This is the complete guide on how to write a dialectic essay, step-by-step. We’ll look at what it is, what makes it unique, the right structure to use, and even give you tips you can use to write a comprehensive essay that scores high grades. In short, if you’re looking for a complete guide on a dialectic essay, you’ve come to the right place.
What is a Dialectic Essay?
A dialectic essay is an argumentative debate in which a writer introduces a thesis statement and then uses both arguments and counterarguments to prove their claim.
You can base the discussion on a topic of your choosing, provided your instructor doesn’t give you one in the brief. Your document should be double-spaced, and the length of the essay should be 600 words maximum.
This type of essay is different from an argumentative essay in that instead of taking a position on an issue, you look at both arguments and present them to your audience, even if you don’t agree with those positions. Of course, your instructor might ask you to share your thoughts in the conclusion section of the essay. However, the core principle is that you have to establish a rational discussion of all sides.
The aim of a dialectic essay is to teach students the essence of participation in meaningful discourse on general and controversial topics in various disciplines. In other words, your instructor wants you to write this type of essay because they want to test your ability to clarify thoughts on a given subject.
Dialectic Essay Format
The first most important point in writing a dialectic essay is to make sure you understand the format. Your instructor will obviously look at the outline first to see if you’ve structured your essay the right way.
This assignment is no any different from a 5-pargarph essay as far as the outline is concerned. It needs to have an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Check out the image below for structural clarity:
As you can see, the organization is very clear and easy to follow, so writing this essay should be easy.
How to Write a Dialectic Essay
Now that you have a clear structure of the dialectic essay, it’s time to look at what or how you should write the introduction, body, and conclusion section.
Introduction
In a dialectic essay, your introduction has to be the thesis itself. This is the central message that you wish to discuss and pass across.
Remember, the essay looks at both side of an issue regardless of what you consider to be the most suitable position to hold. As such, you should choose a topic and therefore write a thesis that has more than one interpretation.
We suggest that you introduce some form of controversy in the introduction. Doing so gives you the opportunity to examine and represent the opposing point of views in the essay with ease. Remember also that this section is only one paragraph, so it’s best to make it as precise as possible – and short.
Body Paragraphs
There are three paragraphs in the body section of a dialectic essay. The first focuses on an argument, the second describes an objection, and the third gives a response. Let’s look at these even further to give you more clarity.
1. The Argument
There can only be one argument in a dialectic essay. Also, you have to present it with facts. The introduction of the argument accompanied by factual evidence makes it easy for you to support and prove your thesis to your audience.
2. The Objection
It’s in this paragraph that you respond to the argument you presented on the first paragraph. To make this a dialectic essay, you do have to object the argument, in which case you give sufficient, objective reasons why your argument cannot be the ultimate truth.
It doesn’t end there.
You need to have enough proof to support the objection against your own argument. Doing so turns your essay into a strong debate, as there are already two opposing views here.
3. The Response
It’s in this section that you give a response to the objection in the second paragraph of the body section. You should not introduce a new argument for the thesis in this section, or anywhere else for that matter, as doing so can confuse your reader. Remember, your aim is to criticize what you’ve already written in the objection section.
Ultimately, the agenda is to show your instructor or professor that you understand your thesis to a great depth and can present all the interpretations the right way.
Conclusion
Ending a dialectic essay isn’t difficult. You just need to know what to include in the section and what to leave out. Here, you support your thesis, although some guides suggest that you can even represent a new one provided you combine it with the argument and counterargument discussed in the essay.
To be clear, it’s completely wrong to change the thesis of this assignment, and can as easily lead to failing to score the grades that you deserve. Some writers choose to modify the thesis a little, in which case it’s never a complete reversal that’s not supported by proof.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, writing a dialectic essay isn’t difficult. From what we’ve looked at, this should be by far the shortest essay you’ll ever write, and there are often no instructions that suggest that you can make the essay longer.
It’s best to think about the strengths and weaknesses of your thesis before you begin to write. This will help you to organize your ideas in a way that gives your essay a good flow from the introduction all the way to the conclusion.
Another important step to complete is to check for plagiarism. Professors don’t appreciate sitting through hours of reading only to learn that students have submitted unoriginal work. Don’t be the student that submits copied assignment late as this could cost you heavily.