Argumentative essay writing is about persuading your readers to accept your stand on an issue or subject as being right regardless of their opinion on the topic.
Unlike a college reflection essay and an expository essay, argumentative writing allows you to remain biased and provide your point of view to your audience, provided your arguments are convincingly logical, reasoned, informed, ethical, and ultimately right and persuasive.
However, argumentative essays need more than your ability to present your stance, or claim, and use relevant, objective evidence to defend your position.
You also need to address the opposing point of views in your argument and there are reasons why.
Why Is It Important to Address Opposing Point of Views in an Argumentative Essay?
As you write your argumentative essays, you’ll come across sensible arguments that challenge your very own.
We call these counterclaims, and they’re significant in persuasive essay writing. Remember, you’ve taken a stand on one position, but your readers know that the other position exists.
In some cases, your audience may even prefer the opposing view to yours until you convince them that your point of view is better or more truthful than the position they currently hold.
So it’s important to address the opposing point of view in your argument as a balancing act. It’s understandable that you don’t want to undermine your argument. But you can’t as easily dismiss the validity of the opposing views or ignore them straight outright.
Again, essays that don’t include counterclaims are generally weak and less persuasive.
When reading such an essay, it’s acceptable to make the assumption that you considered only one side of the subject or issue, even if you looked into both areas in the real sense.
You end up undermining your very own argument, eventually making the essay less effective in communicating your message.
Also by including counterclaims, or the opposing point of views in your argumentative essay, you show your target audience that you invested your time in researching the two sides of an issue.
By doing so, you’re not only able to match your argument to the corresponding counterclaim. You are also able to strengthen your own argument.
When Should Address Opposing Point of Views in an Argumentative Essay?
First address your position on an issue, making sure you provide sufficient objective and reasonable evidence to support your claim. Then, you can work on the counterclaim thereafter.
Of course, you don’t want to go into great details when it comes to addressing the opposing point of views in your essay.
What you have to do instead is to state that you recognize the counterclaim to be accurate, but only to some degree.
Then, you’ll point out what’s wrong with it, using the strongest points or evidence possible so that you don’t weaken your argument.
The Right Way to Address the Opposing Views
When it comes to addressing the opposing point of views in your argumentative essay, you have to do so carefully so that your essay doesn’t end up weak.
The rule of thumb is to be objective and respectful. Also, be distinctive, making sure you make your audience know that this is clearly not your argument. It makes sense to be fair and making sure you address the issue accurately.
Recognizing the opposing point of view isn’t enough. You also have to refute them by showing that your logic clearly supersedes or negates the opposition.
In this case, start with the opposing view, follow that up with a refutation relevant to your argument, and then give concrete evidence to support your refutation.
How to Address Opposing Point of Views in Your Argumentative Essay
Like in a criminal trial, there’s far less conviction and satisfaction if you don’t consider the opposing claims in your argumentative essay.
In other words, you can’t leave objections unanswered and evidence from counterclaims swept under a rag and expect to make your stance convincing.
You have to look into the other side of the issue carefully to convince and satisfy your audience.
1. Research Both Sides of the Argument
We insist on looking at both sides of an argument because your audience may initially not accept your point of view on an issue.
So you need to research both sides before you start to write an argumentative essay. It’s important that you don’t limit yourself to sympathetic sources.
Instead, find sources that both agree and disagree with your argument. Check the authors’ rationale and implementation of evidence so that you can easily understand the opposing view.
2. Understand the Opposing Point of View
Now that you have a clue on what the opposing point of views look like, you should find out why people would hold those positions in the first place.
Are there evidences they look at to arrive to their conclusions? How exactly do they interpret the evidence?
To put this in another way, understanding the opposing point of views will make it easy for you to figure out why your audience may likely disagree with your argument in the first place.
3. Prove Your Position to Be True
When it comes to dealing with counterarguments in argumentative essay, the burden of proof is wholly on you. So don’t just state the opposing view, refute them.
Tell your audience that as much as you recognize the counterclaims as true, they have shortcomings that make them generally weak. Use your strongest points to refute those positions.
Include evidence such as quotes from experts, research studies, statistics, and literary materials to back your argument. Don’t leave readers’ excuse to chance.
Final Thoughts
Arguments that look into both sides of an issue are often stronger and convincing.
Balanced and properly articulated, such essays give your argument more strength and draw in the attention of your readers easily.
Even your readers are more than likely to show respect for the efforts you put in place to give your most reasonable views on the issue. And if you can persuade them well, they’ll be more than willing to consider your position on an issue, even if they didn’t agree with you initially.