rite a 5 page argumentative paper presenting a thesis and then a rational argument defending your position.

For your final paper you will pick a topic of your choosing. Some suggestions are listed below, but if you feel strongly about another topic you can do it as long as the paper directly engages the material in some way. Write a 5 page argumentative paper presenting a thesis and then a rational argument defending your position. A few notes on Argumentative Papers An argumentative paper is not a research paper. You do not need to read any additional material. Look closely at the topic you chose and present reasons why you are right. Also: Be decisive. The point of an argumentative paper is not to explore or think about the topic, it’s to take a position and defend it. Avoid topics where all you say is “it depends” or “it’s up to the individual”. State in your thesis what you believe is right, then spend the rest of the paper providing reasonswhy others should agree with you. Be Clear. Write for someone who is not in the class. Usually, your topic has a clear opponent. Be sure to present a fair minded, even strong defense of their position, telling your audience what they would argue, and then confront these reasons directly and prove them wrong. Philosophy papers, despite what you’ve seen from Plato, tend to be precise and to the point. All philosophical activity starts with questioning our most basic assumptions, or most basic truths. Be careful when presenting your argument that you don’t just present your point of view, without presenting a reason or argument for that point of view. Once you choose a topic, narrow it down to a very specific thesis. Besides assistance from your instructor, under Resouces below, there are some great links designed to help you learn more about writing philosophically. It is strongly recommended you take a look at them. Pick one of the topics below Topic suggestions: Justice is/is not the advantage of the stronger Justice is/is not better than injustice Telling a “Noble Lie” to make society happier is/is not acceptible The Unexamined Life is/is not worth living Some People are better than the rest of us and should rule/This is not the case Living in a Democracy we should/Should not concern ourselves with the opinions of the majority of others Reason should/should not rule our emotions Resources: Philosophical Writing Advice – UNC Writing Center – http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/philosophy/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Writing Philosophy Article – http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/research/wp.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Park U Writing Center – http://www.park.edu/support/writing.asp