Ultimate Argumentative Essay Topics List

First of all, the best place to start is with the assignment and type of essay – remind yourself what the purpose of an argumentative essay is.

The purpose of this specific essay is to pose a question and answer it with compelling evidence. At its core, this essay type works to champion a specific viewpoint. The key, however, is that the topic of the argumentative essay has multiple sides. The audience can explain, weigh and judge these sides using relevant sources.

And secondly, choose something that you care about. Still, need some help to get those creative juices flowing? Here are some prompts to help you find that awesome title for an argumentative essay.

What makes a good topic for an argumentative essay

The key to choose a good topic for an argumentative essay is to pick a subject where there is a lot of debates on topics or stances. Selecting a debatable topic where there are no clear answers or even perspectives that are hundred percent correct gives you a lot of grey areas to work in, and a lot of sources to juxtapose against each to create your own viewpoint.

So, here is a short checklist on how to choose interesting argumentative topics:

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then you have a great topic to write about.

If you’re having hard times choosing this topic yourself, consider our custom essay writing service. Surely, we guarantee quality and transparency of the process!

Need an explanation of how to write an argumentative essay and just find a topic for it? Check out our complete guide to this subject. We’ve got it all covered!

How to choose academic argumentative essay topics

There are three easy ways to create an argumentative essay title (if argumentative essay topics for gun control is juicy but not quite what you are looking for here):

Where to find argumentative essay topics

Argumentative essay topics are easy to find. They are happening around us every day in every walk of life.

If you turn on the television, you’ll find topics on the news as politicians argue about amendments to Medicare Bills, Space exploration, Video games, Pop culture, or the Death penalty.

1. Local newspapers.
   First of all, local newspaper papers can be a good place to find interesting argumentative essay topics. They will have smaller stories on how the overdevelopment of small town to combat homelessness is putting a strain on local infrastructure, whether local law enforcement is doing enough to tackle crime, and whether the government does enough to support the development of the arts programs for local youths.
2. Television.
   Secondly, television programs themselves will content argumentative subjects around issues like feminism, ethnicity, and poverty. Even more, by just watching the Discovery channel you can find great argumentative paper topics about animals. Various TV programs can be the subject of debate. Thus, you can talk about issues around Netflix’s Iron-Fist, the death of Lexa on 100, or the hotly debated topic of whether James Bond has to be white?
3. Internet.
   Finally, the Internet is a good source to find psychology argumentative topics. Websites, where there are debates between people, are also a good place to pick up some interesting argumentative topics. Besides, Quora holds some surprising questions that turn academic quickly.
   A thread on whether the Hulk was scared in Avengers: Infinity War turned into a debate on French Theory surrounding Roland Barthes essay ‘The Death of the Author’ and the Russo brother’s statement that the Hulk was not scared but annoyed since Bruce Banner used him. It involved a lot of different perspectives the most interesting was whether Barthes viewpoint is still relevant in Tweet-savvy society.
   So, forums and message boards can be an excellent way to find good argumentative paper topics presented in a new light and debates that you won’t encounter in academic circles.

Related Post: How to write a Persuasive essay

Besides, music and literature are also a good way to find argument essay topics. Moreover, topics to write an argumentative essay on exist in every kind of industry possible – law, medicine, politics, religion, history, etc. The list is truly endless.  Trust us, everything that happens around you has a different perspective, a deeper and different viewpoint. So, just discover those – and you’ll find a debatable topic.

However, if you don’t feel like spending a sleepless night working on an essay, you can buy argumentative essay tasks here.

Argumentative essay topics list

Luckily, we’ve prepared an extensive list of good ideas. So, here are a few lists of some argumentative essay topics ideas to help get those creative juices flowing.

Easy Argumentative Essay topics

These topics for argumentative essays are easy to debate as there is a lot of information and sources available to support a stance on the issue:

1. Do violent video games make people more violent in real life?
2. Do the media put too much pressure on girls to have the perfect body?
3. Should marijuana be more diverse in their casting?
4. Should people be allowed to hunt purely for entertainment?
5. Should governments legalize prostitution?
6. How important is the education in the arts?
7. Should the state provide healthcare?
8. Is testing on animals really necessary?
9. Should the government control TV Shows and Movies?

Argumentative essay topics on relationships

We can’t but mention these topics as well:

1. Does the increase in social media make us lonelier?
2. Should women wear less revealing clothing to curb unwanted attention from men?
3. Traditional families, with high moral standards, never raise children that are criminals.
4. ‘Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to over the economic and political barriers.’ Paulo Coelho. Discuss this quote in relation to cultural appropriation.

Pop culture argumentative essay topics

1. Does television have an impact on intelligence level?
2. Video games are replacing literature movies as the new cultural forum for debate.
3. Should the government regulate the media?
4. Does the government need to introduce greater restriction and penalties on companies like Facebook that misuse our personal data?
5. Do the paparazzi violate the privacy of celebrities?

Related Post: Compare&Contrast Essay topics | Research Paper topics

Animal rights argumentative essay topics

1. How ethical is it to eat meat?
2. Fox hunting is good for the environment.
3. Horse / Greyhound racing treat the animals unethically and should be illegal. Discuss.

Cell phone argumentative essay topics

1. Do cell phones make families closer?
2. Should cell phones be prohibited at schools?
3. What laws will prevent drivers from using cell phones while driving?
4. Which is better – a smartphone or a smartwatch?
5. Cell phones are an important tool for education.

Nutrition argumentative essay topics

1. Schools should provide healthier food for children.
2. Should vegetarian parents give their children meat?
3. Can GMO food help prevent world hunger?
4. Would a sugar tax help tackle obesity?
5. ‘Steroids, when used correctly, will not only make you stronger and sexier, they will also make you healthier.’ – Jose Canseco. Should doping be allowed in professional sports?

Argumentative essay topics for college

These are great topics for college students:

1. Are all documentaries biased and have an agenda?
2. How is the #metoo campaign affecting the relationship between genders in the workplace?
3. What does it mean to be a feminist? What are the best ways to be a feminist?
4. Is caffeine more addictive than cannabis? Should it be banned?
5. Do the news media create moral panics for ratings? Should there be greater control over the media?
6. Is the increasing amount of student debts deterring people from further education? Is a free college education program the best solution?
7. How does the gender segregation in chess highlight gender equality in society?
8. Is the monetization of random loot caches in mobile games gambling?
9. Do humans have the right to colonize other planets considering the current condition of the Earth?

Meanwhile, finding interesting essay topics is not enough. You should also know how to craft a compelling piece. If you are looking for examples of argumentative essays, here is a sample to help you out!

Argumentative essay topics for middle school

Some ideas for argumentative topics for middle school students could be:

6. Should there be harsher punishments for bullying?
7. Should school sports be mandatory?
8. Newspapers aren’t needed anymore.
9. The world should have one language.
10. The media shouldn’t depict violent scenes.
11. Are athletes being paid too much?
12. Video games can be considered a piece of art.
13. Should space exploration receive more funding?
14. School uniforms improve students’ achievement.
15. Should recycle become mandatory?

Argumentative essay topics for high school

Here are some argumentative topic prompts for high school students:

1. Is prison the best way to reform criminal behavior?
2. Should we legalize human cloning?
3. Do social media have a positive or negative impact on teenagers?
4. Should public schools teach religion?
5. Restriction of the Internet policies in high school impact grades.
6. It is ethically wrong to keep exotic animals as pets.
7. Learning to write with a pen from a young age is impotent.
8. A minimum wage boost would be detrimental to the economy.
9. iPads and online resources should replace textbooks at schools.

Controversial argumentative essay topics

Some topics that are controversial to debate and evoke strong opinions:

1. Should prostitution be legalized?
2. Would greater gun control lower the violent crime rate in the U.S?
3. Are there greater benefits from legalizing controlled substances as opposed to outlawing them and creating a black market?
4. Do terminally ill patients have the right to euthanasia treatments?
5. Should the government give more rights to immigrants?
6. Is religion the cause of all wars?
7. Should the state impose limits on family sizes to stop overpopulation?
8. Should hate speeches be protected under the freedom of speech?

By the way, you should also take a look at our complete essay format guide. You don’t want to lose grades due to incorrect essay format. So, learn how to do it right with us!

Funny argumentative essay topics

These are funny and fun essays to write on:

1. Should students be allowed to grade their peers?
2. Can graffiti ever be considered art?
3. Should we classify video games as a sport?
4. Infomercials are a great source for facts.
5. What goes on in the mind of a cat?
6. Does smoking pot make you a better essay writer?
7. Scientists should use plain English.
8. Cute cat videos are the secret to world peace.
9. Is Hell endothermic or exothermic?
10. Should police officers provide rewards to safe drivers?

Social argumentative essay topics

While still on the subject, these argumentative titles revolve around social issues in society:

1. The police force should reflect the community they serve both racially and culturally.
2. Are beauty contests for young girls a positive or negative issue?
3. The Internet is destroying art and creativity as it impinges on the rights of artists.
4. How important is it that we encourage minority groups to join law enforcement?
5. Are teenagers being pressured into college?
6. How is the increasing amount of camera used by the police creating a society where privacy has been eroded?
7. Is teenage pregnancy really a problem for society?
8. What role does creationism play in education? Should any educational institute be governed by religion?
9. Is humanity good or evil by its nature?

Moral social argumentative topics

These are some argumentative essay topics based on ethical questions:

1. When, if ever, is it morally right to tell lies?
2. ‘Killing someone is the ultimate crime, while on the other hand, killing someone in uniform is the fulfillment of duty.’ – Ramman Kenoun. Is killing someone every justified? Discuss in relation to Euthanasia, the Death Penalty, and War.
3. Drug use is a product of society’s ills and not an individual’s weakness.
4. The main impact of society becoming more secular is the decrease in moral fiber and integrity of its populace.
5. Torture is a necessary evil for the protection of the state. Discuss.
6. Is there any justification for war?
7. By buying products for countries that endorse child labor are we supporting the process?
8. Are nude photographs and portraits appropriate artwork for museums?
9. Does the preservation of a country’s culture take precedence over the rights of its new immigrants to conserve their old way of life on new soil?

Argumentative essays based on quotes

Quotes are a great way to give an argumentative essay title a great kick and focus:

1. ‘The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.’ – Mother Teresa. Does abortion really destroy peace?
2. ‘So what if I’m smokin’ weed onstage and doing what I gotta do? It’s not me shooting nobody, stabbing nobody, killing nobody. It’s a peaceful gesture, and they have to respect that and appreciate that.’– Snoop Dogg. Discuss the relationship between drugs and violent crime in relation to the quote.
3. ‘Peace is not made at the council table or by treaties, but in the hearts of men.’– Herbert Hoover. Discuss this quote in line with US international politics.
4. ‘So you think that money is the root of all evil. Have you ever asked what is the root of all money?’ Is money a source of evil in society?
5. ‘Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.’ – Mahatma Gandhi
6. ‘Do countries with strong gun control laws have lower murder rates? Only if you cherry-pick the data.’ If argumentative and persuasive essays cherry pick the data to strengthen their position, does research obscure the facts rather than inform? Discuss.
7. ‘We have our own culture, our own community. A lot of people don’t realize that. They just assume that deaf people are very unfortunate, very disabled, but no.’– Nyle DiMarco. Media and society often stigmatize groups through stereotypical and general presentations which have the detrimental impact on their identity. Should the media remain silent on disabilities? Discuss.
8. ‘You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture just get people to stop reading them.’ – Ray Bradbury. Has the invention Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube lead to a cultural decline?
9. ‘We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by society.’ – Alan W Watts. Discuss.
10. ‘I always felt the ‘X-Men,’ in a subtle way, often touched upon the subject of racism and inequality, and I believe that subject has come up in other titles, too.’ – Stan Lee. Comic books are always striving to be at the forefront of equality often changing the ethnicity, and sexuality of their characters. Do these changes suggest that ethnicity, gender, and sexuality have no impact on personal identity only social perception?

Sports argumentative essay topics

Meanwhile, sports are popular choices for discussion:

1. We should ban boxing and violent sports.
2. Performance enhancing drugs are becoming more prevalent in sports. What can we do to combat the problem?
3. Is cheerleading a sport too?
4. Football is too dangerous for the player, especially children, and schools should ban it.
5. Controlled substances should not be advertised at sports events.
6. Sports involving cars should use more environmentally friendly biofuel.
7. Schools focus too much of their budget on sports and not enough on arts.
8. There is no advantage in going first in chess.
9. There is no need to separate sports by gender.

Finally, now that you’re ready to work on your paper, we want to remind you of the importance of proper essay structure. Remember to compose an essay that consists of an introduction with a strong thesis statement, at least three main body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The correct structure will only make your essay more compelling. So, choose one of our argumentative essay topics, and get down to business!