Sample Guidelines for Writing Ethical Arguments
Your essay should be a position paper, not a report. The paper must make an ethical argument in
defense of a thesis. It doesn’t matter what thesis you defend, but the argument must be clear and
coherent. Depending on the topic, some outside research may be appropriate, but do not let that
obscure the main purpose, which is to make an ethical argument.
There are several possible ways to structure the paper, including one (or more) or the following:
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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 particular 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 particular 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 ethical principles and theories, and
3. logical consistency.
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. Your introduction should directly state your thesis—the argument you are going to
make—and how you are going to go about it. Your conclusion should be equally direct: restate
your thesis and how you defended it.
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, don’t just list someone’s
arguments and then agree or disagree with each one—that gets boring. As another example,
don’t simply assert that the Bible prohibits killing; say what evidence you have, and why
religious authors have made exceptions.
Advancing a particular 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 position. Check your argument for inconsistencies or selfcontradiction.
Obviously you also have to limit what you do, so state your parameters and work within them.
The directions and topics assigned are designed to help you focus an argument, but they still
allow you leeway. Whatever your focus, you should at least show how you are moving from
ethical analysis to your judgments.