In about 600 words, in the form of an argumentative essay, present the result of your
critical reflections on a specific CRES (conflict Resolution) issue that you care about, within the context of our
readings and discussions. You can talk about: police brutality and violence against minorities and racial profiling. 
You do not need to do research.If this topic is hard, think of an issueyou know and do the assignement (it can be environmental issues, interpersonal conflict, group conflict, wars, bullying, etc,…)
By an argumentative essay, I mean an essay in which you present not only the main point
of your position in the form of a thesis statement, but also your reasoning in support of
your thesis–that is, not only what you think, but also why you think that.
An argumentative essay, moreover, needs to entertain an objection. As you reflect on
potential challenges to your views or to your reasoning, try to entertain the strongest
objection to your position and to do so fairly and as fully as space allows. Entertaining
fully and fairly an objection includes both presenting the objection in the way that your
objectors would present it or approve of and then replying to it by showing why you still
hold your position in spite of this strong challenge.
The issue that you select should be a specific CRES issue and not a general philosophical
issue. In other words, the object of your philosophical examination should be a specific
issue from the subject matter of the field of conflict resolution broadly understood. For
instance, a specific issue regarding empathy in a general context of human behavior
might not be a proper issue for this assignment, while a specific issue regarding empathy
in the context of a family conflict over cleaning the bathroom might be a proper one.
Given the limitations of this kind of small writing assignment, your main point or thesis
should be, accordingly, about a limited, focused issue within your chosen specific CRES
topic, an issue regarding which you are trying to make a modest point–a modest
contribution.
In your essay title, try to capture the essence of your main point or main line of reasoning
or, at least, to express concisely the specific issue. In short, use your title to help your
readers to get a quick glimpse into your critical examination of your selected issue and to
begin guiding them into it.
In your introduction, try to avoid asserting general claims, and instead try to focus on
introducing your topic as specifically as you can: your introduction should present the
specific context in which your specific thesis is situated as a response to some specific
issue.
If, however, you need to assert general claims anywhere in your essay, then you need to
provide support for them. Ask yourself questions such as these: How do I know that what
I am asserting is the case? What evidence do I have to offer for it? What principle(s) or
belief(s) am I relying upon or assuming? What sources am I depending on or alluding to?
Am I asserting more than I offer support for? Is what I am asserting common knowledge
or do I need to offer support for it? In short, assert only what you can and do support or
what you properly qualify, given the kind of support that you offer for it.
In your conclusion, you might consider examining the significance of your position by
addressing a question of this kind: What is at stake if your thesis is true and your
reasoning is sound or if others accept them or if others reject them or if some act on them
or if no one acts on them, and so on?
You do not need to do any research, but if you do use sources, including our texts, you
need to cite them formally, using an official documentation style such as APA or MLA or
Chicago style.
(Note that our “Quotes, Etc.” has, in Chicago style, all the citation information that you
need to document any of your uses of the passages that I cite; document as if you were
citing from the original texts, not from “Quotes, Etc.”)
The basic requirements include correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics.