How to Write an Ethics Essay: Step-by-Step Guide

When you're writing an ethics essay, you should have more than simply an intriguing topic on a moral dilemma to make your piece impactful. In fact, good content goes beyond beautiful writing. A paper also needs to have an organized structure containing all essential elements to effectively communicate the writer's ideas. This guide will shed more light on this critical task and show how to compose a brilliant ethics essay in 5 simple steps. Learn what features your paper should include and what examples to provide to ensure sound reasoning. Or simply entrust your assignment to our experts, and they will write an essay for you.

What is an Ethics Essay

An ethics essay is a piece of writing that argues both sides of a moral issue or ethical dilemma. Basically, an ethics paper focuses on issues of philosophical concern, such as the principles of right and wrong. In the essay on moral principles, a writer elaborates on the standards that govern human behavior.

Ethics includes a number of rules and practices, which are conventionally accepted and followed by people. It takes into account the moral principles and behavior of a human being in the social context. For example, most modern organizations have established a code of conduct to regulate how people should act. Thus, when writing an ethical paper, one needs to explain what attitude people hold towards such ethical principles. To be precise, a writer's task is to highlight the significance of the chosen issue and explain whether society follows or neglects specific standards.

The Purpose of Ethics Paper

An ethics essay's primary purpose is to set forth an argument for a specific position on a moral issue. As a rule, this type of paper requires a debate instead of a simple overview of an ethical dilemma. In this context, an ethics essay shares similar features with those of argumentative writing. In particular, a moral problem should be debatable, meaning that you need to be able to argue the subject.

Key Elements

Different people have different opinions regarding the same rules and norms of behavior. Some actions may be weird and unnatural for you, but quite common and acceptable to someone else. As a result, a writer should cover both sides of the problem. Even though an ethical essay shouldn't convince a reader to accept some behavior, nor should it remind an opinion essay; however a writer should exploit some techniques used in argumentative writing. Given its purpose, an ethics paper must contain such key elements common for an argumentative essay:

• Topic's significance: discusses an ethical issue that challenges society
• A thesis statement: covers the main focus of writing
• A firm argument: serves as a thesis statement on moral principles
• Evidence: supports the arguments for a dilemma
• Counterargument: justifies the reasoning
• Rebuttal examples: additionally proves your position

How to Write an Ethics Essay Step by Step

The essay writing process includes only 5 simple steps, but it's crucial to follow each step to craft an excellent paper. The following guide explains how to compose an ethics essay that will immediately draw your reader's attention. Consider these steps to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely.

1. Choose an ethics-related topic. Since writing an ethics paper involves building an argument, it is suggested to pick a debatable moral issue. Ideally, this should be a subject that can be discussed from opposing perspectives. Focus on the topic that evokes different opinions on the matter. This way, you will be able to provide the arguments and counterarguments concerning the issue. Remember to research to make sure there is enough supporting evidence.
2. Create a question-based title. One suggestion is to pose a question in the title of your ethical paper. As an alternative, you can include a question in the introduction. One way or another, it should be thought-provoking to draw the reader's attention. For instance, you may want to ask an audience whether all humans are inherently selfish.
3. Present a strong argument. This step involves writing a compelling thesis statement that will make the readers agree with your argument. Excite your reader with a provocative thesis. Make sure to build a claim based on the query in a title or the opening line. For example, you may write that all people are inherently selfish.
4. Craft an essay outline. A good outline serves as a ground plan for your writing. A well-drafted structure will help you stay on track. Write down all critical points to fully cover information related to the chosen topic.
5. Provide examples and counterarguments. This step is where you include all findings of research to demonstrate your reasoning. Each argument should be backed up accordingly. Populate your writing with supporting evidence followed by an explanation of how given examples prove your statement. Where applicable, introduce a counter argument and discuss why you refute it. Don't forget to cite the sources to build up credibility.

Choosing an Ethics-Related Topic

A thought-provoking topic is a defining factor in crafting an excellent ethics essay. It should sound captivating and promising. When choosing a topic, you should focus on the ethical issues that concern modern society the most. According to statistics, the vast majority of readers appeal to emotions, so it would be a great idea to write an ethics paper on the challenging situations that humans face daily. Besides, the topics should have the following features:

• Relevant
• Problem-solving
• Helpful
• Intriguing
• Informative
• Unsolved

The combination of these qualities potentially turns any idea into the powerful weapon of an author. Basically, your research should be targeted at finding the answers, which bring benefits to other people.

Ethics Essay Topics

To make the process easier for you, we have decided to suggest a selection of great ethics essay ideas.

1. Should desperate times call for desperate measures?
2. Is it possible to overcome jealousy?
3. Can people refute personal egoism?
4. Current ethical issues in healthcare.
5. The importance of a moral code in the workplace.
6. How do social background and family shape our ethical principles?
7. Should people follow the same moral code?
8. Does ethics affect education?
9. Is it right to speak the truth all the time?
10. Should we forbid abortion?

You're welcome to choose any of the ethics essay topics mentioned above and craft your own concepts on their basis.

Ethics Paper Structure

As with any other type of academic writing, an ethics paper should be properly organized. This being said, a writer needs to follow a straightforward ethics essay structure so that a piece is easy to read. The student's task is to state a moral dilemma and provide sound reasoning in a logical order. A good ethics paper should include an introduction, body part, and conclusion.

Introduction

The introductory paragraph of your ethics paper should contain a brief synopsis of the topic and some background information that will logically lead to the argument. Besides, in the introduction, you also should outline the supporting examples you will give and state your thesis.

Thesis Statement

A thesis is a concise, one-sentence summary of your arguments. This single sentence should entirely reflect your main purpose, so your readers instantly understand whether it's worth their attention. Besides, it provides a writer with a narrow range of possible alternatives. A well-written thesis will help you stay focused on a specific topic in a broad field such as ethics. Try to compose a clear and informative thesis. Remember that every point should be tightly related to the thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs

A standard ethics essay contains three body paragraphs that provide your main ideas on the issue of moral concern. Each body paragraph needs to focus on a different point or example. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly specifies why the reader should accept a particular point. (If you wonder how to write a topic sentence, read one of our blogs dedicated to this topic.) The body part of your essay is where you prove your arguments with evidence, facts, statistics, findings, and text citations. If it's possible, you should address the issue from opposing perspectives and then refute counterarguments. Researching an ethical problem from different angles and including supporting facts ensures credibility and reader's trust.

Conclusion

In the concluding part of an ethics paper, a writer should restate the thesis statement and sum up all of the points explained in the body paragraphs. Rather than presenting new ideas, an effective conclusion should evoke emotions. A great way to conclude an ethics essay is to end it with a personal opinion on the moral issue explaining how it impacts you.

Bottom Line

In a nutshell, an ethics essay differs from other types of academic writing. Instead of introducing a personal opinion, a student should remain objective and build an unbiased argument. Make sure to follow these general tips to compose a great paper on ethics.

1. Write about the topic you care
2. Add a strong thesis statement
3. Make sure there is introduction, main body, and conclusion
4. Be specific and avoid wordiness
5. Provide evidence and counterarguments
6. Avoid contradicting points of view
7. Discuss one idea per paragraph
8. Restate your thesis in the conclusion part

Now you know the peculiarities of writing an ethics essay. The main point is to write about things you are familiar with and follow a logical structure. But, if essay writing is rather challenging for you, it’s a good idea to rely on professional academic assistance. Trust us with any type of assignment, and our expert writers will take care of your task.