Argument Essays (Examples)

Introduction

The best argumentative essay titles reveal the nature of the argument and suggest the position that you will be taking as the author of the argument.  Since every argument has at least two sides to it, your essay title should point out these two sides.  Then it should identify the side you think makes the most sense, i.e., the correct position to take.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to use the “vs.” approach and follow that up with a colon and the position you’re taking.  Another way is to ask a question and follow it up with the answer.  A third way to write a good argumentative essay title is to call out the opposition and give the reason it is wrong.  See these examples for an idea of how to write great argumentative essay titles.

Argumentative Essay Titles

1. Capitalism vs. Socialism:  Why Adam…

Homosexuality and Marriage

Argumentative esponse

Controversial debates have been on the rise on whether gay marriages should be allowed in the society. Marriage is a key institution in the society. There are many reasons for marriage that may not apply to homosexuals. Gay marriages should not be allowed because marriage is traditional and morally for heterosexuals. This will cause a lot of chaos in the society, which will destroy the institution of marriage. Homosexuality is a sinful lifestyle and against the societies morals and, therefore, should not be encouraged at all grounds.

Gay marriages should not be allowed majorly because it is not morally upright, and it is a not normal for the society. Marriages were traditionally formed for the man woman companionship. Since the introduction of heterosexual marriages, there have never been any problems associated with these marriages. Gay marriages will serve to erode the good things on heterosexual…

Privacy, Security, Whistleblowing

[Surveillance is a necessary evil to prevent terrorist attacks from happening.]A [For example, the secret "PRSM" effort saved New York City's subways from a 2009 terrorist plot led by a young Afghan-American, Najibullah Zazi.]

A = Main Argument

Surveillance is a necessary evil to prevent terrorist attacks

B = Level

The secret PRSM effort saved New York City's subways in 2009 from a terrorist plot.

Claim B. is Level 1 and supports Argument A, which is the main argument.

[Surveillance violates the right to privacy by citizens worldwide.]A [Of course, citizens already release their private data to government and companies alike, whether it be the tax office, health services or banks.]B [However, in all those cases, we can decide for ourselves which information is shared, so our privacy is not violated, whereas the government surveillance schemes sweep up information without our explicit permission.]C

C = Main Argument…

Death and Justice by Edward I. Koch. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch defends his beliefs and convictions regarding capital punishment, and discuss why it is such a volatile issue facing our country. The article includes Koch's opinions refuting some of the most popular arguments against capital punishment.

Koch ends paragraph two with a question because he wants the reader to think about his statement. If he simply made a statement, perhaps the reader might not stop to ponder what he had said, but the question format creates a natural break in the reading, and makes the reader stop to think. Clearly, Koch saw this as a crucial way to begin his essay, and he wanted his readers to look into their own minds and delve into their own beliefs and prejudices about capital punishment. Ending this paragraph with a question is one way to get the reader to…

Evidence

The case reveals how the police officers have obtained the cocaine evidence by searching a man house without a warrant making the man to be charged for possession of cocaine. Objective of this paper is to argue whether the cocaine evidence against the man is admissible since the police officers search the man's house and obtain the evidence without a warrant.

Argument in Favor of Prosecutor

A warrant refers to a legal order legally signed by a judge authorizing the police to search a specific location or private property of an individual. While the Fourth Amendment stipulates that a police officer requires a warrant to search a home or property of a private citizen, nevertheless, the prosecutor can argue that the police officers do not require a warrant to search the man house, thus, the evidence should be admissible.

The prosecutor can use the stop and risk theory to…

An Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
1. Introduction
As the epigraph makes clear, one of the irrefutable facts about the history of humankind has been the existence of various types of religions since time immemorial. Indeed, ancient peoples looked at the sky and the world around them in wonder, and instinctively sought to identify the source of all of this miraculous creation. It is not surprising, then, that the belief in the existence of God can said to be as old as humankind itself. The purpose of this study is to provide a critical analysis of the relevant literature concerning the historic and contemporary ontological argument for the existence of God, and to explicate these findings into a coherent analysis that can serve as a foundation for further research.
2. Historical ontological arguments for the existence of God
In this regard, one authority reports that, “One of the…

Capital punishment is defined as the legal infliction of death as a punishment, or the death penalty. The United States is one of a decreasing number of countries who still practice capital punishment, using methods such as lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the first known execution in the United States was carried out in 1608. During the Revolutionary War, capital punishment was widely accepted. After war 11 colonies wrote new constitutions which all authorized capital punishment. In 1790, the First Congress enacted legislation that implemented capital punishment for the crimes of robbery, rape, murder, and forgery of public securities. During the nineteenth century there were 1,391 documented executions. The death penalty continued as an acceptable practice in the United States until 1967 when a national moratorium was enacted while the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of the death penalty.…

Zoo Animals

Human beings have kept animals in zoos for centuries, but only relatively recently have the ethical considerations of this practice been widely considered. At one extreme are those individuals and organizations that see no problem keeping animals in zoos and other attractions, in keeping with the long history of animal confinement in the service of human entertainment, and at the other extreme are those individuals and groups arguing that animals should not be kept in zoos out of ethical considerations. However, this dichotomy has been complicated in recent years as zoos have increasingly become some of the most important centers of animal conservancy efforts, forcing a reevaluation of the ethical status of zoos in regards to the animals they contain, and the potential benefit they provide. Examining the history of zoos, their potential for harm, and the ways they might better consider animal welfare reveals that not only…

Pechter's

"Too Much Violence: Murdering Wives in Othello"

The Author's Argument

Othello according to the author is the renaissance play where the most heinous act of violence against women occurs. He says "of all the acts of violence against women represented on the English Renaissance stage…Othello's murder of Desdemona, followed quickly by Iago's murder of Emilia, is the most appalling" (366). Throughout the piece the author gives accounts of writers, critics and reviewers who do not seem to believe this, instead stating in one case that it is a shame that "the exigencies of the stage require the omission of the exquisite scene. Pechter sees the violence as a product of the times, but cannot excuse the fact that people not only want to see the scene, and believe that the scene is essential to the workings of the play. He is making the argument for the reader, but he…

The “Assessing Your Strategies and Creating New Goals” section covers issues related to how well I construct and evaluate arguments. The different components in this section include making analytical reasoning a priority, which refers to my willingness to take the time and think things through before offering a response. On this element, I score a solid 5. While I aspire to be a more thoughtful person who can consider all the ramifications of my decisions, I also do not want to take too much time making choices or to be indecisive. I do encourage others to analyze their own assumptions, though. Having been the eldest child with four siblings has indeed encouraged me to be both a fast and a thorough thinker who can outwit my competitors or opponents when necessary.
In recognizing arguments and their structure, I score much higher—between a 4 and a 5. This element has to…

Against Affirmative Action

Contrary to the common perception, not all opponents of "Affirmative Action" are white males. Many African-Americans are also opposed to its continued application. For example, ard Connerly, University of California Regent is black and a leading opponent of Affirmative Action. He believes that:

Affirmative action is an undesirable "crutch" for the black people on which they have started to depend believing that it is not possible to achieve anything without this "crutch."

The original intent of Affirmative Action was to eliminate discrimination rather than having different standards for blacks and whites for university admissions and hiring in government jobs. Connerly views such "preferences" as discriminatory.

Affirmative Action poisons the relationships between different groups and builds resentment because of the wide-spread perception among the white males that it works to the advantage of the minorities at their cost.

Connerly believes that preferences in jobs and admissions unnecessarily marginalize…

Argumentative Essay Outline

Introduction

What makes an argument effective?  Logic is key, and so too is the progression of thought from point A to point B.  If one cannot follow your reasoning, it will be that much harder to make the argument stick.  To help with your essay, try our argumentative essay outline.  It gives the basic structure for how to set up an argument, what steps to take to get from where you are to where you want to be, and even shows how to plug in the points you want to make in your own paper.  Let’s get started!

Argumentative Essay Outline Template

I. Introduction

a. Pose a question related to the problem you want to argue.  This will be the “hook” with which you catch the reader and lure him in.

b. Answer the question with a series of points related to your argument.

c. The points…

limiting free speech ID: 53711

The arguments most often used for limiting freedom of speech include national security, protecting the public from disrupting influences at home, and protecting the public against such things as pornography.

Of the three most often given reasons for limiting freedom of speech, national security may well be the most used. President after president, regardless of party has used national security as a reason to not answer questions that might be embarrassing personally or would show their administration as behaving in ways that would upset the populace. Although there are many examples of government apply the "national security" label to various situations, perhaps some of the stories that are associated with the Iran-Contra issue best display what government uses limitations on free speech for. In horrific tangle of lies double and triple dealing that resulted in the deaths of many Nicaraguans, the egan administration sought to…

War on Drugs

The concept of the 'War on Drugs' was first coined by President Nixon back in 1971 in an effort to discourage the illegal trafficking of drugs. The primary motivation for this was the way that many states were falling victim to the dynamics of the drugs and terrorism links prevalent in the region. There have many studies conducted that show various authentic connections between the drug business and how a majority of the money it produces is used to fund terrorism and destructive activities.

Throughout the late 19th century, numerous parts of the United States, from time to time, have faced numerous disruptions in their efforts for the peace process because of the growth of the drug industry. The entire debate on war in drugs now revolves around whether or not, certain drugs must be legalized/not legalized and their trafficking and distribution monitored. In a recent article,…

Introduction

Physician-assisted suicide, or physician-assisted death, refers to “the process that allows terminally ill adults to request from their physician, receive from their pharmacist, and take a lethal dose of medication to end their life,” (Death with Dignity, n.d.). Although seemingly similar to euthanasia, physician-assisted death is different in that it tends to refer to situations where the patient does not act with autonomy. Physician-assisted death is still controversial and is illegal in most states. However, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California, and Colorado have legalized physician-assisted death, and several other states have pending legislation to do so as of 2018 (Quill & Sussman, 2018). The medical community itself is divided on the practice of physician-assisted death. Arguments for physician-assisted death include the rights of patients to self-determination. Arguments against physician-assisted death include the obligation of the physician to heal, not kill, the potential for ambiguous situations where there is some risk…

Josephson Howe

1444 South Pinnacle Drive

John McAdams

Head of Political Science

1250 W Wisconsin Avenue

Dear Mr. McAdams,

EF: The Case against the Death Penalty

The death penalty is a form of punishment used to punish offenders for capital crimes or capital offenses such as treason, murder, and armed robbery. This form of punishment is used by states to execute people who are found guilty of various crimes that are commonly known as capital crimes or offenses. However, the use of this form of punishment varies across countries and states depending on the existing regulations that define the type of capital crimes that are punishable by the death sentence or penalty. In the past few years, capital punishment has become increasingly controversial and attracted several debates between proponents (like you) and opponents (like me). Following an analysis of arguments and counter-arguments, I hold the view that the death penalty…

Ethnography

There is no such thing as a time machine. Ancient history can only be understood by modern peoples through the cultural documentation that was left behind. ritings from the period of the New Testament exist but they do not provide information into every aspect of everyday life. Consequently, historians and scholars must analyze the documents that are in existence in order to gain a greater understanding into the world's past. One technique that makes it possible for current populations to understand ancient texts is the use of literary ethnography. This procedure is the endeavor to use qualitative means to learn about and to better understand various cultural documentation and ideology which mirror that culture's society. Particularly of importance to ethnography is the ways and means of knowledge acquisition of a culture and also the system of meanings and which dictate that culture, such as language and the roles of…

Language Controversy

The art of argumentation is a style of reasoning with civility that is the foundation of discourse in business, public affairs, and group process. The emphasis on freedom of speech in a democracy is based on a civil society's need to resolve complex problems using discourse and argumentation instead of violence. In the interpersonal sphere, mastering the rhetoric of reasonable argumentation is an effective way to get people to listen to and respect what one says.

Americans are lucky to live in a society that offers its citizens freedom of speech. This freedom has, for decades, provided Americans with the right to have ideas that are originally and not necessarily "politically correct." However, in today's society, many people are joining a movement aimed at stripping us of freedom of speech in an effort to become more politically correct.

In Michiko Kakutani's essay, The Word Police (1996), the author…

Theism or Atheism?

When humans consider the existence of God, they tend to look outward for evidence and inward for understanding. Humans must process both types of information through a filter that is based on an unwarranted confidence in human reasoning. Or, failing that, humans must fall back to rely on faith. The nature of faith may perhaps be characterized by an absence of definitive criteria other than the absolutes that are sometimes associated with faith. Consider the parameter suggested by the phrase: "Oh, ye of little faith" (Matthew 8:26). A believer can be described as having faith along a continuum: Great faith, little faith, no faith. However, if-then clauses are not attached to faith. It is generally not regarded as acceptable to claim that one will have faith, if something else -- whatever that concept of else may be. To qualify faith in this way transforms belief into bargaining:…

Capitalism vs. Democracy

Curing Neoliberalism with Democracy

Pope Francis, never one to shy away from controversy, attacked contemporary forms of capitalism as not only exclusionary, but also deadly (Downie). To support his claim, Francis notes that the news media regularly report a meaningless one or two percent change in the Dow Industrials, but the death of a homeless person goes unnoticed; or that daily tons of food is thrown into the trash while millions starve. Although some liberty was taking in the paraphrasing of Francis' words, the point is the same; i.e., capitalism today, as it is being practiced, rewards the ruthless and powerful and marginalizes the rest. According to the author of the ashington Post article about Pope Francis' stinging criticism of neoliberalism, James Downie, what separates Pope Francis from earlier papal proclamations of capitalist evils is that Francis talks specifics, such as the destructiveness of trickle-down economics and…

Part One
The American healthcare system is in a crisis situation, with exorbitant spending unbalanced by “poor health outcomes, including shorter life expectancy and greater prevalence of chronic conditions” versus high income countries with universal healthcare systems (Squires & Anderson, 2015, p. 1). The Affordable Care Act was an attempt, albeit an incomplete one, to reform the way healthcare is structured and financed. Universal health care is a concept that has gained some traction in the United States, but its thorough implementation is hindered by values, norms, and fears. Overall, the pros of universal healthcare undoubtedly outweigh the cons. The pros of universal healthcare include reductions in wasteful spending, the promotion of social justice and health equity, and the improvement of overall health outcomes in the United States.
The United States already has some limited forms of universal healthcare, addressing the needs of specific patient populations. For example, the American…

person has the right to live their lives with dignity and freedom, a person also has the right to die with the same dignity and freedom. A person who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, for which there is no cure and which causes certain pain, should not be forced to suffer. Likewise, a person should be allowed to choose whether or not to keep their body on life support indefinitely, even if they are in a persistent vegetative state from which no meaningful recovery. The collective issues known loosely as "right to die" comprise various types of physician-assisted suicide, in which a medical doctor can help a terminally ill patient to end their suffering. ight to die legislation, like that recently passed in the state of California, helps not only the patients but also their families ensure all Americans have access to the quality of life they deserve.…

validity of the argument and the counterargument for corporal punishment on children and adolescents. The paper furthermore attempts to view this issue from the perspective of the adults administering and questioning this issues as well as from the perspective of the young people on the receiving end of punishment. In this way, the paper aims to provide holistic context by arguing for both sides of the issues from more than one perspective.

Corporal punishment is an issue that is debated often with respect to local and global issues. Corporal punishment is most often applied to children in the home and as part of their formal education. Corporal may be experienced in other institutions, including in situations where adults experience corporal punishment such as in the military, prison, fraternities, and in the home as part of domestic abuse. There is often a spectrum of perspective with regard to the issue of…

Assignment 1: Is physician-assisted suicide morally acceptable when a person is suffering from a painful, incurable, terminal condition? 

Premise 1: Physician-assisted suicide is not morally acceptable under any circumstances.

According to the American Medical Association (2018), “permitting physicians to engage in assisted suicide would ultimately cause more harm than good,” (p. 1). The reasoning behind the AMA’s position is threefold. First, the AMA (2018) claims that physician-assisted suicide is “incompatible with the physician’s role as healer,” (p. 1). Second, the AMA points out that there are too many ways the process can be abused. As alternatives to physician-assisted suicide, the AMA recommends improving access to pain relief and emotional support to patients with terminal illnesses.

Another reason for opposing physician-assisted suicide is the rapid pace at which medicine advances. If a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, there is still a possibility—however slim—that either a cure or an…

Biblical Argument

illiam Apess and the Biblical argument against racism

As a Native American who lived through the end of the 18th century and first 39 years of the 19th century, illiam Apess was subjected to extreme levels of racial prejudice. Indeed, the years during which Apess was most prolific as an author corresponded with the Presidential term of Andrew Jackson, a figure whose political platform included the mistreatment (and eradication) of Native Americans. As the son of a former slave and a member of the Pequot Native American tribe, Apess was exposed to significant racial injustice. However, he was also an Evangelical Christian, and used his extensive knowledge of the Bible as a platform through which to argue against racism. He also advocated for Native Americans to receive a formal education, and his own writing testifies to the power that education can have in influencing popular belief. Drawing from…

Socratic Argument

In the Apology, Socrates is being placed on trial by three of his rivals for different activities that he is accused of being involved in. The most notable include: corrupting the youth of Athens and not supporting the same religious beliefs as everyone else. During the trial, his enemies are utilizing these charges to demonstrate how he knowingly engaged in these actions. They are demanding that he apologize for the crimes that he committed and begin to conform to the most common practices in contemporary society. (Plato, 2000) ("The Apology," 2012) ("Analysis of the Apology," 2010)

However, Socrates uses this as a forum to ridicule these individuals, question the legitimacy of the trial and to defend himself. This is problematic, as these cavalier attitudes will eventually lead to him being found guilty and sentenced to death. To fully understand what is taking place requires carefully examining his key…

pursuant attached instructions. The argument analysis attached article, Ellen inner. As, instructions I sources -text citations/quotations.

Argument analysis:

"Sometimes our folk theories are correct: Parents do shape their children"

Ellen inner's essay "Sometimes our folk theories are correct: Parents do shape their children" is a counter-argument to recent claims that 'nurture' is of little importance in shaping children's life paths and personalities. She argues that the results of personality tests have had far too much of an influence on recent theories which suggest that biology shapes the human character more than the environment. She adds that furthermore, the lack of 'mirroring' of parents and children on personality tests is hardly adequate testimony to a lack of parental influence. Children may react to their parents' influence, in a negative way, argues inner. To substantiate this she cites the hypothetical example of an Alex P. Keaton-like child who reacts against his parent's…

Academic Argument on Faculty Perceptions of Student Disengagement in Online Learning

The emergence of technology has meant that today people are challenged every single day to accept something new in their lives on a regular basis. This is not to say that this is a bad thing, but the argument that can here is that are we really ready as a society to incorporate these new technological advancements in their day-to-day life? And it is exactly at this juncture that we face a critical issue.

hile there is no doubt that the mark of technology has been felt on every segment of our lives, no matter how trivial it may seem, the fact of the matter remains that there is currently a majority of people who are not equipped to handle this new intrusion in their lives. The reason for this can vary from the lack of acceptability to the…

Nursing Argument

Getting old is not very fun when considering the opinions of the elderly. This is true because many hard and difficult decisions must be made in terms of health and health care. Two options immediately arise when one is not able to take care of themselves and seek the assistance of others. The first option is home health care and the other is nursing home health care. The purpose of this essay is to examine, weigh and discuss these two options. This essay will then conclude on when it is best to choose nursing home care and when it is not wise or advisable to do such a thing.

Home Health Care

What exactly is home health care and what does it entail? Home health care helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, given the limits of their medical condition. It covers a wide range of…

Holy Trinity

Doctrine

Basil's Argumentation on the Holy Trinity

Basil's argumentation defending the divinity of the Holy Spirit addresses the unity of the Godhead and the eternal associations of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son within the Holy Trinity (Basil 60). Not only does this augment his defense of the Holy Spirit, it completes St. Basils' trinitarian theology thereby laying the foundations of Orthodox Christian Trinitarian theology.

The Holy Trinity

The unity of the Godhead is reflected in the works of the Holy Trinity. hether regarding creation or human redemption, the works of the Holy Trinity are always one, revealing the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A good example of this unity of action is in the creation of the angels. These pure, spiritual and transcendent powers are called holy because they receive their holiness from the Holy Spirit. In considering the angels, or any…

Closing Argument

A modern-day reenactment: the murder trial of Ned Kelly

This is the story of a courageous hero. A valiant leader and bold luminary, who was not afraid to stand up for justice. It's the story of a man who was not afraid to stand up for his family and his community, and fight to defend against an oppressive government and a corrupt and violent police force.

This brave man is Ned Kelly. And it is precisely because of his strong sense of justice and leadership ability that made him a target of the police and government.

We've seen that the police would resort to uncivilized violence for the sake of maintaining order in a rigged system, that reduced the Irish Catholics of this country to poor, 2nd class citizens. The police were blindly carrying out the British government's system, which relegated the Irish Catholics to permanent inferior status.…

One of them is represented by the inability of the system to satisfy the necessities of the people in need of financial assistance. Take the simple case of the retired Americans, who live on social security. Their income -- in the context in which it is limited to social security -- is not sufficient to ensure a decent life style. In other words, the system is unable to adequately support the individuals, and these need to also ensure their pension funds from other sources.

"To have a comfortable retirement, Americans need much more than just Social Security. They also need private pensions, savings and investments" (Federal Citizen Information Center, 2005).

The current social securities system is complex and inefficient and, as the editors at How Stuff Works point out, it is no longer applicable in the current context of the dynamic and modern day society. This is explained through two…

The enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has brought exponentially higher costs of operating to every organization that must comply to its requirements. As many organizations are already quite lean in terms of headcount to minimize costs, many outsource compliance and the resulting business process management (BPO) activities to outsourcing organizations. Ironically legislation meant to bring American companies into higher levels of compliance continues to be one of the most lucrative businesses globally for outsourcing companies. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) continues to accelerate as organizations spend heavily to gain access to expertise they do not have the funds to hire or the resources to fully take advantage of. The costs of compliance and governance and the risks associated with it paradoxically create higher levels of risk for organizations the laws were meant to protect and infuse with stability. Yet for all the costs of compliance, the benefits to organizations have already…

The scientists in the documentary the Great Global Warming Swindle (2007) are conservatives and are letting their politics rule their science. Even though they allege that the bad science in an Inconvenient Truth is unsupported by scientific fact, and just because they present scientific facts disputing the science presented in an Inconvenient Truth, just goes to show that the truth is not always convenient! Science has been wrong many times in the past, and everyday in the news there is information to show that what many of us grew up believing, like that Uranus is a planet; has been proven wrong.

Just because Al Gore did not use mathematical formulas in his an Inconvenient Truth, does not mean that the scientists who used mathematical formulas to show that Al

Gore's assertions were wrong are right.

Al Gore wasn't just vice president; he was also a United States senator and very…

nselm's Ontological rgument

nselm (1033-1109), philosopher, theologian and church leader, has presented an argument for the existence of God that has been debated by philosophers and academicians for centuries. nselm presented this argument in the second chapter of his book Proslogium (Discourse) written in 1078, and it became known as the 'ontological argument' much later, in the 18th century. From the beginning, nselm's argument has met with criticism, appreciation and interest. Even in his lifetime a fellow monk, Gaunilo challenged his argument, as have some later philosophers, including Immanuel Kant. Other philosophers like Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz have indirectly supported nselm's view by presenting similar arguments for the existence of God. ny argument or thesis that has evoked so much interest over such a long period must have some merit and needs to be looked at with seriousness and an open mind. However, after a critical analysis of nselm's argument,…

It might be said that, had Lincoln not been elected, the war might have been put off by a few years, and then a solution might perhaps have been reached. However, as has been demonstrated, the country was moving inexorably toward war and no other solution would work. If the war had been put off by a few years, the result would more than likely have been even more terrible and bloody than it was. General Grant was of the opinion that the war was inevitable. "The Southern rebellion was largely the outgrowth of the Mexican war," he wrote in his Personal Memoirs, in accord with his belief that the Mexican-American War was the result of the South's attempts to extend slavery into Mexican-controlled Texas, "Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions. We got our punishment in the most sanguinary and expensive war in modern times." Grant would then…

The Cosmological Argument: This argument begins with the tenet that for the Universe to exist something outside the universe must have created it. Also refereed to as the First Cause or the Uncaused Cause theory, here God exists as the prime mover that brought the universe into existence. The universe is a series of events, which began with God who must exist apart from the universe, outside of time and space as well. (Martin) the detractors of this theory say that if everything has a creator than God must also have a creator and that perhaps an infinite series of creators and universes exist as well. Also if God is an uncaused cause than why could not the universe be one as well.

The Moral Argument: This is perhaps one of the most interesting arguments for the existence of God. Basically it states that since man perceives a moral law,…

Watch Argument

An Assessment of Paley's Natural theology: The Watch Argument

In this section of Archdeacon of Carlisle William Paley's Natural Theology, the author constructs a detailed yet essentially simple and straightforward argument for the existence of God in the form of some primary designer. More specifically, Paley makes an argument against atheism or the belief that there is no such designer for the universe through a lengthy analogy about a watch, or perhaps a series of watches, he imagines might be discovered on the ground. Unlike a stone that can be assumed to have lain on the ground "forever," a watch found on the ground that has specific movements that appear to serve a specific purpose must have come from a creative and purposeful mind that designed the watch; the parts and their purpose could not have coalesced by simple chance the way a stone might tumble to the…

If the teacher and the majority of the class were engaged in prayer, that student will undoubtedly be receiving the message that his or her beliefs are inferior and not as important. Schools are the primary institutions of forming social and political identities, and it is for this reason that they must be kept religiously neutral.

Allowing religion into public schools will only increase feelings of separatism and inequality in this country. It is not only Constitutionally forbidden, but it is also ethically and morally prohibited. Whether or not the religion is permitted to directly influence the workings of the class, members of non-dominant religions or who are not at all religious will necessarily feel inferior to the rest of the class. The protection of their rights in the face of other's actions is the primary concern of the Constitution.

Outline

Introduction

I. Freedom of religion is a founding principle.…

To distinguish battery from assault, the major deciding factor is whether there has been an actual touching of the victim. If so, the crime can only be battery. However, if there has been no such touching, then the act may or may not constitute an assault, depending on the circumstances and the wording of the law.

All jurisdictions include certain aggravating factors that raise a simple assault to an aggravated assault, which are typically felonies. These aggravating circumstances include using a dangerous or deadly weapon and/or having the intent to rape, maim or murder the victim.

An example of an aggravated assault, which is a felony, would be if Jack threatened to hit John with a baseball bat and came swinging at him. In the case at hand, if Sharon had missed her husband, her act would most likely be held as an aggravated assault. However, once the contact or…

Patriotic Act

Arguments for and against the Patriot Act

The unusual events surrounding the creation and passing of the Patriot Act make it a suspect bill in many eyes. However, major media reports like this one: "Fifty-nine percent in an ABC News/ashington Post poll favor continuing the additional investigative authority in terrorism investigations that was granted to the FBI starting in 2001. President Bush urged such an extension of the Patriot Act today" (Langer) insist that there are others who support it and promote it as a protection against the kind of terrorism that was seen on 9/11. For supporters the idea of sacrificing civil liberties for security measures such as the TSA is, while unfortunate, a necessary evil. Those who oppose it, like alternative media journalist Ryan Dawson and Sen. Ron Paul, decry it as government intrusion. This paper will give arguments for and against the Patriot Act and…

After establishing that it is conceded that African-Americans are humans, Douglass moves on to the proposition that he should not be called upon to prove that humans are entitled to liberty. He points out that Americans have already declared that man is entitled to liberty and freedom. He points out that all men resist slavery and feel it is wrong for another person to claim ownership of them. He also points out the brutal side of slavery, and argues that no person could argue that those things were somehow right including: beatings, lashings, shackling, hunting them with dogs, split out families, knocking out their teeth, selling them at auction, and starvation. He believes that it is ridiculous to expect him to argue that a system that includes all of these horrors is wrong.

Douglass' also tackles the common argument during the time that slavery was a divinely ordained condition or…

Paley's Argument From Design

William Paley's version of the argument from design is that Nature has a discernible order to it; a design and therefore it can be inferred that there is a Creator behind it. Paley reached this conclusion through using an analogy involving a watch and an ordinary stone, on the basis of which he inferred that if from finding a watch on the ground, it can be reasoned that the watch was an object that had been designed by someone for a purpose, the same logic could also be applied to a stone. Paley built his theory by addressing conceivable objections to his analogy: the conclusion that the watch had been designed for a purpose would have been reached even if an observer had no prior knowledge of the object; or if the watch was not working at the time of reasoning; or even in the case…

The real fire that burns you is the fire that is produced by God as the natural regulatory forces of nature. While the fire that is hallucination is fire that is conjured through the ideation of finite spirits such as other individuals. Real fire, since it is a subjective creation of God, has the ability to burn us, while illusionary fires do not have that inherent ability. Therefore all objectives that are not perceived by other human beings are perceived by God and have an existence within the world.

Berkeley's fundamental argument about reality and matter is that they are all sensory perceptions. However, since God creates ultimate harmony within the world and moreover provides a system in which we live in, his rules applies to all objects that we possess and use. Therefore, although arsenic in itself is nothing more than an idea, it is an idea that is…

Illusion

The Argument from Illusion -- a Description

The British philosopher George Berkeley sets forth an argument that separates the experience of the reality of an object from the object being experienced. By doing so, he suggests that things exist in different states -- not only the physical. This duality, plurality, or concurrent entity that one perceives is not the real object, or so Berkeley argues, because it has different properties than those properties one assigns to the material object. He supports his argument using several examples where the initial observation one might make has nothing to do with the reality of the object.

The Argument is not only that concerning illusion, but of hallucination and perceptual relativity. If an illusion is does not have the characteristics of the material object, then what is it? Similarly, the question is posed in terms of hallucinations for which no material object exists…

Court Opening Argument

It is humbly submitted to the Hon'ble Court that this respondent as per the issues and syllabus cited submit that the issues of the litigation pertain -- not only to the law of marriage, but also to the recognition if it must be accorded to same sex marriages and unions, and whether no recognizing this social development amounts to denial of the constitutional rights of a group of citizens. It is also pertinent to question if the states in allowing adoption to opposite sex couples and denying the same to same sex couples. The question then becomes still deeper with the challenge of the validity of same sex marriages.

It is still with various states to give effect to the Defence of Marriage Act -- DOMA and the definition of marriage as per section 3 of the act makes marriage between a man and a woman alone…

Dreaming argument & Pragmatism

Dreaming

The Blumenfelds' argument in regards to dreaming is essentially that since we have dreams that resemble real life experiences, we cannot be certain that at this moment we are not dreaming, given that the character of our experience does not always alert us to the fact that we are in a dream state. Austen's objection to this is that simply being able to say that dreams have a 'real life' quality presumes that one knows what real life is, as distinguishable from dreams. Austen demands that there must be a particular reason to distrust one's senses and think that one is dreaming (Slides 15-16). "It is possible to recognize cases of deception only if there is a background of general non-deception" (Slide 17).

For a Pyrrhonian Skeptic, one must remain in a continual state of doubt. However, the Blumenfelds' argument suggests doubts in the ability…

Paradaise Lost, Satan's argument to Eve possesses several fallacies. According to Laura Skye: "Satan's speeches are indeed rhetorical masterpieces that confuse and twist as much as his serpentine actions" (Slye 1). Satan does a wonderful job, up until the end of his speech, making his argument sound logical. However, he uses persuasive speech, flattery, and lies in order to convince her -- all fallacies of an argument.

Initially, Satan's actions with Eve involve little effort to convince her that he is not any evil demon that Adam told her to expect on her voyage. Of course, this is an example of one of Satan's fallacies, because he is lying -- of course he is evil; he's Satan, after all. The second type of fallacy he uses is flattery in order to gain her attention and trust, an essential objective if he was willing to destroy mankind (p. 248-249 lines 540-548):…

Ethical Argument

Proclaimed by scientists, the thriving cloning of an adult sheep and the prospect to clone a human being is one of the most striking and latest instances of a scientific innovation turning out to be a major argumentative issue. A variety of critics, physicians and legal specialists, scientists and theologians, talk-radio hosts, as well as editorial column writers, for the period of the preceding few months, have been effectively reacting to the news, a number of them bringing up fears and apprehensions on the ethical and moral side of the subject, of the viewpoint of cloning a human being.

The National ioethics Advisory Commission (NAC), at the appeal of the President, held inquiries, as well as organized a report on the ethical, religious, as well as lawful subjects contiguous to human cloning. The Commission suggested a suspension on attempts to clone human beings, at the same time as…

gun control, including counter arguments. Owning a gun is much more than just a statement about this country's Constitution and Second Amendment rights. Owning a gun is a measure of protection and freedom that illustrates the principles this country's founders created, and it is a right that Americans should not take for granted. Gun control is not a suitable method for controlling crime, and it has not been proven to help control violent crime.

First, it is imperative to define what "gun control" means, because it can mean different things to different people. Two experts note, "Gun control is an umbrella term covering everything from laws prohibiting the ownership of defined classes of firearms to mandating the inclusion of gun locks with every firearm sold" (Moorhouse & Wanner, 2006). Clearly, with such a broad definition, and differing meanings, gun control cannot be easily measured or understood, which is one of…

The first argument would be to point out that essentially, the right to bear arms is an individual right that can be exercised by any member of the civil society. In so doing, an individual is merely accomplishing a right that is rightfully his/hers from the beginning. The second main argument to be pointed out is that gun ownership does not necessarily translate to its improper use, posing as a threat to civil society. The legislative system has created a system that eliminates the occurrence of improper or inappropriate gun use, to prevent this threat from happening. Given these existing arguments for gun ownership, both anti-gun ownership groups and the general public would hopefully subsist to the view that indeed, exercising the right to bear arms is a privilege that will ensure the citizen of his/her safety and precaution against deviants in the civil society.

Mills Arguements

Intrinsic Value of Liberty

There can be very few doubts as to the importance of liberty to the philosophical espousing of John Stuart Mill, who even authored a treatise entitled On Liberty to underscore the amount of emphasis he placed on this particular concept. What is most interesting about the many different notions the author has in relation to freedom is the circumscriptions that are routinely placed upon it in what is the age-old conflict between the individual and the group -- the latter of which routinely takes the form of government or some other determining mechanism of society. Not surprisingly, Mill presents a number of viewpoints that contradict the notion that the morality of the state should influence the personal opinions and actions of the individual, especially when the effects of those actions only resonate within the individual himself. The two most eminent of these arguments, of…

In order to gain a more complex understanding of Novick's idea of liberty one would actually have to consider the difference principle and the effects it would have on groups of people who managed to differentiate themselves from the masses by becoming productive and by directing their attention toward making profits without hurting anyone or acting in disagreement with rights generally accepted by the social order. Rawls virtually acts in discordance with all that Novick's stands for, as the latter considers freedom as being one of the most important concepts that society has access to.

Novick would certainly be reluctant to accept living in a society where people accept the difference principle and guide themselves in accordance to it. The philosopher's book "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" is practically meant to condemn individuals like Rawls as a result of their ignorance of ideas that are very obvious. It is likely that…

Legal esearch and Argument

To begin the research for this case and the argument that follows, one must first examine the case and determine what is essential. It is assumed that the engineer was negligent because he should have known about the circular which advised that further structural support would be required for the type of building he was constructing. It is not enough to rely upon 20 years-worth of experience in the field because situations change which may negate all of that experience. Thus, this does not seem to be a legitimate argument for the engineer. It could be argued that the engineer was not made aware of the circular and that this was not his negligence but the persons who filed the document before he had seen it. Unfortunately, this would seem to be immaterial because it is the engineer's responsibility to stay abreast of important changes within…

It is worth considering that there may be underlying economic reasons for social standing -- at least when Veblen's argument is viewed from the present. Social standing can be a means to economic opportunity. The better one's standing, the more opportunities will be available and the fewer barriers there will be to taking advantage of those opportunities. As a result, there may have been an underlying economic reason for consumers to engage in conspicuous consumption. It may not have been irrational at all. It would be interesting to see Veblen's response to such a supposition, given that it would have run counter to his underlying views about humanity and its motivations.

However, Veblen did not view consumption that way. He viewed consumption more from the framework of a desire to "imbue experience with aesthetic unity" and that humans cooperate to shape their environments for the common good (Throntveit, 2008). Veblen's…

Silber's argument is that private universities and colleges, that he prefers to call 'independent', are really as much public as government-paid universities are since the public factor runs through all of their activities and manifestations. He goes on to laud the qualities of independent universities showing how they show a great record of diversity, how they contribute immensely to public education and professional contributions (in that, for instance, a majority of degrees are accorded to doctors, lawyers, and dentists), how they are careful and prudent in their activities, and, most of all, how so many of these independent institutions are becoming redundant and closing due to inability of expense to keep themselves afloat. Silber argues that in many ways they are more valuable to the public than public-sponsored universities are and that, therefore, it would be worth the taxpayer's while to keep these universities afloat.

Silber's primary fallacy -- and…

Most Americans value freedoms and liberties such as those protected in the United States Constitution. Those freedoms and liberties are violated when governments prevent access to drugs, which is why legalization may eventually happen on a state-by-state basis.

Marijuana has promising applications in health care, which is why states like California have recently permitted the sale and distribution of the drug to patients with prescriptions. The trend is spreading, and several other states also permit marijuana to be used for medical purposes. As more and more states follow suit, drugs will be effectively decriminalized. Law enforcement can divert its attention to violent crime, leaving ordinary citizens alone and leaving addicts in the care of trained psychological professionals. Consumers will purchase their pot from licensed dealers who they can trust, who carefully cultivate their strains to suit certain medical conditions, and who do not use chemical pesticides or any poison to…

He however mentioned that the construction of the system would revolutionize the way people travel in the region. Professional Engineering (2009) mentioned that the railway system account for about six percent of total passenger kilometers that are travelled in Britain. This figure need to be higher with the need for at least trebling the figure. HS2 is noted to be important in also presented the benefits of the HS2 system over the existing line. Bluespace Thinking (2011) performed a demand forecast, economic benefits as well as the alternative options to the ail as well as oad HS2 demand forecast.

The arguments for the proposed HS2 rail system

The Department of Transport (2011) presented a series of arguments that are in support of the proposed construction of a high speed rail system, HS2. The proposed railway system is expected to slash the time of travel between cities in order to bring…

Toulmin-Based Argument in Support of Pet Adoptions From Shelters

More people who want pets should adopt them from shelters because many unwanted animals are being destroyed each year in favor of purebred species obtained from other sources which provide their operators with a profit. The worth of the lives of these otherwise-doomed animals, though, far outweighs the individual pet-owning preferences of owners and no animal should be destroyed in favor of one that is bred for sale. Certainly, as discussed further below, this does not mean that individual pet-owners do not have a right to choose what type of animal they want for their families, but it does mean that more emphasis needs to be placed on pet adoptions from shelters to save as many animals from destruction as possible. In fact, some American communities have gone so far as to adopt a "no kill" policy in their pet shelters…

Tighter egulations for Buying Guns

The argument essay tighter regulations buying guns proposed. An requirements word file.

In the recent past, there have been mass shootings that have taken place in different states within the United States. These mass shootings have caused many innocent people to loose their lives, and this has led to the citizens and leaders pushing for stricter control for firearms. In 2012, there were three major shootings that prompted legislators to take action against gun control. The first was the Chardon High School shooting, where a student went on a rampage killing three students and injuring several other students. The second event was the Colorado Theater shooting. In this event, the shooter killed 12 people and injured 58 others. The final event took place in December 2012. The incident occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School where the shooter killed six adult staff and twenty children. The…