200+ Argumentative Essay Topics That Will Blow Your Mind

Argumentative essays are very popular projects in universities, especially in classes such as English composition, history, and political science, etc. Professors like to assign them because they want to see how well you can reason and support an argument. This article will not only show you how to choose argumentative essay topics, but it will also teach you how to write the project, as well!

List of Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics

Argumentative Essay Topics

What are the most controversial topics?

Controversial topics are often the result of such issues as conflicting ethical principles (e.g., euthanasia), going against traditional values (e.g., LGBT rights, gender roles), addressing societal taboos, focusing on delicate or painful issues/collective memories, or the existence of polarized groups in society having different beliefs/stances (e.g., religious groups, atheists, gun ownership supporters).
Here are some possible topics for hardworking students who want to achieve the best grades:

Argumentative Essay Topics for College

Argumentative essay writing is a crucial skill for every student. As a college student, you need to find a “controversial” or “gray-area” topic to argue against or for. Your argumentative essay should include deeply researched facts that will support your claims.

Argumentative Essay Topics for High School

Argumentative Essay Topics about Family

The family is the fundamental unit of society, with direct links to the individual. It influences/dictates many other higher level social processes/structures/hierarchies. Hence, its role for the individual and collective existence of humans is simply monumental. This makes it a topic worth researching and exploring from a sociological, cultural, and psychological perspective.

Moreover, given the current cultural transitions characterizing liberal societies, traditional values on the nature of the family unit have seen a dramatic shift due to a change in gender roles and the recognition of LGBT rights. Thus, families nowadays are facing existential questions; many of the aspects we grew accustomed to are being redefined (e.g., same-sex marriages and parents). Here is a short list of argumentative essay topics related to family:

Argumentative Essay Topics about Society

We are all defined by the society we live in. Whether we are aware of this or not, our culture slowly carves our personalities as we grow up, mature, and age. This influence is exerted through the families who raise us, our friends or romantic partners, our teachers/professors and academic colleagues, our professional contacts, the churches we attend, and any other person we interact with on the street, on the phone, online, etc. One of the fundamental principles by which society functions states, “My liberty ends where your liberty begins.”

While this depicts the general spirit, every individual situation/social relationship is characterized by peculiar circumstances that all need to be considered in order to reach a mutually satisfying solution (or at least a compromise). Societies worldwide are undergoing serious changes nowadays, changes which also need to be addressed. Below is a selection of argumentative essay topics related to society:

Argumentative Essay Topics on Immigration

Immigration is a controversial topic that has been discussed often over the past decade, which makes it perfect for an argumentative essay. It allows you to give strong reasons behind supporting, rejecting, or changing how immigration is handled.

Argumentative Essay Topics about Law

To manage the complexity of interactions that occur daily within society (involving individuals or groups of people, ranging from property owners to employers and employees to commercial entities to criminals to foreigners, etc.), a clear and transparent set of rules must be implemented. This is a fundamental prerequisite of every society, even from ancient times.

Writing legislation, however, is an ongoing process; and given the speed with which new technologies appear nowadays and the shifts in mentality we undergo on a regular basis, adopting laws to help manage any problem that may emerge is quite a challenge. In fact, adopting a law might solve one problem but create others, so oftentimes, it is a cycle of trial and error.

Need more writing assistance?

Connect with our top writers and receive writing sample crafted to your needs.

Reviews.io logo

Reviews.io

 

4.8/5

Ethics Argumentative Essay Topics

Ethics deals with the challenge of making the right decisions from the standpoint of moral values. Oftentimes, it is involved when discussing conflicting subjects – those in which, at first sight, both conflicting positions seem to have valid reasoning and appear to be driven by high moral principles.

By delving deeper into these problems, it is often possible to see additional layers, to learn about specific circumstances, and typical case scenarios and also to dissect problems and reflect both on their causes and potential solutions. Here are a few argumentative essay topics on some ethically controversial issues:

History Argumentative Essay Topics

History can be viewed as the collective memory of humankind. It typically records significant or remarkable events affecting many people or signifying important societal, cultural, or economic changes or transitions. The chief practical motivation for learning history is to avoid repeating past human errors. History also has great intrinsic value since it describes our evolution from hunter-gatherers to individuals living in extremely sophisticated societies.

Some major events on this road include the creation of laws and the rise of capitalism, money, state institutions, constitutions, and the idea of separation of powers in a state. Many recent historical events help us understand current relationships and processes occurring between countries and within societies. Check out the following topics:

Conflict Essay Topics

The majority of conflict essay topics are dealing with challenging subjects like armed conflicts, crises, workplace issues, student debts, bullying, and more. The purpose is to identify a conflict, turn to an existing case study, and provide sources that will support an argument. Here are some conflict essay ideas that you should consider:

Argumentative Essay Topics on Health

Health topics can be very broad in their scope, ranging from a discussion of various medical conditions to arguing in favor of new treatment approaches; revealing new evidence regarding the causes of certain diseases (e.g., allergies); problems faced by the healthcare system and ways to best address them; various medical practices; the influence of modern lifestyle on our health; myths about a healthy lifestyle (and their debunking); and problems with untrustworthy medically related information on the web and how to address said problem.

Psychology Argumentative Topics Ideas

As a psychology student, you need to find interesting topics that are relevant to the field of psychology. Students need to use their knowledge, research, and analytic skills to write essays with reliable information that supports their claims.

Argumentative Essay Topics on Education

Education is vital in the shaping of our future. The current generation of students will one day be in positions of power and manage the future of our society. Accordingly, we should attend to the needs of the current generation and ensure their harmonious and qualitative intellectual, moral, and physical development. We should also help them not only to adapt to the requirements of these times but also to have the skills, wisdom, and determination necessary to progress in the right direction (addressing current global problems).

Here is a list of topics:

Topics on Foreign Policy

The topics below address international diplomacy, discussing such issues as armed conflicts, frozen conflicts, commercial treaties and commercial wars, military alliances or cooperation, weapons commerce, peace-keeping operations, and traditional and emerging ties between countries.

The foreign policy of a country is often determined by politics, national interests, economic circumstances, social issues (e.g., low tolerance against immigrants), values, and traditions as well as any history of diplomatic ties. Feel free to check the options below for inspiration:

Economics Argumentative Essay Topics

A strong economy is essential for the well-being of a nation since it serves as the engine for individual prosperity, infrastructure projects benefiting millions, well-financed medicine, education, and the military—which, in turn, is the guarantor of national safety.

Argumentative essay topics related to the economy may deal with policies regarding economic development (tax cuts versus increased taxation for big corporations/small and medium enterprises; protectionism versus joining free-trade treaties), socio-economic doctrine (socialism/communism/capitalism), the investigation of reasons behind economic crises, indices of a strong economy, and how to solve economic problems in developing countries.

Military Science Topic Ideas

According to a popular saying, “if you don’t want to feed your own army, be prepared to feed the enemy’s army” – this summarizes the role played by the military for any given nation. While, according to the statistics of the last decades, we seem to be moving away from wars, these still occur and given the weaponry of today, they can be very destructive.

Nowadays, military science is not only concentrated on the use of strategies and tactical maneuvers but also on the mastery of a number of advanced technologies (nuclear weapons, drones, AI-powered devices, lasers, satellites).

Try our all-in-one writing tool

  • Check grammar, readability, and plagiarism
  • Cite sources & rephrase text automatically

Sports Argumentative Essay Topics

Are you a sports fan? Even if you are not, you can still pick relevant and interesting subjects to discuss and explore in your upcoming assignment. First, you will have to choose your position and make sure you have a clear idea of your thesis statement. Then, you will have to come up with relevant evidence to support both sides of the argument. Check this list of controversial essay topics in relation to sports:

6th-Grade Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

For a middle-school student, picking the right topic for your upcoming essay can be a real challenge. Although you might think that you are better off when your teacher assigns the topic, it can be fun to make the choice on your own. Here are some topics that are appropriate for hardworking students who want to achieve the best grades.

8th-Grade Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

Argumentative Essay Topics on Technology

Technology plays a crucial part in our lives, and this role keeps on growing every single day. Our technological breakthrough is currently improving the quality of life for millions of people, but it is also changing life as we know it. Here are some controversial topics to write about:

Social Media Argumentative Topics

The rise in popularity of different social media platforms has caused a lot of changes across the globe. For starters, memes and trends spread too fast that one single meme can be viewed and shared by millions of people in one hour. Privacy, safety, and social responsibility are becoming extremely important as more people are relying on social media to communicate, study, work, and affect the lives of others.

Funny Argumentative Essay Topics

Who said that education shouldn’t be fun? Picking the right funny topics will spice up the atmosphere in class and stir up a few laughs. Here are some ideas to think about before you decide on the topic of your next paper.

Rogerian Argument Essay Topics

When a college professor asks you to come up with a Rogerian argument essay, it means that you should provide an essay with argumentation where both sides win. It may seem quite complex as it takes a great share of analysis, persuasion, debates, and study of the counter-arguments that are often contradictory or go against the most common logic. The solution is to choose a Rogerian argument where your audience should see at least two examples of an issue or the same idea like it has been done below:

Environmental and Climate Change Topics

In a world where the environment is at the forefront of global discussions, debates, and policies, choosing a topic that resonates with current realities and future aspirations is crucial. The following list of environmental and climate change topics is curated to spark thoughtful discussions and arguments that echo the urgent need for sustainable practices, conservation efforts, and transformative policies. These topics are designed to provoke critical thinking, encourage research, and inspire a collective commitment to addressing the pressing environmental challenges that our planet faces. Dive into these discussions with a sense of purpose and exploration, and you'll find a wealth of knowledge and perspectives that illuminate the path to a sustainable future.

Arts and Culture Topics

Arts and culture are the mirrors of society, reflecting our history, values, and diverse identities. The following topics invite you to explore the multifaceted world of arts and culture, encouraging a deeper understanding of its transformative impact on individuals and communities. These subjects aim to ignite discussions on the significance of artistic expression, cultural preservation, and creative innovation in shaping societal narratives and human experiences. Engaging with these topics will allow for a rich exploration of the dynamic interplay between arts, culture, and contemporary societal issues, fostering a nuanced appreciation of the arts' role in enriching our lives and societies.

Science and Research Topics

Science and research are the cornerstones of innovation and progress in society. The following topics delve into the realms of scientific discovery and exploration, encouraging a thoughtful examination of the advancements, ethical considerations, and impacts of research in various fields. These subjects aim to foster discussions on the role of science in addressing contemporary challenges, advancing technology, and enhancing our understanding of the natural world and human existence. Engaging with these topics will facilitate a deeper appreciation of the transformative power of scientific research and its capacity to shape a better and more informed future.

These lists provide amazing ideas that you can use in your upcoming assignment. Browse them and make sure you choose a relevant topic to discuss in your writing.

What are good topics for college essays?

Good college essays may explore problems or challenges faced by students or youth, career choices, educational opportunities, and inspiring people; they may also address global or local challenges faced by the current generation of students, the dangers and potential they will be exposed to, and the change they need to bring to this world.

These topics can also serve as very good argumentative speech topics, too!

The Principles of Formatting Academic Papers

Academic papers are normally required to abide by a specific formatting style that is characteristic to the field (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, etc.). This preference for a given formatting style is primarily dictated by the nature of the content and the type of in-text citations, bibliography, and formatting of the page header and/or footer that works best with such content.

MLA uses the author-page number format for in-text citations and lists the first names of the authors in the bibliography section. This is better suited for precisely referencing information in humanitarian subjects, characterized by long works written by one or few authors.

In contrast, APA uses an author-year format and is thus better suited for sciences. Mentioning the year as part of in-text citations makes it easy to visualize the chronology of the research cited in the paper. At the same time, APA collapses first names in the bibliography section to initials, which is very handy when the number of authors involved is large, a frequent scenario in scientific publications. Finally, providing page numbers, in this case, makes less sense given that scientific publications are typically short and often published in online documents without explicit numbering.

To take a shortcut and save lots of time, you could download and use templates for the appropriate formatting styles. The most basic elements required by a given format would be accounted for in these templates: margins, font size, page headers, indentation, first level and second level headings, the format of bibliography sources, page numbering, footnotes and endnotes, title pages, etc. It’s often a good idea to check an essay format example before you start working on your own. 

How to Prepare Your Essay

There are multiple steps you should take in order to write an essay of excellent quality:

  • Research your argumentative essay ideas

Whatever topic you choose, you are going to have to do some reading up on it because chances are that you don’t know as much about the subject as you think you do.

The best research strategy is to find five reputable sources that support your argumentative essay ideas and read each of them while taking down notes on the sections you find relevant. For each source you use, write down the title of the book, the name of the author, and the publishing information as well as the page numbers where you took the information. This will come in handy when you put together your bibliography.

  • Brainstorming

To organize your thoughts, you should engage in a brainstorming exercise called pre-writing. Get out a piece of paper and a pen and start scribbling down every thought related to your project. Go through this list you’ve created and eliminate any idea that you believe won’t help you while keeping those you can use. Eventually, you will have a list of words and sentences that you can use to formulate the text of your essay.

  • Outlining

Outlining is the process where you organize your text before you begin writing. On a blank piece of paper, write your thesis statement down; underneath it, write short sentences that summarize what you want to say for each paragraph in your main body. For your conclusion, write a short sentence in plain language that restates your argument, demands a call-to-action, or leaves a warning. When you have a completed argumentative essay outline, you will have a step-by-step guide that you can follow.

  • Writing

Once you begin writing your argumentative research paper topic or social issues essay topic, follow the structure you wrote down as best as you can—but at the same time, don’t be a slave to it. You are the master of your work, and if you believe that you should try something different in your paper than what you have written in your outline, by all means, do it.

Do not do all of your writing on the same day. Work on your project a little bit at a time so you don’t have to cram to get everything done at the last minute. If you have to write your entire essay in one day, do your best to give yourself breaks so you don’t burn out.

  • Proofreading

When you are done with your essay, check it not only for grammatical errors but also for logical fallacies as well. Useful note: aside from buying college essays, you can also contact an editing service. Alternatively, consider showing the final version of the essay to a family member or friend. 

To sum up, when writing your argumentative essay, you should follow these guidelines: identify reliable sources addressing the topic and write down all relevant bibliographic details to identify the sources later; research your question, search for evidence supporting your arguments and refuting or supporting your counterarguments; take notes throughout the process; brainstorm ideas to be included in the paper; outline the structure of the essay; do the writing, and proofread the final product.

Structure

Every professor pays attention to the structure of the submitted essay, especially the argumentative one. This is why you should master it and be confident while writing. Here is a basic argumentative essay structure for you to follow:

  • Introduction

The introduction is where you introduce your topic to the reader. Here you should write your thesis statement, a one- to two-sentence statement that summarizes the position you will take in your essay. Be logical. Narrow down your thoughts and be straightforward. Your thesis statement is the most important part of your essay as it shows your position regarding the topic. Demonstrate your attitude towards the topic and support it with arguments in the body paragraphs.

  • Main body

Here you must present valid evidence to support whatever claim you made in your thesis statement. Place this information in the body of your composition in a manner that seems logical to you. Make sure you present your supporting facts in a way your audience can understand. Start every paragraph with a topic sentence that supports the thesis. Continue with the evidence you found in outside sources. You can provide a direct quotation or paraphrase. Remember to cite it properly in order to avoid any plagiarism accusations. Later on, interpret this piece of evidence; show how you understand it and how it relates to the topic. Finish the paragraph with a concluding sentence, providing a short summary of the paragraph along with a transition to the next passage of the essay.

  • Refutation

After presenting the evidence for your argumentative essay topic and backing up your claims, you must then refute opposing arguments. Use evidence such as statistics and expert opinion that contradicts and disproves the position of your opponent. Do not be afraid that it will worsen your own position regarding the chosen topic. On the contrary, it will help you demonstrate your ability to contradict your opponents’ arguments and stick to your opinion.

  • Conclusion

Once you have presented your evidence and have refuted the positions of your opponents, it is time to write your conclusion. You can do several things with your conclusion. You can restate your argument, which is a very common practice amongst essayists. You might also consider calling on your audience to engage in a specific action or behavior—a call-to-action. Also, you can leave your audience with a warning, telling them that there might be dire consequences if they do not take your arguments seriously.

What are the five parts of an argumentative essay?

A standard argumentative essay consists of five paragraphs: one paragraph containing the thesis (the claim); two paragraphs with supporting arguments/evidence; a paragraph listing potential counterarguments along with their rebuttal; and a paragraph with a persuasive conclusion.

Tips for Choosing Good Argumentative Essay Topics

Which idea should you go for? Theoretically speaking, we could say that the sky's the limit; however, you should follow certain guidelines when deciding your next brilliant writing idea for your upcoming essay or paper.

  • It should be interesting:

The idea of your next piece of writing should be subject to debate. In other words, you should be able to do the necessary research to find differing opinions regarding the idea you have chosen. It also should be interesting to you, your professor, and the audience who will most likely read or listen to your essay. It is difficult to write about a topic that you personally find boring or dull. Since you have the opportunity to choose your topic, choose wisely. The more interesting your idea is, the better you will be able to write about it. You should also make sure you have the knowledge needed to work on your writing. Being able to choose your own idea gives you an excellent chance to excel.

  • Avoid using pure facts:

An interesting argumentative essay should be controversial. You shouldn’t depend purely on facts because the purpose of your assignment is to express an opinion. Students might be tempted to rely on facts only; but to make a good argument, you should also be able to state what you think. Researching to find appropriate argumentative essay ideas will take some time, but it is totally worth it. You should also do some brainstorming to come up with relevant evidence to include in your paper.

  • Your topic shouldn’t be too wide:

When you look for controversial topics, you might be tempted to choose subjects that are way too broad to discuss. This can be a real problem when you are writing because you will get lost or overwhelmed. The more specific your essay or paper is, the better the quality of your writing will be. A very wide topic is going to be confusing for you as well as for your audience.

  • You shouldn’t be biased:

There are many issues that may interest you. But when you pick one, make sure you don’t have extremely strong feelings about it. When you are working on the proposal of your writing, try to choose a subject that is not too sensitive and touches you on a personal level. The purpose of your writing is to provide your audience with a persuasive piece of writing. By picking the right subject and working on your thesis statement, your essay will have relevant evidence that makes it worth reading.

  • Work on your evidence:

Just because you believe in something doesn’t necessarily mean that it is good enough to be included in your writing. It is crucial to back yourself up with sufficient supportive pieces of evidence to validate your viewpoint. Spend time to do adequate research to provide enough evidence for your opinion and the opposing opinion at the same time. This proves that you have worked hard to support your argument by using reliable information.

  • You can take the risk:

Topics for argumentative essays should be special and unique. This is your chance to stand out and pick something that others might have tried to avoid. Don’t be scared to take the risk if it is properly calculated. Common themes are way too boring and will not deliver the message you mean to send to your audience. But if you are going to choose a unique and controversial topic, you should make sure you can provide enough information. Include enough data to argue for both sides of the argument.

Read also: 60 Narrative Essay Topics for Students

Use Our Argumentative Essay Ideas and Tips to Get Higher Grades

With the help of our random essay topics generator and our interesting list of topics, you are guaranteed to get a high grade! But if time is running out and you have better things to do than write boring essays, the professional writers of EduBirdie can provide you with high quality essay writing help, or they can do your paper for you! Contact our customer service representatives today and get prompt answers to your questions.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Related Blog Posts

Join our 150К of happy users

  • Get original papers written according to your instructions
  • Save time for what matters most
Place an order