Fair and Square

In the contemporary society people live in today, different controversies emerge amidst the chaos brought about by conflicts. Each individual judges the issue with his own viewpoint. He takes a stand and voices out his beliefs, as each person is entitled to his own opinion. It is a given that not everyone has the same position on ideas; an issue then has always two sides – one side concurring with it and the other disagreeing with it.

A good writer knows how to maintain balance and stability in his compositions. He is aware that good writing always comes hand in hand with good strategies and techniques. The dialectic thinking strategy is a crucial element to writing a paper. A writer achieves the dialectic thinking strategy in three steps. First, a writer must present a thesis statement. The thesis is the writer’s own argument; it is an idea that he truly believes in. After developing the claim in a logical manner, the writer presents the antithesis. The antithesis is a counterargument to the thesis. This way, the writer weighs both the pros and cons in the issue. This is where the last step of the dialectic thinking strategy comes in – the synthesis. Synthesis is only achieved when contrasting ideas are combined to create an intelligible comprehension of the topic.

The dialectic thinking strategy is an essential ingredient to writing position papers. When taking a stand on a controversial issue, one must always be open to hearing other sides of the story. How does a writer inject the dialectic thinking strategy to his position paper?

First of all, the controversial issue must be well-defined. The writer must present that it is clearly arguable. The introduction must present the scope and limitations of the debate. It must emphasize important points and facts in the topic. After providing a good definition and background of the issue, the writer should state his position in the issue. In the paper, this is where the dialectic thinking strategy of the writer starts – the position he takes is his thesis. The writer’s stand on the issue must be stated and explained clearly. The position must be supported with relevant reasons and evidence.

To further discuss the controversial issue, the antithesis is presented after the thesis. The other side of the issue is given light at this point. The opposition must be presented fairly to modify the thesis accordingly. Evidence and reasons should also support these counterarguments to show a good angle of the topic.

At this part of the position paper, the writer refutes the counterarguments. He goes back to his thesis and uses the evidence presented to prove that the antithesis is faulty. Synthesis is achieved here because there is already a good grasp of the controversial issue, weighing up both its pros and cons.

Albeit the writer is taking a position on a controversial issue, both angles of the matter must be discussed thoroughly. This is how one becomes fair and square in writing.