should governments deal with refugees? 
• Discuss the carbon impact of having children.
• Can modern societies still be held accountable for what their nation did in the past?
• Analyze the benefits and disadvantages of universal income.
• How much control should the state have on the press?
• Should schools teach religion?
• What are ethical concerns regarding downloading media from the internet?

🖥️ Computer Ethics Essay Topics

The advent of information technology has altered every aspect of our lives. Computer ethics applies traditional moral theories to everything surrounding computers and cyber security. The list below contains enthralling ethical topics concerned with the realm of computing.

• How much work should we leave entirely to computers?
• Discuss the dangers of storing vulnerable data online.
• Are computers secure enough to contain so much information about our lives?
• Discuss if hacking can be morally justified.
• Examine privacy-related concerns regarding computers .
• Should all software be free?
• How can you legitimize the possession of a computer algorithm patent?
• What can be done to prevent cyberbullying?
• Investigate the moral effects anonymity has on internet users.
• Whose laws apply if you wish to protect your rights online?
• Discuss how the necessity to own a computer impacts poorer nations and people.
• Which ethical problems can people face due to the internet’s possibilities?
• When is sabotaging another person’s computer justified?
• Analyze the social responsibility that comes with developing new software.
• Are computer crimes less harmful than crimes against humans?
• Who owns information that is distributed online?
• What is more important: easy accessibility or privacy?
• Investigate the moral problems associated with AI.
• If a computer makes a critical mistake, whose fault is it?
• Discuss the importance of netiquette.
• How should tech companies deal with ethical problems?
• Can AI algorithms ensure ethical behavior? 
• Why do tech companies need ethics boards?
• Which ethical conflicts appear when using drones?
• Investigate racial bias in facial recognition systems.

🏅 Sports Ethics Topics for a Paper

Morality in sports is based on integrity, respect, responsibility, and fairness. Often, this puts athletes into a dilemma: do I want to be ethical, or do I want to win? Answering these questions is not always easy. The following list compiles sports topics for a research paper on ethics.

• What are moral complications when using enhancement drugs?
• Is gamesmanship unethical?
• How important is ethics in sports?
• Discuss the moral responsibilities of athletes .
• What are ethical reasons to pay college athletes?
• Investigate the ethical implications of kneeling for the national anthem .
• Can college sports and the principles of higher education go hand in hand?
• Investigate the sexist bias in sports.
• Was it selfish when the American female soccer team went to court to demand equal pay?

• What moral obligations do universities have towards their athletes?
• When can you justify cheating?
• Concerning the environment, how can professional sports events be ethical?
• Which ethical issues do healthcare workers have concerning sportspeople? 
• Which moral duties do teams’ coaches have?
• Are the extremely high salaries of sports professionals justified?
• In 2003, the Olympics abolished the wild card system. Was that fair?
• Because of the Paralympics, disabled athletes cannot take part in the real Olympics. Is that discriminatory?
• Discuss how money influences the fairness of a sport.
• Debate if and how children are exploited to become elite athletes.
• Which moral duties should a good sport follow?
• How much should parents get involved in their child’s physical education?
• Investigate if everyday codes of ethics should apply to sports.
• Discuss the ethical implications of motorsports.
• Who is responsible if a player gets injured?
• Are referees always fair?

🧬 Bioethics Topics for an Essay

Bioethics comes into play when we talk about life and health. It expands from genetics to neurology and even plastic surgery. In the name of the common good, researchers often find themselves in conflicting positions. This makes bioethics an especially exciting topic to write about.

• Discuss the moral conflicts of genetic engineering. 
• What are the ethical responsibilities associated with using CRISPR? 
• Investigate the problems of stem cell research.
• When can humans be used for drug testing? 
• Should vaccinations be mandatory for everyone?
• Investigate the ethics that apply to a medical worker.
• Discuss the harmful effects of plastic surgery. 
• Should a person who is brain dead be kept alive?
• Is it just that medical care is linked to an individual’s ability to pay?
• Should everyone be an organ donor by default?
• What is more important: a person’s right to privacy or the information of at-risk relatives?
• Is prenatal invasive testing ethical?
• Should neuroenhancement drugs be legal?
• Discuss ethical conflicts concerning Disclosure and Barring Service.
• Is it ethical to improve memory functions with brain stimulation?
• Analyze the ethical issues concerning precision medicine.
• What are the problems of surrogacy? 
• Should medical personnel collect healthy tissues of a deceased person without their consent?

• What should be done with the child of a brain-dead pregnant woman?
• How important is a subject’s anonymity during research?
• Discuss the ethics of shared decision-making .
• How much responsibility do mentally challenged people carry for their actions?
• Was Sweden right not to impose strict lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• To what extent are businesses responsible for their employees’ health?
• Should universal healthcare be free?

🚓👮 Criminal Justice Ethics Topics to Write About

Law enforcers should always act ethically. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. Police officers and attorneys often end up in morally ambiguous situations. In many cases, they don’t do what the public deems the right thing. Below are the examples of criminal justice ethics topics.

• When is it legitimate for a police officer to use violence?
• How can an officer remain impartial?
• Should law enforcement visibly wear guns in public? 
• How much force is too much?
• Investigate possible ethical implications associated with true crime podcasts.
• Should prostitution be legal in the US?
• How ethical is interrogation? 
• Can torture be justified?
• Discuss the ethical consequences of lying when working in criminal justice .
• Is working undercover deception? 
• Debate whether it is an American citizen’s moral duty to participate in jury duty.
• Should the police be allowed to access everyone’s data?
• Discuss the moral complications of “innocent until proven guilty.”
• Should convicted pedophiles be allowed to see their children?
• Can teaching ethics at schools prevent crime?
• Analyze ethical problems of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
• Should NATO have become involved in America’s Afghan war?
• What are the ethical implications of shooter drills at school?
• Was Edward Snowden morally in the wrong?
• How should we deal with child soldiers?
• Discuss if the prosecution of Julian Assange is justified.
• Examine the ethical problems of private prisons.
• What moral obligations should someone consider when granting prisoners the right to work?
• When is capital punishment justified?
• Is it ethical to incarcerate juvenile offenders? 

⚖️ Ethical Dilemma Topics to Write About

An ethical issue becomes a dilemma when different moral standards clash with each other. In this situation, it is impossible to find a path to an ethically permissible solution that is unambiguous. The following sample topics are a solid base to start a discussion on morals.

• Should parents watch over what their children do on the internet?
• Would you report an accident you caused if there are no witnesses?
• What should a doctor do if a patient refuses life-saving treatment for religious reasons? 
• Should you turn down a client if their political views do not match yours?
• Would you promote something you are not convinced of to get money?
• Should you lie to land a job that gets you out of poverty?

• Your partner cheated on you. Now, you get the chance to take your revenge with someone you really like. Would you do it? 
• Should students use automated writing tools like free thesis generators , summarizers, and paraphrasers?
• Your teacher is continuously mocking your classmate. You are a teacher’s pet. Would you speak up?
• Your son likes to wear dresses. One day, he asks if he can wear one to school. Will you let him?
• You are very religious. Your daughter wants to get married to another woman and invites you to her wedding. What will you do?
• Prenatal testing showed that your unborn child has a disability. Would you terminate pregnancy?
• You are in a long-term relationship. Suddenly, your partner gets a job offer in another part of the world. What would you do?
• You have a terminal illness. This makes you a financial burden to your relatives. Are you obliged towards them to quit your treatment?
• You have a red and a blue candy bar. Blue is your favorite, but you also know that it’s your friend’s favorite. Will you give it to them?
• A friend asked you for a loan. Since then, they have not given you anything back. They are still not wholly stable financially. Will you ask them to return the money?
• Your grandma passed away and bequeathed her favorite mink coat to you. You are a vegan. What do you do?
• A few years ago, you borrowed a gun from a friend. Now, they ask for it back, but their mental state seems to be rapidly deteriorating. This makes you scared they are going to shoot someone, or themselves. What do you do?
• You find out that your friend cheats on their spouse. You are close friends with their family. Will you tell on them?
• For your birthday, your friend gave you a sweater they’ve made themselves. You think it’s ugly. Do you tell them?
• You are a vegan. Should you buy vegan products which are highly problematic to produce? 
• You are in a restaurant. Your order arrives too late. The waitress looks stressed. Will you make her take it back?
• You went to the store and bought a new, expensive item. The clerk gives you too much change. Do you give it back?
• You are walking with a friend and find $50 on the floor. Would you share it with them?
• Your child firmly believes in Santa Claus. One Christmas, they start suspecting that he is not real. What do you do? 
• Is having pets ethical?
• Can eating meat be justified?
• Should we defund the police?
• Should atomic bombs be banned?
• Can discrimination be justified?
• Is it ethical to ask someone’s age?
• Should children get paid for chores?
• Is it unprofessional to send voice messages?
• Should children be allowed to vote?
• Should influencers promote products they don’t use?
• Should there be any limitations to doctor and patient confidentiality?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be allowed?
• Can teenagers get plastic surgery?
• What to do when you find out that your relative has committed an offense?
• What to do when you see your friend cheating on the exam?
• Should sportsmen be paid more than teachers?
• Should gender quotas be used during parliamentary elections?
• Do companies have the right to collect information about their customers?
• Can politicians appeal to religious issues during electoral campaigns?
• Should fake news be censored in a democratic society?

We hope that in this list you’ve found the ethics topic that fits you the best. Good luck with your assignment!

Further reading:

• 430 Philosophy Topics & Questions for Your Essay
• 226 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology
• 512 Research Topics on HumSS (Humanities & Social Sciences)
• 204 Research Topics on Technology & Computer Science
• What’s the Difference Between Morality and Ethics?: Britannica
• What is Ethics?: Santa Clara University
• Ethics: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Metaethics: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Ethical Issues: Idaho State University
• The Problem with AI Ethics: The Verge
• Sports Ethics: Santa Clara University
• What Is Bioethics?: Michigan State University
• Ethics in Criminal Justice: Campbellsville University
• Kant’s Formula of Universal Law: Harvard University
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How to Write an Ethics Paper: Guide & Ethical Essay Examples

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An ethics essay is a type of academic writing that explores ethical issues and dilemmas. Students should evaluates them in terms of moral principles and values. The purpose of an ethics essay is to examine the moral implications of a particular issue, and provide a reasoned argument in support of an ethical perspective.

Writing an essay about ethics is a tough task for most students. The process involves creating an outline to guide your arguments about a topic and planning your ideas to convince the reader of your feelings about a difficult issue. If you still need assistance putting together your thoughts in composing a good paper, you have come to the right place. We have provided a series of steps and tips to show how you can achieve success in writing. This guide will tell you how to write an ethics paper using ethical essay examples to understand every step it takes to be proficient. In case you don’t have time for writing, get in touch with our professional essay writers for hire . Our experts work hard to supply students with excellent essays.

What Is an Ethics Essay?

An ethics essay uses moral theories to build arguments on an issue. You describe a controversial problem and examine it to determine how it affects individuals or society. Ethics papers analyze arguments on both sides of a possible dilemma, focusing on right and wrong. The analysis gained can be used to solve real-life cases. Before embarking on writing an ethical essay, keep in mind that most individuals follow moral principles. From a social context perspective, these rules define how a human behaves or acts towards another. Therefore, your theme essay on ethics needs to demonstrate how a person feels about these moral principles. More specifically, your task is to show how significant that issue is and discuss if you value or discredit it.

Purpose of an Essay on Ethics

The primary purpose of an ethics essay is to initiate an argument on a moral issue using reasoning and critical evidence. Instead of providing general information about a problem, you present solid arguments about how you view the moral concern and how it affects you or society. When writing an ethical paper, you demonstrate philosophical competence, using appropriate moral perspectives and principles.

Things to Write an Essay About Ethics On

Before you start to write ethics essays, consider a topic you can easily address. In most cases, an ethical issues essay analyzes right and wrong. This includes discussing ethics and morals and how they contribute to the right behaviors. You can also talk about work ethic, code of conduct, and how employees promote or disregard the need for change. However, you can explore other areas by asking yourself what ethics mean to you. Think about how a recent game you watched with friends started a controversial argument. Or maybe a newspaper that highlighted a story you felt was misunderstood or blown out of proportion. This way, you can come up with an excellent topic that resonates with your personal ethics and beliefs.

Ethics Paper Outline

Sometimes, you will be asked to submit an outline before writing an ethics paper. Creating an outline for an ethics paper is an essential step in creating a good essay. You can use it to arrange your points and supporting evidence before writing. It also helps organize your thoughts, enabling you to fill any gaps in your ideas. The outline for an essay should contain short and numbered sentences to cover the format and outline. Each section is structured to enable you to plan your work and include all sources in writing an ethics paper. An ethics essay outline is as follows:

• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Restate thesis statement
• Summarize key points
• Final thoughts on the topic

Using this outline will improve clarity and focus throughout your writing process.

Ethical Essay Structure

Ethics essays are similar to other essays based on their format, outline, and structure. An ethical essay should have a well-defined introduction, body, and conclusion section as its structure. When planning your ideas, make sure that the introduction and conclusion are around 20 percent of the paper, leaving the rest to the body. We will take a detailed look at what each part entails and give examples that are going to help you understand them better.  Refer to our essay structure examples to find a fitting way of organizing your writing.

Ethics Paper Introduction

An ethics essay introduction gives a synopsis of your main argument. One step on how to write an introduction for an ethics paper is telling about the topic and describing its background information. This paragraph should be brief and straight to the point. It informs readers what your position is on that issue. Start with an essay hook to generate interest from your audience. It can be a question you will address or a misunderstanding that leads up to your main argument. You can also add more perspectives to be discussed; this will inform readers on what to expect in the paper.

Ethics Essay Introduction Example

You can find many ethics essay introduction examples on the internet. In this guide, we have written an excellent extract to demonstrate how it should be structured. As you read, examine how it begins with a hook and then provides background information on an issue. 

Imagine living in a world where people only lie, and honesty is becoming a scarce commodity. Indeed, modern society is facing this reality as truth and deception can no longer be separated. Technology has facilitated a quick transmission of voluminous information, whereas it's hard separating facts from opinions.

In this example, the first sentence of the introduction makes a claim or uses a question to hook the reader.

Ethics Essay Thesis Statement

An ethics paper must contain a thesis statement in the first paragraph. Learning how to write a thesis statement for an ethics paper is necessary as readers often look at it to gauge whether the essay is worth their time.

When you deviate away from the thesis, your whole paper loses meaning. In ethics essays, your thesis statement is a roadmap in writing, stressing your position on the problem and giving reasons for taking that stance. It should focus on a specific element of the issue being discussed. When writing a thesis statement, ensure that you can easily make arguments for or against its stance.

Ethical Paper Thesis Example

Look at this example of an ethics paper thesis statement and examine how well it has been written to state a position and provide reasons for doing so:

The moral implications of dishonesty are far-reaching as they undermine trust, integrity, and other foundations of society, damaging personal and professional relationships. 

The above thesis statement example is clear and concise, indicating that this paper will highlight the effects of dishonesty in society. Moreover, it focuses on aspects of personal and professional relationships.

Ethics Essay Body

The body section is the heart of an ethics paper as it presents the author's main points. In an ethical essay, each body paragraph has several elements that should explain your main idea. These include:

• A topic sentence that is precise and reiterates your stance on the issue.
• Evidence supporting it.
• Examples that illustrate your argument.
• A thorough analysis showing how the evidence and examples relate to that issue.
• A transition sentence that connects one paragraph to another with the help of essay transitions .

When you write an ethics essay, adding relevant examples strengthens your main point and makes it easy for others to understand and comprehend your argument. 

Body Paragraph for Ethics Paper Example

A good body paragraph must have a well-defined topic sentence that makes a claim and includes evidence and examples to support it. Look at part of an example of ethics essay body paragraph below and see how its idea has been developed:

Honesty is an essential component of professional integrity. In many fields, trust and credibility are crucial for professionals to build relationships and success. For example, a doctor who is dishonest about a potential side effect of a medication is not only acting unethically but also putting the health and well-being of their patients at risk. Similarly, a dishonest businessman could achieve short-term benefits but will lose their client’s trust.

Ethics Essay Conclusion

A concluding paragraph shares the summary and overview of the author's main arguments. Many students need clarification on what should be included in the essay conclusion and how best to get a reader's attention. When writing an ethics paper conclusion, consider the following:

• Restate the thesis statement to emphasize your position.
• Summarize its main points and evidence.
• Final thoughts on the issue and any other considerations.

You can also reflect on the topic or acknowledge any possible challenges or questions that have not been answered. A closing statement should present a call to action on the problem based on your position.

Sample Ethics Paper Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph restates the thesis statement and summarizes the arguments presented in that paper. The sample conclusion for an ethical essay example below demonstrates how you should write a concluding statement.  

In conclusion, the implications of dishonesty and the importance of honesty in our lives cannot be overstated. Honesty builds solid relationships, effective communication, and better decision-making. This essay has explored how dishonesty impacts people and that we should value honesty. We hope this essay will help readers assess their behavior and work towards being more honest in their lives.

In the above extract, the writer gives final thoughts on the topic, urging readers to adopt honest behavior.

How to Write an Ethics Paper?

As you learn how to write an ethics essay, it is not advised to immediately choose a topic and begin writing. When you follow this method, you will get stuck or fail to present concrete ideas. A good writer understands the importance of planning. As a fact, you should organize your work and ensure it captures key elements that shed more light on your arguments. Hence, following the essay structure and creating an outline to guide your writing process is the best approach. In the following segment, we have highlighted step-by-step techniques on how to write a good ethics paper.

1. Pick a Topic

Before writing ethical papers, brainstorm to find ideal topics that can be easily debated. For starters, make a list, then select a title that presents a moral issue that may be explained and addressed from opposing sides. Make sure you choose one that interests you. Here are a few ideas to help you search for topics:

• Review current trends affecting people.
• Think about your personal experiences.
• Study different moral theories and principles.
• Examine classical moral dilemmas.

Once you find a suitable topic and are ready, start to write your ethics essay, conduct preliminary research, and ascertain that there are enough sources to support it.

2. Conduct In-Depth Research

Once you choose a topic for your essay, the next step is gathering sufficient information about it. Conducting in-depth research entails looking through scholarly journals to find credible material. Ensure you note down all sources you found helpful to assist you on how to write your ethics paper. Use the following steps to help you conduct your research:

• Clearly state and define a problem you want to discuss.
• This will guide your research process.
• Develop keywords that match the topic.
• Begin searching from a wide perspective. This will allow you to collect more information, then narrow it down by using the identified words above.

3. Develop an Ethics Essay Outline

An outline will ease up your writing process when developing an ethic essay. As you develop a paper on ethics, jot down factual ideas that will build your paragraphs for each section. Include the following steps in your process:

• Review the topic and information gathered to write a thesis statement.
• Identify the main arguments you want to discuss and include their evidence.
• Group them into sections, each presenting a new idea that supports the thesis.
• Write an outline.
• Review and refine it.

Examples can also be included to support your main arguments. The structure should be sequential, coherent, and with a good flow from beginning to end. When you follow all steps, you can create an engaging and organized outline that will help you write a good essay.

4. Write an Ethics Essay

Once you have selected a topic, conducted research, and outlined your main points, you can begin writing an essay . Ensure you adhere to the ethics paper format you have chosen. Start an ethics paper with an overview of your topic to capture the readers' attention. Build upon your paper by avoiding ambiguous arguments and using the outline to help you write your essay on ethics. Finish the introduction paragraph with a thesis statement that explains your main position.  Expand on your thesis statement in all essay paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence and provide evidence plus an example to solidify your argument, strengthen the main point, and let readers see the reasoning behind your stance. Finally, conclude the essay by restating your thesis statement and summarizing all key ideas. Your conclusion should engage the reader, posing questions or urging them to reflect on the issue and how it will impact them.

5. Proofread Your Ethics Essay

Proofreading your essay is the last step as you countercheck any grammatical or structural errors in your essay. When writing your ethic paper, typical mistakes you could encounter include the following:

• Spelling errors: e.g., there, they’re, their.
• Homophone words: such as new vs. knew.
• Inconsistencies: like mixing British and American words, e.g., color vs. color.
• Formatting issues: e.g., double spacing, different font types.

While proofreading your ethical issue essay, read it aloud to detect lexical errors or ambiguous phrases that distort its meaning. Verify your information and ensure it is relevant and up-to-date. You can ask your fellow student to read the essay and give feedback on its structure and quality.

Ethics Essay Examples

Writing an essay is challenging without the right steps. There are so many ethics paper examples on the internet, however, we have provided a list of free ethics essay examples below that are well-structured and have a solid argument to help you write your paper. Click on them and see how each writing step has been integrated. Ethics essay example 1

Ethics essay example 2

Ethics essay example 3

Ethics essay example 4

College ethics essay example 5

Ethics Essay Writing Tips

When writing papers on ethics, here are several tips to help you complete an excellent essay:

• Choose a narrow topic and avoid broad subjects, as it is easy to cover the topic in detail.
• Ensure you have background information. A good understanding of a topic can make it easy to apply all necessary moral theories and principles in writing your paper.
• State your position clearly. It is important to be sure about your stance as it will allow you to draft your arguments accordingly.
• When writing ethics essays, be mindful of your audience. Provide arguments that they can understand.
• Integrate solid examples into your essay. Morality can be hard to understand; therefore, using them will help a reader grasp these concepts.

Bottom Line on Writing an Ethics Paper

Creating this essay is a common exercise in academics that allows students to build critical skills. When you begin writing, state your stance on an issue and provide arguments to support your position. This guide gives information on how to write an ethics essay as well as examples of ethics papers. Remember to follow these points in your writing:

• Create an outline highlighting your main points.
• Write an effective introduction and provide background information on an issue.
• Include a thesis statement.
• Develop concrete arguments and their counterarguments, and use examples.
• Sum up all your key points in your conclusion and restate your thesis statement.

Contact our academic writing platform and have your challenge solved. Here, you can order essays and papers on any topic and enjoy top quality. 

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20 Ethical Argument Essay Topics for an Aspiring Student

• Potential Causes of Breast Cancer from Soaps and Deodorants
• Adopting a Child of a Different Ethnicity
• Pros and Cons of Vitamin Supplements and Whether They Do More Harm than Good to the Health
• The Potential Consequences of Plastic Surgery in the Long Term
• Human Cloning – A Far-Fetched Idea or Just a Genetic Disaster?
• Adopting the Death Penalty in All the States Around the US
• Should Teens Consider Abortion without Their Parents’ Approval?
• Reasons for Parents to Choose Homeschooling and Not Public Schooling for their Kids
• To Vote or Not to Vote on Election Day: Can Your Vote Make a Difference?
• Driving an Electric Car Can Help Save the Planet
• Social Media and Its Effects on Human Perception
• Bullying in Schools and the Effects of Bullying on a Child’s Personality
• Social Media and Its Effects on Human Socialization
• Reading Paper Books vs. Reading eBooks
• Combating Music Piracy: Can We Put an End to Music Piracy and Compel People to Buy Rather than “Steal”?
• The Benefits of Eating Organic Food & Reasons Why Going Bio Is Healthier
• Advanced Car Technologies Can Completely Change the Way People Drive Their Cars
• How Global Warming Is Affecting the World’s Fauna and Flora
• Alzheimer’s & Potential Treatment that Might Prevent the Materialization of the Disease
• Reasons Why Fad Diets Don’t Work & What Can You Do to Lose Weight the Healthy Way

There are hundreds of other topics you can pick for your college essay; however this depends on the subject assigned by your teacher. The 20 ethical argument essay topics mentioned above should serve you as inspiration! Choose the one that appeals to you most and make an impression on your professors with the coolest argumentative paper!

If you have no time for writing a decent essay you can count on The Pensters – essay writing service that operates over decade! Here you can order any kind of academic papers and of course you can buy argumentative essays written by experienced writers.

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Writing Ethical Papers: Top Tips to Ace Your Assignment

17 August, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Kate Smith

Writing a complex essay paper can be a tough task for any student, especially for those who do not have their skills developed well or do not have enough time for lengthy assignments. At the same time, the majority of college students need to keep their grades high to maintain their right to receive merit-based scholarships and continue their studies the next year. To help you with your ethical papers writing, we created this guide. Below, you will find out what an ethical paper is, how to structure it and write it efficiently. 

What is an Ethical Paper?

An ethics paper is a type of an argumentative assignment that deals with a certain ethical problem that a student has to describe and solve. Also, it can be an essay where a certain controversial event or concept is elaborated through an ethical lens (e.g. moral rules and principles), or a certain ethical dilemma is explained. Since ethics is connected to moral concepts and choices, a student needs to have a fair knowledge of philosophy and get ready to answer questions related to relationships, justice, professional and social duties, the origin of good and evil, etc., to write a quality paper. Also, writing an ethics paper implies that a student should process a great amount of information regarding their topic and analyze it according to paper terms.

General Aspects of Writing an Ethics Paper

Understanding the ethical papers’ features.

Every essay has differences and features that make it unique. Writing ethical papers implies that a student will use their knowledge of morality and philosophy to resolve a certain ethical dilemma or solve a situation. It can also be a paper in which a student needs to provide their reasoning on ethical or legal circumstances that follow a social issue. Finally, it can be an assignment in which an ethical concept and its application are described. On the contrary, a history essay deals with events that took place somewhen earlier, while a narrative essay is a paper where students demonstrate their storytelling skills, etc.

Defining What Type of Essay Should Be Written

Most of the time, ethical paper topics imply that a student will write an argumentative essay; however, ethics essays can also be descriptive and expository. Each of these essay types has different guidelines for writing, so be sure you know them before you start writing your papers on ethics. In case you missed this step in your ethical paper preparation stage, you would end up writing a paper that misses many important points.

Studying the Ethical Paper Guidelines

Once you get your ethical paper assignment, look through the guidelines that your instructor provided to you. If you receive them during the class, don’t hesitate to pose any questions immediately to remove any misunderstanding before writing an ethics paper outline, or ask for references that you need to use. When you are about to write your first draft, don’t rush: read the paper instructions once again to make sure you understand what is needed from you.

Paying Attention to the Paper Topic

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the ethical paper topic: once you are given one, make sure it falls into the scope of your educational course. After that, consider what additional knowledge may be needed to elaborate on your topic and think about what courses of your program could be helpful for it. Once you are done, read through your topic again to recheck whether you understand your assignment right.

Understanding the Notions of Ethical Arguments, Ethical and Legal Implications, and Ethical Dilemma

Last but not least, another important factor is that a student has to understand the basic terms of the assignment to write a high-quality paper. Ethical arguments are a set of moral rules that are used to defend your position on an ethical issue stated in your essay topic. We refer to ethical versus legal implications when we think about the compensation for certain ethical dilemma outcomes and whether it should be a moral punishment or legal judgment. An ethical dilemma itself refers to a problem or situation which makes an individual doubt what position to take: e.g, abortion, bribery, corruption, etc.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Ethics Paper

Every essay has a structure that makes it a solid piece of writing with straight reasoning and argumentation, and an ethics paper is not an exclusion. This paper has an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Below, we will describe how each part of ethical papers should be organized and what information they should contain.

First comes the introduction. It is the opening part of your paper which helps a reader to get familiar with your topic and understand what your paper will be about. Therefore, it should contain some information on your ethics paper topics and a thesis statement, which is a central statement of your paper.

The essay body is the most substantive part of your essay where all the reasoning and arguments should be presented. Each paragraph should contain an argument that supports or contradicts your thesis statement and pieces of evidence to support your position. Pick at least three arguments to make your position clear in your essay, and then your paper will be considered well-structured.

The third part of an ethics paper outline is a conclusion, which is a finishing essay part. Its goal is to wrap up the whole essay and make the author’s position clear for the last time. The thoughtful formulation in this essay part should be especially clear and concise to demonstrate the writer’s ability to make conclusions and persuade readers.

Also, don’t forget to include the works cited page after your writing. It should mention all the reference materials that you used in your paper in the order of appearance or in the alphabetical one. This page should be formatted according to the assigned formatting style. Most often, the most frequently used format for ethical papers is APA.

20 Examples of Ethical Paper Topics

• Are there any issues in the 21st century that we can consider immoral and why?
• What is corporate ethics?
• Why is being selfish no longer an issue in 2023?
• Euthanasia: pros and cons
• Marijuana legalization: should it be allowed all over the world?
• Is abortion an ethical issue nowadays?
• Can we invent a universal religion appropriate for all?
• Is the church necessary to pray to God?
• Can we forgive infidelity and should we do it?
• How to react if you are witnessing high school bullying?
• What are the ways to respond to a family abusing individual?
• How to demand your privacy protection in a digital world?
• The history of the American ethical thought
• Can war be ethical and what should the conflicting sides do to make it possible?
• Ethical issues of keeping a zoo in 2023
• Who is in charge of controlling the world’s population?
• How to achieve equality in the world’s rich and poor gap?
• Is science ethical?
• How ethical is genetic engineering?
• Why many countries refuse to go back to carrying out the death penalty?

Ethical Papers Examples

If you still have no idea about how to write an ethics paper, looking through other students’ successful examples is always a good idea. Below, you can find a relevant ethics paper example that you can skim through and see how to build your reasoning and argumentation in your own paper.

https://www.currentschoolnews.com/education-news/ethics-essay-examples/

https://sites.psu.edu/academy/2014/11/18/essay-2-personal-ethics-and-decision-making/

Ethical Papers Writing Tips

Choose a topic that falls into the ethics course program.

In case you were not given the ethics paper topic, consider choosing it yourself. To do that, brainstorm the ethical issues that fascinate you enough to do research. List all these issues on a paper sheet and then cross out those that are too broad or require expertise that you don’t have. The next step you need to take is to choose three or four ethical topics for papers from the list and try to do a quick search online to find out whether these topics are elaborated enough to find sources and reference materials on them. Last, choose one topic that you like the most and find the most relevant one in terms of available data for reference.

Do your research

Once the topic is chosen and organized, dive deeper into it to find the most credible, reliable, and trusted service. Use your university library, online scientific journals, documentaries, and other sources to get the information from. Remember to take notes while working with every new piece of reference material to not forget the ideas that you will base your argumentation on.

Follow the guidelines for a paper outline

During the preparation for your ethical paper and the process of writing it, remember to follow your professor’s instructions (e.g. font, size, spacing, citation style, etc.). If you neglect them, your grade for the paper will decrease significantly.

Write the essay body first

Do not rush to start writing your ethics papers from the very beginning; to write a good essay, you need to have your outline and thesis statement first. Then, go to writing body paragraphs to demonstrate your expertise on the issue you are writing about. Remember that one supporting idea should be covered in one paragraph and should be followed by the piece of evidence that confirms it.

Make sure your introduction and conclusion translate the same message

After your essay body is done, write a conclusion and an introduction for your paper. The main tip regarding these ethics paper parts is that you should make them interrelated: your conclusion has to restate your introduction but not repeat it. Also, a conclusion should wrap up your writing and make it credible for the audience.

Add citations

Every top-quality paper has the works cited page and citations to demonstrate that the research on the topic has been carried out. Therefore, do not omit this point when formatting your paper: add all the sources to the works cited page and pay attention to citing throughout the text. The latter should be done according to the formatting style indicated in your instructions.

Edit your paper

Last but not least is the editing and proofreading stage that you need to carry out before you submit your paper to your instructor. Consider keeping your first draft away from sight for a day or two to have a rest, and then go back to check it for errors and redundant phrases. Don’t rush to change anything immediately after finishing your writing since you are already tired and less focused, so some mistakes may be missed.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

If you feel that you need help with writing an ethics paper in view of its chellnging nature, you can contact us and send an order through a respective button. You can add your paper details by following all steps of the order placing process that you will find on the website. Once your order is placed, we will get back to you as soon as possible. You will be able to contact your essay writer and let them know all your wishes regarding your ethical paper.

Our writers have expertise in writing ethical papers including, so you don’t need to worry about the quality of the essay that you will receive. Your assignment will be delivered on time and at a reasonable price. Note that urgent papers will cost slightly more than assignments with a postponed deadline, so do not wait too long to make your order. We will be glad to assist you with your writing and guarantee 24/7 support until you receive your paper.

Lastly, remember that no paper can be written overnight, so if you intend to complete your paper in a few hours, you can end up writing only a first draft with imperfections. If you have only half a day before your task is due, feel free to place an urgent order, and we will deliver it in just three hours.

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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

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

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

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Table of contents

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

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

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

Argumentative writing at college level

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

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

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

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

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

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

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

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

Toulmin arguments

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

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

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

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

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

Rogerian arguments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Ad hominem fallacy
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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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12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Writing a persuasive essay requires identifying interesting ethical topics, and these options might inspire you to create a powerful and engaging essay, position paper , or speech for your next assignment.

Should Teens Have Plastic Surgery?

Good looks are highly prized in society. You can see advertisements everywhere urging you to buy products that will supposedly enhance your appearance. While many products are topical, plastic surgery is probably the ultimate game-changer. Going under the knife to enhance your looks can be a quick fix and help you achieve the look you desire. It also carries risks and can have lifelong consequences. Consider whether you think teens—who are still developing into mature individuals—should have the right to make such a big decision at such a young age, or if their parents should be able to decide for them.

Would You Tell If You Saw a Popular Kid Bullying?

Bullying is a big problem in schools and even in society in general. But it can be difficult to show courage, step up—and step in—if you see a popular kid bullying someone at school. Would you report it if you saw this happening? Why or why not?

Would You Speak Up If Your Friend Abused an Animal?

Animal abuse by youngsters can foreshadow more violent acts as these individuals grow up. Speaking up might save the animal pain and suffering today, and it might steer that person away from more violent acts in the future. But would you have the courage to do so? Why or why not?

Would You Tell If You Saw a Friend Cheating on a Test?

Courage can come in subtle forms, and that can include reporting seeing someone cheat on a test. Cheating on a test might not seem like such a big deal; perhaps you've cheated on a test yourself. But it is against the policies of schools and universities worldwide. If you saw someone cheating, would you speak up and tell the teacher? What if it were your buddy cheating and telling might cost you a friendship? Explain your stance.

Should News Stories Slant Toward What People Want to Hear?

There is much debate over whether the news should be unbiased or allow commentary. Newspapers, radios, and news television stations are businesses, just as much as a grocery store or online retailers. They need customers to survive, and that means appealing to what their customers want to hear or see. Slanting reports toward popular opinions could increase ratings and readership, in turn saving newspapers and news shows, as well as jobs. But is this practice ethical? What do you think?

Would You Tell If Your Best Friend Had a Drink at the Prom?

Most schools have strict rules about drinking at the prom, but many students still engage in the practice. After all, they'll be graduating soon. If you saw a friend imbibing, would you tell or look the other way? Why?

Should Football Coaches Be Paid More Than Professors?

Football often brings in more money than any other single activity or program a school offers, including academic classes. In the corporate world, if a business is profitable, the CEO and those who contributed to the success are often rewarded handsomely. With that in mind, shouldn't it be the same in academia? Should top football coaches get paid more than top professors? Why or why not?

Should Politics and Church Be Separate?

Candidates often invoke religion when they're campaigning. It's generally a good way to attract votes. But should the practice be discouraged? The U.S. Constitution, after all, dictates that there should be a separation of church and state in this country. What do you think and why?

Would You Speak Up If You Heard an Ugly Ethnic Statement at a Party Filled With Popular Kids?

As in the previous examples, it can be hard to speak up, especially when an incident involves popular kids. Would you have the courage to say something and risk the ire of the "in" crowd? Who would you tell?

Should Assisted Suicides Be Allowed for Terminally Ill Patients?

Some countries, like the Netherlands, allow assisted suicides , as do some U.S. states. Should "mercy killing" be legal for terminally ill patients who are suffering from great physical pain? What about patients whose diseases will negatively impact their families? Why or why not?

Should a Student's Ethnicity Be a Consideration for College Acceptance?

There has been a long-standing debate about the role ethnicity should play in college acceptance. Proponents of affirmative action argue that underrepresented groups should be given a leg up. Opponents say that all college candidates should be judged on their merits alone. What do you think and why?

Should Companies Gather Information About Their Customers?

Information privacy is a big and growing issue. Every time you log onto the internet and visit an online retailer, news company, or social media site, companies gather information about you. Should they have the right to do so, or should the practice be banned? Why do you think so? Explain your answer.

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11 Ten Rules for Ethical Arguments

Another Way to Think about Logical Fallacies

Rebecca Jones; Liz Delf; Rob Drummond; and Kristy Kelly

Rebecca Jones Adapted by Liz Delf, Rob Drummond, and Kristy Kelly

Pragma-dialectics is a study of argumentation that focuses on the ethics of one’s logical choices in creating an argument. While this version of argumentation deals with everything from ethics to arrangement, what this field adds to rhetorical studies is a new approach to argument fallacies . Fallacies are often the cause of the mystery feeling we get when we come across faulty logic or missteps in an argument.

What follows is an adaptation of Frans van Eemeren, Rob Grootendorst, and Francesca Snoeck Henkemans’s “violations of the rules for critical engagement” from their book Argumentation: Analysis, Evaluation, Presentation (109). Rather than discuss rhetorical fallacies in a list (ad hominem, straw man, equivocation, etc.), they argue that there should be rules for proper argument to ensure fairness, logic, and a solution to the problem being addressed. Violating these rules causes a fallacious argument and can result in a standoff rather than a solution.

While fallacious arguments, if purposeful, pose real ethical problems, most people do not realize they are committing fallacies when they create an argument. To purposely attack someone’s character rather than their argument (ad hominem) not only is unethical but demonstrates lazy argumentation. However, confusing cause and effect might simply be a misstep that needs fixing. It is important to admit that many fallacies, though making an argument somewhat unsound, can be rhetorically savvy. While we know that appeals to pity (or going overboard on the emotional appeal) can often demonstrate a lack of knowledge or evidence, they often work.

As such, these rules present argumentation as it would play out in a utopian world where everyone is calm and logical, where everyone cares about resolving the argument at hand rather than winning the battle, and where everyone plays by the rules. Despite the utopian nature of the list, it offers valuable insight into argument flaws and offers hope for better methods of deliberation.

I. The Freedom Rule

Parties must not prevent each other from putting forward standpoints or casting doubt on standpoints.

(van Eemeren et al. 110)

There are many ways to stop an individual from giving her own argument. This can come in the form of a physical threat but most often takes the form of a misplaced critique. Instead of focusing on the argument, the focus is shifted to the character of the writer or speaker (ad hominem) or to making the argument (or author) seem absurd (straw man) rather than addressing its actual components. In the past decade, “Bush is stupid” became a common ad hominem attack that allowed policy to go unaddressed. To steer clear of the real issues of global warming, someone might claim, “Only a fool would believe global warming is real” or “Trying to suck all of the CO2 out of the atmosphere with giant greenhouse gas machines is mere science fiction, so we should look at abandoning all this greenhouse gas nonsense.”

II. The Burden-of-Proof Rule

A party who puts forward a standpoint is obliged to defend it if asked to do so.

(van Eemeren et al. 113)

This is one of my favorites. It is clear and simple. If you make an argument, you have to provide evidence to back it up. During the 2008 presidential debates, Americans watched as all the candidates fumbled over the following question about health care: “How will this plan actually work?” If you are presenting a written argument, this requirement can be accommodated through quality, researched evidence applied to your standpoint.

III. The Standpoint Rule

A party’s attack on a standpoint must relate to the standpoint that has indeed been advanced by the other party.

(van Eemeren et al. 116)

Your standpoint is simply your claim, your basic argument in a nutshell. If you disagree with another person’s argument or they disagree with yours, the actual standpoint and not some related but more easily attacked issue must be addressed. For example, one person might argue that the rhetoric of global warming has created a multimillion-dollar green industry benefiting from fears over climate change. This is an argument about the effects of global warming rhetoric, not global warming itself. It would break the standpoint rule to argue that the writer/speaker does not believe in global warming. This is not the issue at hand.

IV. The Relevance Rule

A party may defend his or her standpoint only by advancing argumentation related to that standpoint.

(van Eemeren et al. 119)

Similar to #3 , this rule assures that the evidence you use must actually relate to your standpoint. Let’s stick with the same argument: global warming has created a green industry benefiting from fears over climate change. Under this rule, your evidence would need to offer examples of the rhetoric and the resulting businesses that have developed since the introduction of green industries. It would break the rules to simply offer attacks on businesses that sell “eco-friendly” products.

V. The Unexpressed Premise Rule

A party may not falsely present something as a premise that has been left unexpressed by the other party or deny a premise that he or she has left implicit.

(van Eemeren et al. 121)

This one sounds a bit complex, though it happens nearly every day. If you have been talking to another person and feel the need to say, “That’s not what I meant,” then you have experienced a violation of the unexpressed premise rule. Overall, the rule attempts to keep the argument on track and not let it stray into irrelevant territory. The first violation of the rule, to falsely present what has been left unexpressed, is to rephrase someone’s standpoint in a way that redirects the argument. One person might argue, “I love to go to the beach,” and another might respond by saying, “So you don’t have any appreciation for mountain living.” The other aspect of this rule is to camouflage an unpopular idea and deny that it is part of your argument. For example, you might argue, “I have nothing against my neighbors. I just think that there should be a noise ordinance in this part of town to help cut down on crime.” This clearly shows that the writer does believe her neighbors to be criminals but won’t admit it.

VI. The Starting Point Rule

No party may falsely present a premise as an accepted starting point, or deny a premise representing an accepted starting point.

(van Eemeren et al. 128)

Part of quality argumentation is to agree on the opening standpoint. According to this theory, argument is pointless without this kind of agreement. It is well known that arguing about abortion is nearly pointless as long as one side is arguing about the rights of the unborn and the other about the rights of women. These are two different starting points.

VII. The Argument Scheme Rule

A standpoint may not be regarded as conclusively defended if the defense does not take place by means of an appropriate argument scheme that is correctly applied.

(van Eemeren et al. 130)

This rule is about argument strategy. Argument schemes could take up another paper altogether. Suffice it to say that schemes are ways of approaching an argument, your primary strategy. For example, you might choose emotional rather than logical appeals to present your position. This rule highlights the fact that some argument strategies are simply better than others. For example, if you choose to create an argument based largely on attacking the character of your opponent rather than the issues at hand, the argument is moot.

Argument by analogy is a popular and well-worn argument strategy (or scheme). Essentially, you compare your position to a more commonly known one and make your argument through the comparison. For example, in the “Trust No One” argument in chapter 9, the author equates the Watergate and Monica Lewinsky scandals. Since it is common knowledge that Watergate was a serious scandal, including Monica Lewinsky in the list offers a strong argument by analogy: the Lewinsky scandal did as much damage as Watergate. To break this rule, you might make an analogy that does not hold up, such as comparing a minor scandal involving a local school board to Watergate. This would be an exaggeration, in most cases.

VIII. The Validity Rule

The reasoning in the argumentation must be logically valid or must be capable of being made valid by making explicit one or more unexpressed premises.

(van Eemeren et al. 132)

This rule is about traditional logics. Violating this rule means that the parts of your argument do not match up. For example, your cause and effect might be off: If you swim in the ocean today, you will get stung by a jellyfish and need medical care. Joe went to the doctor today. He must have been stung by a jellyfish. While this example is obvious (we do not know that Joe went swimming), many argument problems are caused by violating this rule.

IX. The Closure Rule

A failed defense of a standpoint must result in the protagonist retracting the standpoint, and a successful defense of a standpoint must result in the antagonist retracting his or her doubts.

(van Eemeren et al. 134)

This seems the most obvious rule, yet it is one that most public arguments ignore. If your argument does not cut it, admit the faults and move on. If another writer/speaker offers a rebuttal and you clearly counter it, admit that the original argument is sound. Seems simple, but it’s not in our public culture. This would mean that George W. Bush would have to have a press conference and say, “My apologies, I was wrong about WMD,” or for someone who argued fervently that Americans want a single-payer option for health care to instead argue something like, “The polls show that Americans want to change health care, but not through the single-payer option. My argument was based on my opinion that the single-payer option is the best way and not on public opinion.” Academics are more accustomed to retraction because our arguments are explicitly part of particular conversations. Rebuttals and renegotiations are the norm. That does not make them any easier to stomach in an “argument is war” culture.

X. The Usage Rule

Parties must not use any formulations that are insufficiently clear or confusingly ambiguous, and they must interpret the formulations of the other party as carefully and accurately as possible.

(van Eemeren et al. 136)

While academics are perhaps the worst violators of this rule, it is an important one to discuss. Be clear. I notice in both student and professional academic writing that a confusing concept often means confusing prose, longer sentences, and more letters in a word. If you cannot say it / write it clearly, the concept might not yet be clear to you. Keep working. Ethical violations of this rule happen when someone is purposefully ambiguous so as to confuse the issue. We can see this on all the “law” shows on television or through deliberate propaganda.

The original chapter, Ten Rules for Ethical Arguments: Another Way to Think about Logical Fallacies by Rebecca Jones, is from Writing Spaces vol 1

Discussion Questions

• Discuss the ethics of argument fallacies. What’s the problem with violating these rules?
• Why is it helpful to identify and learn names for these rules? How does it impact how you may see arguments in the future?
• Is it possible to win the debate but still “lose” by some other measure? How do the ethics of argumentation connect to this question?
• These rules are examples of what not to do—but of course people still do them. Find an example of someone (a politician, a TikTok influencer, a journalist) willfully or unintentionally violating one of these rules. Discuss what they did and how it impacted their argument.
• Find a print ad or short commercial on the internet that violates one of these rules. How so? Why do they do this? Is it effective? Is it manipulative?
• Write a short argument (one to two sentences) about your next paper topic that clearly violates the rule. This can be a poorly framed version of your own argument, or it could be a real (but fallacious) argument that other people make about the issue.
• Explain why this argument violates the rule. Why might someone do this in an argument? Would it be effective? (To be clear, these fallacies are examples of what not to do—but, of course, people still use them.)
• Take the fallacious argument that you just created and correct it: write a solid argument that conforms to the rule.

Works Cited

van Eemeren, Frans H., Rob Grootendorst, and Francesca Snoeck Henkemans. Argumentation: Analysis, Evaluation, Presentation . Routledge, 2002.

Ten Rules for Ethical Arguments Copyright © 2022 by Rebecca Jones; Liz Delf; Rob Drummond; and Kristy Kelly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Example Of Argumentative Essay On Ethics

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Learning , Philosophy , Morality , Ethics , Development , Behavior , Nature , Human

Words: 1700

Published: 02/07/2020

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Introduction

Moral philosophy or ethics is a philosophy branch, which involves systematizing, protecting, and recommending the concepts of wrong and right conduct. Thus, ethics are the standards or rules that govern the conduct by which we live our lives and make socially accepted decisions. Philosophers frequently wonder why individuals act ethically. Since ethical behavior appears to be the societies’ norm they speculate that there must be specific reason for it. There have been a number of theories that have been formulated to demonstrate ethical behavior as being rational or being motivated by some natural grasp of the universal goodness or by self-interest. Albeit a number of these theories might agree with human intuitive sense of wrong and right, and additionally may make reasonable code for human to live by, they do not explain the reason as to why we must be ethical hence this leaves us wondering about the actual reasons that individuals are good more frequently than they are actually bad. This paper thus demonstrates that ethics is both a learned and natural behavior and tries to explain why ethics is more a learned behavior than a natural behavior. The big question in the field of ethics is whether ethics is natural or a learned behavior. Ethics, or things that we must do, can in fact be both a learned and natural behavior. In addition, ethics can help us determine the distinction between what is wrong and what is right or what is considered bad in the society and what is considered good. Ethics on one hand is actually a natural behavior because there are a number of things that as human beings we are born knowing (Bostock 2000). For instance, when we are born we know that when drinking we must apply the sucking mechanism. Alternatively, ethics can essentially be a behavior that is learned. For instance, the manners that our parents taught us when we were young demonstrate that ethics is also a learned behavior. This argumentative essay therefore debates these two sides and through this it clearly shows that ethics is more a learned behavior and not a natural behavior. A number of philosophers believed that as human beings we are naturally born to fight and therefore a learned order of the behavior can under no circumstances exist. Peter Kropotkin falls under this category of philosophers. However, their theory appears contradictory as it suggests that individuals cannot be good. In addition it suggests that merely evil can exist. It is a theory, which gains great skepticism particularly from aspects of religion and ethics. Kropotkin also suggests that a number of people wish to coexist in harmony with the others whereas several people wish to coexist in competition (Spinoza et al 2000). The philosophers who oppose this theory might even consider Kropotkin ideas to be of an anarchist ideology. While we are born with various natural tendencies, it remains to be discussed if fighting is in fact one of them. Nevertheless, the senses that we are born with can definitely be considered as natural ethics. Since the time human beings are born, they have a sense of closeness, fear, and comfort. In real sense, these are things that we do not learn as we grow since they are a part of human natural intuition. The other aspect of the concept of ethics being a natural behavior, which one can explore, is the awareness that without the natural behavior, the learned behavior could really not exist. In simple terms, if as human beings we were not programmed at the time of birth to learn things that we are taught in our lives, we cannot understand what is right and what is wrong. Ethics is a phenomenon that is among the things that our parents teach us from the time we are young but if we do not have that inbuilt nature of learning new things in us, we cannot understand right and wrong. Thus, this proves that ethics is a natural behavior. Moreover, the concept of natural ethics proves that ethics is natural. This concept is essentially based on human organisms’ natural valuing process. That is, it is based on human nature natural laws and the human existence for the proper growth. The development of morality or ethics is naturally revealed with human potential unfolding in a normal process of moral development (Richerson 2004). Therefore, moral development is in fact a function of biologically moral consciousness process development. This consciousness is essentially the inner voice of an individual’s sense of strength, responsibility, needs, courage among others. This means that the social values of the ethical behaviors in real sense originate from a natural valuing system that is actually intrinsic to the individual. Ethical values don’t involve conceptual or cognitive thinking. This simply means that these ethical values are operative values that originate from human organism’s intrinsic valuing process that is shared by all human beings. In addition, this means that ethical behavior is actually rooted in rational human conscience morals (Richerson 2004). Conscience development is therefore a function of human intellectual, psychological, emotional, and moral development. On the other hand, we can argue that ethics is learned behavior. The big question is whether ethics can be taught or learned. The Wall Street Journal in an editorial, announced that courses in ethics are useless since ethics cannot be learned. This raised issue is in fact old because in nearly 2500 years ago, Socrates debated this question together with his fellow Athenians. He position was clear. According to him, ethics consists of realizing the things we ought to do, and this can really be taught (Katz and Ward 2000). Therefore, this side of the debate relies much on Socrates position and the evidence that some psychologists have amassed on whether ethics can be taught. A number of psychologists in modern times would in fact agree with Socrates. In an overview of the contemporary research in moral development field, James Rest, a psychologist found that young adults between 20 and 30 years’ experience dramatic changes in terms of their basic strategies in solving problems that are associated with the ethical issues. Besides, his findings revealed that these changes are essentially linked to the fundamental changes in the way an individual perceives the society in addition to his or her role in such a society. Rest also found that extent to which that change takes place is associated with number of years of the formal education (Krebs 2005). The deliberate educational attempts to influence moral problems awareness and judgment or reasoning process have actually been proved to be effective. Therefore, studies have indicated that an individual’s behavior is essentially influenced by moral judgments or moral perceptions that such an individual has. Much of this research by Rest was previously carried out by Lawrence Kohlberg, a Harvard psychologist. Kohlberg was among the first psychologists to determine whether an individual’s capability to deal with the ethical issues can actually improve in later life and also whether education has any effect on that development. He found that the ability of an individual to deal with the moral issues is in fact not found all at one time. This means that the ability of a person to think morally develops in stages. Moral development earliest level occurs in childhood. He called it preconventional level. At this level, an individual defines wrong and right in terms of what the authority figures says is wrong or right (Krebs 2005). The next level of moral development according to Kohlberg is the level that most adolescents reach. This is the conventional level. At this level, the adolescence has internalized norms of the groups among who she or he lives. For an adolescent, wrong and right are essentially based on the group loyalties: loyalties to the nation, loyalties to the friends, or loyalties to the family. Thus, if you get a chance and ask an adolescent at the conventional level why something is correct or why something is incorrect, they will in fact answer in terms of the teachings of their families, what Americans believe, or what their companions think (Krebs 2005). A number of individuals normally remain at this particular level, and continue to define wrong and right in terms of what the law require or what the society believes. However, if an individual continues to advance morally, he or she will actually a stage Kohlberg called the postconventional level. It is at this level that a person stops defining wrong and right in terms of group norms or loyalties. Instead, an adult person at this particular level advances his or her moral principles, which define wrong and right from the universal point of view. Moral principles at this level are principles, which would actually appeal to a reasonable person since they take the interest of everyone into account. Therefore, when you ask an individual at this level why something is wrong or right, he or she will appeal to the thing that promotes or fails to promote human welfare or human rights or universal principles of justice (Krebs 2005). Numerous factors can essentially stimulate the growth of a person through all the above discussed moral development levels. Kohlberg found out that education is one of these factors. He discovered that when students took ethics courses, they were challenged by these courses to look at the issues from the universal point of view. These findings have in fact been proved by the other researches.

Bostock, D. (2000). Aristotle's ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Spinoza, B. ., & Parkinson, G. H. R. (2000). Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Katz, L. G., & Ward, E. H. (2001). Ethical behavior in early childhood education. Washington: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Krebs, D. L. (2005). An evolutionary reconceptualization of Kohlberg’s model of moral development. In R. Burgess & K. MacDonald (Eds.) Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Development, (pp. 243–274). CA: Sage Publications. Richerson, P.J. & Boyd, R. (2004). Darwinian Evolutionary Ethics: Between Patriotism and Sympathy. In Philip Clayton and Jeffrey Schloss, (Eds.), Evolution and Ethics: Human Morality in Biological and Religious Perspective, pp. 50–77.

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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?

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

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

Bottled Water Ban – Should bottled water be banned?

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?

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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?

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?

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

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

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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?

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Presidential Election, 2020 – 2020 Presidential Election Site

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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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Argumentative Essay The Ethics of Animal Testing

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General Education

Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.

After giving an overview of this type of essay, we provide three argumentative essay examples. After each essay, we explain in-depth how the essay was structured, what worked, and where the essay could be improved. We end with tips for making your own argumentative essay as strong as possible.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.

A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.

The standard five paragraph format is common, but not required, for argumentative essays. These essays typically follow one of two formats: the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

• The Toulmin model is the most common. It begins with an introduction, follows with a thesis/claim, and gives data and evidence to support that claim. This style of essay also includes rebuttals of counterarguments.
• The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3 Good Argumentative Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are three examples of argumentative essays, written by yours truly in my school days, as well as analysis of what each did well and where it could be improved.

Argumentative Essay Example 1

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

The author begins by giving an overview of the counter-argument, then the thesis appears as the first sentence in the third paragraph. The essay then spends the rest of the paper dismantling the counter argument and showing why readers should believe the other side.

What this essay does well:

• Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
• This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
• For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
• This is a shorter paper, and if it needed to be expanded to meet length requirements, it could include more examples and go more into depth with them, such as by explaining specific cases where people benefited from local libraries.
• Additionally, while the paper uses lots of data, the author also mentions their own experience with using tablets. This should be removed since argumentative essays focus on facts and data to support an argument, not the author’s own opinion or experiences. Replacing that with more data on health issues associated with screen time would strengthen the essay.
• Some of the points made aren't completely accurate , particularly the one about digital books being cheaper. It actually often costs a library more money to rent out numerous digital copies of a book compared to buying a single physical copy. Make sure in your own essay you thoroughly research each of the points and rebuttals you make, otherwise you'll look like you don't know the issue that well.

Argumentative Essay Example 2

There are multiple drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on prevention haven’t seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat malaria was WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme. Started in 1955, it had a goal of eliminating malaria in Africa within the next ten years. Based upon previously successful programs in Brazil and the United States, the program focused mainly on vector control. This included widely distributing chloroquine and spraying large amounts of DDT. More than one billion dollars was spent trying to abolish malaria. However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, WHO was forced to admit that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who contracted malaria as well as the number of malaria deaths had actually increased over 10% during the time the program was active.

One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after the infection has incurred, programs should focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. Not only is this plan cheaper and more effective, reducing the number of people who contract malaria also reduces loss of work/school days which can further bring down the productivity of the region.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of preventing malaria is to implement insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs).  These nets provide a protective barrier around the person or people using them. While untreated bed nets are still helpful, those treated with insecticides are much more useful because they stop mosquitoes from biting people through the nets, and they help reduce mosquito populations in a community, thus helping people who don’t even own bed nets.  Bed nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the person is sleeping, so bed nets would be able to drastically reduce the number of transmissions during the night. In fact, transmission of malaria can be reduced by as much as 90% in areas where the use of ITNs is widespread. Because money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low cost is a great benefit and a major reason why the program is so successful. Bed nets cost roughly 2 USD to make, last several years, and can protect two adults. Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 more nets are being used, one less child dies of malaria. With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not being protected by mosquito nets, there’s the potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.

Reducing the number of people who contract malaria would also reduce poverty levels in Africa significantly, thus improving other aspects of society like education levels and the economy. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means fewer people are getting sick. When fewer people get sick, the working population is stronger as a whole because people are not put out of work from malaria, nor are they caring for sick relatives. Malaria-afflicted families can typically only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy families can harvest. Additionally, a family with members who have malaria spends roughly a quarter of its income treatment, not including the loss of work they also must deal with due to the illness. It’s estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of.  

This essay begins with an introduction, which ends with the thesis (that malaria eradication plans in Sub-Saharan Africa should focus on prevention rather than treatment). The first part of the essay lays out why the counter argument (treatment rather than prevention) is not as effective, and the second part of the essay focuses on why prevention of malaria is the better path to take.

• The thesis appears early, is stated clearly, and is supported throughout the rest of the essay. This makes the argument clear for readers to understand and follow throughout the essay.
• There’s lots of solid research in this essay, including specific programs that were conducted and how successful they were, as well as specific data mentioned throughout. This evidence helps strengthen the author’s argument.
• The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
• The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.

Argumentative Essay Example 3

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.

Proponents of the idea believe that, because college athletes are the ones who are training, participating in games, and bringing in audiences, they should receive some sort of compensation for their work. If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there (sometimes very high) salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports. In fact, the NCAA brings in roughly $1 billion in revenue a year, but college athletes don’t receive any of that money in the form of a paycheck. Additionally, people who believe college athletes should be paid state that paying college athletes will actually encourage them to remain in college longer and not turn pro as quickly, either by giving them a way to begin earning money in college or requiring them to sign a contract stating they’ll stay at the university for a certain number of years while making an agreed-upon salary.  

Supporters of this idea point to Zion Williamson, the Duke basketball superstar, who, during his freshman year, sustained a serious knee injury. Many argued that, even if he enjoyed playing for Duke, it wasn’t worth risking another injury and ending his professional career before it even began for a program that wasn’t paying him. Williamson seems to have agreed with them and declared his eligibility for the NCAA draft later that year. If he was being paid, he may have stayed at Duke longer. In fact, roughly a third of student athletes surveyed stated that receiving a salary while in college would make them “strongly consider” remaining collegiate athletes longer before turning pro.

Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.

People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.

They also argue that paying college athletes actually means only a small fraction would make significant money. Out of the 350 Division I athletic departments, fewer than a dozen earn any money. Nearly all the money the NCAA makes comes from men’s football and basketball, so paying college athletes would make a small group of men--who likely will be signed to pro teams and begin making millions immediately out of college--rich at the expense of other players.

Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.

People on this side also point out that, while the NCAA brings in a massive amount of money each year, it is still a non-profit organization. How? Because over 95% of those profits are redistributed to its members’ institutions in the form of scholarships, grants, conferences, support for Division II and Division III teams, and educational programs. Taking away a significant part of that revenue would hurt smaller programs that rely on that money to keep running.

While both sides have good points, it’s clear that the negatives of paying college athletes far outweigh the positives. College athletes spend a significant amount of time and energy playing for their school, but they are compensated for it by the scholarships and perks they receive. Adding a salary to that would result in a college athletic system where only a small handful of athletes (those likely to become millionaires in the professional leagues) are paid by a handful of schools who enter bidding wars to recruit them, while the majority of student athletics and college athletic programs suffer or even shut down for lack of money. Continuing to offer the current level of benefits to student athletes makes it possible for as many people to benefit from and enjoy college sports as possible.

This argumentative essay follows the Rogerian model. It discusses each side, first laying out multiple reasons people believe student athletes should be paid, then discussing reasons why the athletes shouldn’t be paid. It ends by stating that college athletes shouldn’t be paid by arguing that paying them would destroy college athletics programs and cause them to have many of the issues professional sports leagues have.

• Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side. It allows readers to get a full view of the argument and its nuances.
• Certain statements on both sides are directly rebuffed in order to show where the strengths and weaknesses of each side lie and give a more complete and sophisticated look at the argument.
• Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay

Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.

#1: Make Your Thesis Crystal Clear

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. The typical spot for it is the final sentence of the introduction paragraph, but if it doesn’t fit in that spot for your essay, try to at least put it as the first or last sentence of a different paragraph so it stands out more.

Also make sure that your thesis makes clear what side of the argument you’re on. After you’ve written it, it’s a great idea to show your thesis to a couple different people--classmates are great for this. Just by reading your thesis they should be able to understand what point you’ll be trying to make with the rest of your essay.

#2: Show Why the Other Side Is Weak

When writing your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the other side of the argument and just focus on your side, but don’t do this. The best argumentative essays really tear apart the other side to show why readers shouldn’t believe it. Before you begin writing your essay, research what the other side believes, and what their strongest points are. Then, in your essay, be sure to mention each of these and use evidence to explain why they’re incorrect/weak arguments. That’ll make your essay much more effective than if you only focused on your side of the argument.

#3: Use Evidence to Support Your Side

Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.

Summary: Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essays are persuasive essays that use facts and evidence to support their side of the argument. Most argumentative essays follow either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. By reading good argumentative essay examples, you can learn how to develop your essay and provide enough support to make readers agree with your opinion. When writing your essay, remember to always make your thesis clear, show where the other side is weak, and back up your opinion with data and evidence.

What's Next?

Do you need to write an argumentative essay as well? Check out our guide on the best argumentative essay topics for ideas!

You'll probably also need to write research papers for school. We've got you covered with 113 potential topics for research papers.

Your college admissions essay may end up being one of the most important essays you write. Follow our step-by-step guide on writing a personal statement to have an essay that'll impress colleges.

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

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