We spend our lives trying to communicate with others. From the moment we are born, we try to explain our needs, wants, and dreams. However, it is only through practice that we are able to become skilled in expressing these concepts to those around us. This skill involves learning how to argue.
An argument is not about screaming, hand-waving, and physical aggression. Argument is actually a debate skill that requires you to present and defend your point of view when confronted by a differing point of view. While most Americans consider argument a negative, hostile term, it is actually an educated, thought-provoking ability to express one's views, with support, and persuasion, in order to convince the audience (readers or listeners) that your view is stronger than the oppositions' and therefore, necessary to agree with.
Ethical Arguments
Ethical arguments adhere to the same quality as discussed in "Argument" above. However, the argument is guided by ethical support and guidelines. The ethical argument requires that the writer first identify his/her ethical standard. The ethical standard is the yard-stick to which ideas, topics, and activities will be measured for their ethical attributes.
For example, if I am going to write an ethical argument about using animal testing for cosmetic products, I need to identify some things first...the ethical standard to which I will evaluate animal testing and the ethics associated with that standard that would relate to the topic of animal testing for cosmetic products.
Ethical Standard: Christianity (Bible-founded ethics)
Individual ethics within Christianity: do not murder, have no idols, guardians of the animals and world as appointed by God, vanity, do unto others, etc.
Thesis statement: Cosmetic product testing on animals is not ethical due to X, Y, and Z.
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