thesis

TheThesisStatement

Thisisnotanexhaustivelistofbadthesisstatements,buthere'refivekindsofproblemsI'

thatthelasttwo,#4and#5,arenotnecessarilyincorrectorillegitimatethesisstatements,but,rather,inappropriatefor

ybeufulformsforpapersondifferenttopicsinothercours.

-thesisthesis.

announces,inadditiontothetopic,yourown

yourreasonandmotivationforwriting.

BadThesis1:InhisarticleStanleyFishshowsthatwedon'treallyhavetherighttofreespeech.

BadThesis2:Thispaperwillconsidertheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofcertainrestrictionsonfreespeech.

BetterThesis1:StanleyFish'sargumentthatfreespeechexistsmoreasapoliticalprizethanasalegalrealityignores

thefactthatevenasapoliticalprizeitstillrvesthesocialendofcreatingageneralculturalatmosphereoftolerance

thatmayultimatelypromotefreespeechinournationjustaffectivelyasanybindinglaw.

BetterThesis2:Eventhoughtheremaybeconsiderableadvantagestorestrictinghatespeech,thepossibilityofchilling

opendialogueoncrucialracialissuesistoogreatandtoohighapricetopay.

rlybroadthesis.

Athesisshouldbeasspecificaspossible,tpossible,for

instance,tiontochoosingsimplyasmallertopic,

strategiestonarrowathesisincludespecifyingamethodorperspectiveordelineatingcertainlimits.

BadThesis1:Thereshouldbenorestrictionsonthe1stamendment.

BadThesis2:Thegovernmenthastherighttolimitfreespeech.

BetterThesis1:Thereshouldbenorestrictionsonthe1stamendmentifthorestrictionsareintendedmerelyto

protectindividualsfromunspecifiedorotherwiunquantifiableorunverifiable"emotionaldistress."

BetterThesis2:Thegovernmenthastherighttolimitfreespeechincasofovertlyracistorxistlanguagebecau

ourfailuretoaddresssuchabuswouldeffectivelysuggestthatoursocietycondonessuchignorantandhatefulviews.

ontestablethesis.

rderforittobearguable,itmustprentaviewthatsomeonemightreasonably

mesathesisultimatelysays,"weshouldbegood,"or"badthingsarebad."Suchthesisstatementsare

tautologicalorsouniversallyacceptedthatthereisnoneedtoprovethepoint.

BadThesis1:Althoughwehavetherighttosaywhatwewant,weshouldavoidhurtingotherpeople'sfeelings.

BadThesis2:Therearealwaysalternativestousingracistspeech.

BetterThesis1:Ifwecanacceptthatemotionalinjuriescanbejustaspainfulasphysicalonesweshouldlimitspeech

thatmayhurtpeople'sfeelingsinwayssimilartothewaywelimitspeechthatmayleaddirectlytobodilyharm.

BetterThesis2:The"fightingwords"exceptiontofreespeechisnotlegitimatebecauitwronglyconsidersspeechas

anaction.

"listessay"thesis.

Agoodargumentativethesisprovidesnotonlyapositiononanissue,

thesisshouldallowthereadertoimagineandanticipatetheflowofthepaper,inwhichaquenceofpointslogically

provetheessay'ssayprovidesnosuchstructure,sothatdifferentpointsandparagraphsappear

arbitrarywithnologicalconnectiontooneanother.

BadThesis1:Therearemanyreasonsweneedtolimithatespeech.

BadThesis2:Noneoftheargumentsinfavorofregulatingpornographyarepersuasive.

BetterThesis1:Amongthemanyreasonsweneedtolimithatespeechthemostcompellingonesallrefertoourhistory

ofdiscriminationandprejudice,anditis,ultimately,forthepurpooftryingtorepairourtroubledracialsocietythat

weneedhatespeechlegislation.

BetterThesis2:Noneoftheargumentsinfavorofregulatingpornographyarepersuasivebecautheyallbatheir

pointsontheunverifiableandquestionableassumptionthattheproducersofpornographynecessarilyharborillwill

specificallytowomen.

earchpaperthesis.

Inanothercourthiswouldnotbeatallunacceptable,and,infact,hiskindofcour,

athesisstatementthatmakesafactualclaimthatcanbeverifiedonlywithscientific,sociological,psychologicalor

dtoconstructathesisthatyouarepreparedtoprove

usingthetoolsyouhaveavailable,withouthavingtoconsulttheworld'sleadingexpertontheissuetoprovideyouwith

adefinitivejudgment.

BadThesis1:Americanstodayarenotpreparedtogiveupontheconceptoffreespeech.

BadThesis2:Hatespeechcancauemotionalpainandsufferinginvictimsjustasintenasphysicalbattery.

BetterThesis1:Whetherornottheculturalconceptoffreespeechbearsanyrelationtotherealityof1stamendment

legislationandjurisprudence,itscontinuingsocialfunctionasapromoteroftoleranceandintellectualexchangetrumps

thecallforpoliticization(accordingtoFish'sagenda)oftheterm.

BetterThesis2:Thevariousargumentsagainsttheregulationofhatespeechdependontheunspokenandunexamined

assumptionthatemotionalpainiithertrivial.