ETHICAL Arguments

Writing Ethical Arguments

When writing an ethical argument:

1.      TAKE A SIDE.

a.       Your essay should be a position paper, not a report.

2.      DEFEND A THESIS (POSITION).

a.       The paper must make an ethical argument in defense of a thesis.

b.      No matter what position you take on the assigned writing topic, you must

                                                                                      i.      DEFEND your POSITION on the topic—

                                                                                    ii.      DEFEND your THESIS.

3.      RESEARCH THE TOPIC THOROUGHLY.

a.       You need to have done enough research—from your assigned readings and outside sources (that are RELIABLE and CREDIBLE) to produce a clear and coherent argument.

b.      You need to fully understand the topic, key terms, all viewpoints, and be able to explain the position in your own words.

c.       The research will help you explain the topic, but do not let your research obscure the main purpose, which is to make an ethical argument.

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There are several possible ways to structure the paper, including one (or more) or the following:

·         Articulating and applying principles (such as love, respect for autonomy, respect for persons, the principle of utility, etc.) to the issue or to cases.

·         Investigating how one or more ethical sources work to support a view: for instance, how biblical principles or a religious tradition or a particular philosopher/philosophical school can be used to support your position on a focused issue. Such an approach should be critical, that is, with an awareness of where the philosophical or religious tradition is unclear or problematic and how others could use the tradition in a different manner.

·         Contrasting the arguments of two or more authors on an issue.

·         Developing and contrasting the pro and con arguments for a position.

·         Developing and answering a series of questions from general to particular, or particular to general.

·         Analyzing a case study.

The reader of an ethical argument is looking for three main things in your essay:

1.      a clear and interesting THESIS,

2.      your GRASP and APPLICATION of the ethical principles and theories, relating to the topic, and

3.      logical consistency.

After all, the most important part of ethical analysis is getting a clear grasp of the key ethical issues

• What values, principles, moral rules, etc., are involved? 
• What conflicts exist between them? 
• How will you weigh them?

To state the issues clearly is more important than reaching a decisive conclusion.

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INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH

Your introduction should directly state your THESIS—the ETHICAL argument you are going to make—and how you are going to go about it.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

GO BELOW THE SURFACE

Develop your own approach to the topic. When building your position upon another author or source, be critical and judicious in the use of that source. For instance, do not just list someone’s arguments and then agree or disagree with each one—that gets boring. Also, do not simply assert that the Bible prohibits killing; say what evidence you have, and why religious authors have made exceptions.

ADVANCE YOUR POSITION THROUGH JUSTIFICATION

Advancing a position requires justification. That is, in an ethics paper, you are not simply

offering an opinion or a proposal, but an argument. Support your position by clearly stating your reasons. Considering objections or alternate interpretations is normally quite important. State these—fairly—and respond to them. Make sure each part of your essay contributes to the strength of your ethical position. Check your argument for inconsistencies, self-contradiction, or giant leaps from one point to another.

Whatever your position, you should show how you are moving from the ethical analysis to your judgments based on clear reasoning.

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH

Your conclusion should be as equally direct as your INTRODUCTION was in your first paragraph.  Begin by restating your thesis (in new words—do not simply copy and paste your THESIS as the first line of your conclusion) and wrap up all of the ways you defended it in the BODY PARAGRAPHS.  End the CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH with a final sentence to leave the reader with something to think about regarding your ethical argument.

Content created using information from Brian Stiltner’s “Sample Guidelines for Writing Ethical Arguments.” 

Stiltner, Brian. “Sample Guidelines for Writing Ethical Arguments.” SacredHeart.edu,

SacredHeart, 9 Oct. 2006, Retrieved from www.sacredheart.edu/media/

sacredheart/hersherinstitute/1262_sample_guide_for_writing_ethical_args.doc.

1. This video presentation walks you through some basic concepts and viewpoints about ETHICAL ARGUMENTS.  I did not create this presentation.  It is open to the public through PREZI.
2. Visit THIS page to see the Guide to Ethical Reasoning--from Harvard University.  While the guide is specific to a class they offer on campus, the GUIDE possesses key concepts to ARGUMENT writing.