Argument Essay
Rhetoric: The faculty of discovering all of the available means of persuasion in a given situation.
-Aristotle
Assignment Summary:
Everyday, people try to persuade us to think or do something. Companies create commercials and advertisements that
target our emotions, our logic, and our ethical sensibilities. Politicians want us to elect them, and they make arguments
about their position on important issues.
Part of being a good writer and reader is knowing how to respond to others’ attempts to persuade us and formulate
persuasive responses of our own. Anytime we construct a thesis or write with a certain point in mind, we are making an
argument about our position and trying to convince our readers to take our side.
Aristotle realized that knowledge of persuasion was essential to becoming a successful rhetorician. In this essay, you will
choose a topic to argue that concerns UVM, and you will search for all the available means to persuade your audience to
accept your position.
Length:
This essay should be 5-6 pages, in 12 point font, and double-spaced, with 1 inch margins.
Main Goals:

Argue a clear position about something at UVM
The topic that you choose should have at least two possible sides for argument. In other words, do not argue something
that few people could argue against (i.e. the school should have clean drinking water). It should be something that goes
against conventional wisdom, is a current hot topic for debate on campus, or is something that you have noticed on
campus that needs to change (or stay the same). Make sure that your topic directly relates to UVM.

Narrow your topic
Do not take on a topic that is too huge. Try to narrow your topic to a specific angle or aspect of the debate that you can
effectively argue in such a short paper.

Effectively Utilize the Artistic Proofs: Logos, Pathos, & Ethos
Establish yourself as rational, emotionally connected to the issue, and trustworthy. Give logical arguments that avoid
fallacies, emotional arguments that are not manipulative, and ethical appeals that are truthful. Try to use the most
appropriate means of persuasion for the situation, and give as many arguments that are appropriate for the issue. Do not
create an entire position that rests on one argument.

Address the opposing position
Part of making a good argument involves looking at the issue from “the other side’s” perspective. Without creating straw
men arguments, address the possible challenges to your position and show why yours is the best.

Consider your audience
Audience matters. Make sure that you address a topic that your audience (our class) would find potentially interesting.
Recruit support for your cause by showing how it applies to them.