Length: The Argumentative Essay must be at
least 750 words but no more than 1250 words in length. The word count includes
the title page, the body of the paper, the list of references, and the argument
overview page.
Style: Follow The Chicago Manual of
Style, 17th ed. (University of Chicago Press) writing guidelines for the
Author-Date References Style. According to Author-Date guidelines, a sample paper is available in the Argumentative Essay Assignment Information and
Resources folder. Citation of sources is to be in the text of the article using
the author-date system. Neither footnotes nor endnotes are to be used
when citing sources. Assistance with this style is available at
Purdue Online Writing Lab. Students with questions about the required style
should contact the instructor for help. The typeface is to be Times New
Roman or Palatino in twelve-point type. The paper must be double-spaced, the
first line of each new paragraph is indented five spaces, and there are
to be one” margins on all sides. Arabic page numbers start on the first page of
text, after the title page, and are placed inside the right
margin in the header. Failure to comply with the required style may result in a full letter
grade deduction.
Assignment Details: The Argumentative Essay
uses the critical thinking tools surveyed in the course. Please select a topic and
take a position on an issue related to that topic ( I have already
picked Pride). Whatever topic is selected, students will want their
readers to be persuaded of the merits of the claim they are advocating by
creating a compelling argument for and defense of the claim. The claim is the
argument concludes that will be defended in the essay. Limit the scope of
the paper. For example, suppose students choose to take a position
on global climate change, national health care, or the living wage for the hourly
workers’ movement. In that case, they should find a much more narrowly focused
issue within the more important topic. Then, they should make a claim central to that
issue. ( I have already made a claim that I will provide; however, feel free if you feel
like you can give a better one.) That claim is the conclusion
students will be arguing for or against in the argumentative essay. Students
will want to allow enough room in the report to establish the actual status of
the premises they offer. When the premises are used in the argument, students
must provide their readers with reasons for taking the position seriously. Therefore,
students will need to draw on legitimate and credible sources to support those
premises. Students must provide at least two (2) different academic
sources justifying each premise.
Research Sources: In a successful
argumentative essay, students will need to draw upon legitimate external
sources to establish the truth status of the premises provided in support of
the conclusion of their central argument. For this assignment, the sources are
to be from peer-reviewed academic journal articles from the Georgia
State University Library. (They must be peer viewed, so after you look
up Pride to find your sources, you must go to the left-hand side, scroll down
until you see LIMIT TO, and check the box scholarly (Peer Reviewed) journals.) Academic librarians have already reviewed these journals and determined
to merit inclusion in the library’s collections. So, students must locate
peer-reviewed articles to justify the premises they are using in their
arguments. Here is the link to the Georgia state university library; if you need
a login, please call, text, or email me. https://library.gsu.edu/
This requirement excludes most of the Internet, including
Wikipedia, YouTube, blogs, and social media. Also, newspapers, magazines, and
similar publications are not peer-reviewed academic sources. If students use
sources other than those from peer-reviewed academic journals available from
the GSU Library, their earned letter grade will be lowered by at least 20%
(i.e., two full letter grades). Remember, each premise is justified by
using at least two (2) different journal articles. When paraphrasing or quoting
from sources, indicate this with a citation. Use the Chicago style
as explained above. The reader must be able to check the student’s use of all
references for accuracy.
Outline
1. Topic: Pride
2. Thesis: Pride is a deadly sin that goes against the
root of Christianity.
3. Analysis and Explanation: The supporting premises that
will explain and justify my claim is that Pride is an ethical violation in Christianity,
and Pride is associated with hatred, alienation from God, and spiritual death.
4. Argument in support of the claim:
P1: Pride is an ethical violation in Christianity.
P2: Pride is associated with hatred, alienation from
God, and spiritual death.
C: Therefore, Pride should be a deadly sin.
5. I will be providing a deductive argument.
6. Objections to the argument: Some might state that Pride
does not mean being overconfident or flamboyant in the Bible. It means hubris:
preferring self-will to God’s will. However, many Bible verses state just how much God hates Pride. Proverbs 8:13 says, “To fear the LORD is
to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech.”
Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility
comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 says, “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be
sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” The verses above are only three of
the many Bible verses about Pride’s sin.
4. Draft Version: The draft version of the
argumentative essay should be in the form of an article, as explained above on
pages 1-4. The draft version should start to look like what you will eventually
submit as the definitive version of the argumentative essay. It should have a
title page (but without your name, see the text box below), paper body, list of
references, and argument overview page (see below). While students will be at
various stages in their respective projects, all drafts should be sufficient to
allow for critical feedback from the instructor, the Smarthinking tutor, and up
to two colleagues during the peer review process. In addition, the draft will
be submitted to Grammarly for assistance on basic mechanics. So, the more fully
developed a draft is, the greater the likelihood students will benefit from
input from others as they undertake the task of preparing the draft for the
transition to the definitive version of their argumentative essay due at the
end of the term. Argument Overview Page: After your list of references, start a
new page with the title “Argument Overview.” On that page, identify the type of
argument you are providing – deductive or inductive – and your central argument
in the following form: Argument Type: Deductive or Inductive Argument
P1: This is the first premise.
P2: This is the second premise.
C: Therefore, this is the central claim.
Beneath that listing, list the specific articles associated
with each premise of your argument. Remember, each premise is to draw from two different
sources. The sources must be articles from peer-reviewed academic journal
articles available from the Georgia State University Library. List the premises
and supporting sources as follows:
P1: First Reference
P1: Second Reference
P2: First Reference
P2: Second Reference
To be clear, you should have at the very least four
different journal articles you have used in your central argument.
Those four sources are listed both in the reference list and on the argument
overview page.
