GRE Issue Essay Examples
Educational institutions should actively encourage their students to choose fields of study in which jobs are plentiful.
- plentiful: many openings bc high demand - DISAGREE; encourage students to focus on interests bc society is dynamic and the demand for jobs changes over time; if you pursuse interests you are content despite job market - American Industrial Revolution 1900s: high demand for textile workers ; replaced by machines - low demand not equivalent to low necessity; need more environmental scientists for current crisis. week employment opportunities despite Paris Agreement of 2016 (2C) - health care is a constant field with constant demand but demand for individual jobs within healthcare fluctuate; shortage of physicians in rural/impoverished areas lead to inc in PAs (shorter schooling)
Teachers' salaries should be based on their students' academic performance.
NO. - academic performance rests on several factors outside of the control of teachers. - in the same line of thought, one may argue that cops pay should be based on amount of incarcerations, an occupational therapist's pay based on whether or not their dementia patient restores their memory, etc. - teachers should not be penalized for the neglect of school administrators
Students should always question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively.
YES. - the only benefit of passively accepting information is cohesion. simplicity. less resistance. - without questioning, nothing holds meaning. - corrupt education, abusive families - ex: holocaust, slavery, scientific paradigm shifts, indoctrination, cults, oppression
Society should make efforts to save endangered species only if the potential extinction of those species is the result of human activities.
Yes - 96% of extinctions of the last 100,000 years are explained by humans. - because humans have already wiped out of 60% of animal species, it is our duty to protect the remaining species to the best of our abilities.
As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more complex and mysterious.
Yes. -socrates: the only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing - knowledge is expansion. with more space for thought, the more unknown can fill the space
Claim: Imagination is a more valuable asset than experience.Reason: People who lack experience are free to imagine what is possible without the constraints of established habits and attitudes.
disagree. - imagination is important and necessary but can only get you so far - experience is reality. imagination can deviate from reality and what is possible. in all accounts, experience is highly valuable because it is true and it provides insight and perspective. imagination is not always beneficial as it is merely a thought or idea.
There is little justification for society to make extraordinary efforts — especially at a great cost in money and jobs — to save endangered animal or plant species.
disagree. -humans account for 95% of all animal extinction in the last 100,000 years - ethics aside, the environmental effects of these impacts are detrimental
Some people believe that the purpose of education is to free the mind and the spirit. Others believe that formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather than set them free.
formal education is bad. - educational institutions have historically been oppressive by nature - ex: native american schools for children - "education" does not equal freedom. it should though
In order for any work of art — for example, a film, a novel, a poem, or a song — to have merit, it must be understandable to most people.
no! - whether or not something is good or valid is not contingent upon whether or not the majority of all people understand it. - no single person could go through rolling stones top 100 album chart and say they fully understand every song from every album. yet the music that was ranked as being "good" was ranked as such because some group of people like it. - not all of the human experience is universal and that is what lends art to be so objective. - merit is objective.
Nations should suspend government funding for the arts when significant numbers of their citizens are hungry or unemployed.
no! -arts do not equal a lack of revenue. - lawyers, politicians, writers benefit from an arts education -
Many important discoveries or creations are accidental: it is usually while seeking the answer to one question that we come across the answer to another.
no. "science is nothing but perception"- socrates - while serendipity does account for many discoveries, it is simply not true to generalize that we usually discover something new while searching for something else. - in the case of ancient scientists or discoverers, sure it seems fairly common based on these familiar stories to stumble across something unexpected like a new continent, viagra, penicillin, etc. - the author of this statement overgeneralizes these discoveries. - juhannes gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450 after 10 years of working on this invention. it took him ten years of creation to create what is globally recognized as the most important invention of all human history.
In any field of inquiry, the beginner is more likely than the expert to make important contributions.
no. - all experts began as beginners, and it is naiive for a beginner to think the thoughts and questions they have have never been pondered by a seasoned expert. - while its true that beginners often have a fresh perspective, energy, and excitement, they lack experience. - experts are regarded as such because of their significant contriburions throughout their extensive time in the field.
The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.
no. - children are more complex than simply being conditioned to act a certain way through praise and ignoring. - children (and adults) should be given opportunities to explicitly learn about their actions through explaining and having conversations. children do not all fit in one box and what works for some children does not work for others.
Educational institutions should actively encourage their students to choose fields of study that will prepare them for lucrative careers.
no. - educational institutions should foster curiosity and passion in students - eradicate the indoctrination that work=life=money
If a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it are justifiable.
no. - every decision stands on its own as to whether or not its justifiable. it does not exist in a vaccum.
Educational institutions should dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.
no. - institutions are in danger to corruption and should not hold more power to control the outcomes of undecided students. - why should an institution decide is a student is likely to succeed?
Claim: The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models.Reason: Heroes and role models reveal a society's highest ideals.
no. - jesus is often considered a popular hero or role model of many US citizens but the character of the general public is not reflected in him or vice versa. - many heroes and role models have historically been religious leaders. religion is particularly complicated because many individuals subscribing to a particular religion may consider the leader a role model but fall short of upholding the ideals of their leader.
Claim: Many problems of modern society cannot be solved by laws and the legal system.Reason: Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts or minds.
no. - laws exist to protect people - today in many societies the government is corrupt and avoids resposibiltiies, but it does hold the power to do good and it should be seen with the potential for doing so. - punishing crimes like rape, violence, exploitation, etc is necessary to protecting citizens - some argue that the only real way to change a persons heart or mind is through the personal pursuit of education or a set of religious or spiritual pracrices they ascribe to. however, there is no ethical way to enforce these things or assign them to society. we have the ability to regulate crime and create laws to protect citizens
Laws should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places.
no. - laws should never be flexible. - laws should consider variables in the situations when written, but after the law is written it is set. - flexibility in the justice system is more prone to corruption.
Claim: We can usually learn much more from people whose views we share than from those whose views contradict our own.Reason: Disagreement can cause stress and inhibit learning.
no. - often times, learning is an active process of expansion and changing your previous ideas. this can be challenging and stressful by nature. - there is much to learn from those you disagree with. you can gain perspective. you can learn why they think the way they do. - religion is a good example. reading memoirs (educated by tara westover)
Governments should focus on solving the immediate problems of today rather than on trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future.
no. - problems should be addressed in order of severity and urgency. just because its in the future doesnt mean its not urgent. - the future doesnt exist in a vaccum. many of tomorrows problems are connected to those of today and of the past. - environmental concerns. concerns in education
Although innovations such as video, computers, and the Internet seem to offer schools improved methods for instructing students, these technologies all too often distract from real learning.
no. - real learning can take place anywhere in any setting. technology has made learning far more accessible than before
Society should identify those children who have special talents and provide training for them at an early age to develop their talents.
no. - society should provide enriching and stimulating opportunities to all children. - children should not be separated by suspected talent vs untalented - train and develop their talents for what? exploitation? what does society need from a child?
The luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals.
no. - suffering does not equal growth and strength. - it is harmful to romanticise suffering - there are many trials and obstacles that non-contemporary people did not face
Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little.
no. - the notion that a leader who is sensitive and attentive to the attitudes of their people will be a failure is nonsense. leaders should listen and advocate for their people. - this statement is very black and white and leaves little room for forgiveness. while it is possible that such a leader could be easily manipulated by conspiracy or is malleable to the point of compromising the values of their people, this is a generally harmful narrative. why should we prioritize having a firm, unchanging leader that is unlikely to listen to the desires and needs of others?
The most effective way to understand contemporary culture is to analyze the trends of its youth.
no. - the trends of youth do reflect contemporary culture, but they are not the whole. these trends among a particular culture are only really meaningful given the context from which they came. - ex franco era 80s spain, fall of berlin wall and clubbing culture, etc. these expressions of the young generations are a reflection of the past and the whole picture is what is needed to understand the culture
Government officials should rely on their own judgment rather than unquestioningly carry out the will of the people they serve.
no. - their literal jobs are to serve the people - one person's judgement should not carry more weight than 10,000 by principle
All parents should be required to volunteer time to their children's schools.
no. - this is not accessible to all families - this would be nice and there are benefits, but its not ethical
Colleges and universities should require their students to spend at least one semester studying in a foreign country.
no. - this is not accessible to all students - there is benefit, but students should have the option - some students may have an adversion to travel for personal reasons such as health, disability etc that prevent them to having access to this outside of finances
The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live after them, not by their contemporaries.
no. - this logic does not track. for what reason is the opinion of later generations (removed from the context and the similar experiences of the individual) more superior than their own? could this be reversed if older generations could see the future? - greatness is objective -
Claim: It is no longer possible for a society to regard any living man or woman as a hero.Reason: The reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished.
no. - this logic infers that society cannot agree on a hero because no living person can maintain a positive reputation among the living due to vicious media. does media not exist for the dead? is there any one dead person everyone in society agrees is a common hero? - the claim that someone will essentially be bullied out of stardom is not supported. every famous person experiences scrutiny, but does todays society regard no single person as a hero?
Governments should not fund any scientific research whose consequences are unclear.
no. - this sounds like an excuse the government would use to block research they dont want to see for untruthful reasons. - research should be approved on the basis of ethics and safety alone. if there is a predicted dangerous outcome, then yes thats a reason to reconsider the study. but just the general concept of the unknown is not reason enough to limit research as a general rule. limiting the pursuit of knowldge for the sake of limiting it is not justified.
In any profession — business, politics, education, government — those in power should step down after five years.
no. - unstable leadership makes everything unstable - we need expert leadership - if someone is doing a great job, why change?
The best ideas arise from a passionate interest in commonplace things.
no. - what makes great ideas great is that they are outside of ordinary
Young people should be encouraged to pursue long-term, realistic goals rather than seek immediate fame and recognition.
no. - young people should be encouraged to pursue whatever they want. - they should be educated and told their options but the choice is theirs. - if a young person wants to chase their dream and take a risk, they should do just that. - many successful people have done so - taylor swift signed her first record at 14, she has 11 grammys today at age 32
Leaders are created by the demands that are placed on them.
no. -leaders are not just created out of necessity, but by compassion for others and integrity - leadership is a quality, not just a situation - external pressures, yes sure they do create opportunities for leaders but they themselves are not the origin of leadership
Claim: Any piece of information referred to as a fact should be mistrusted, since it may well be proven false in the future.Reason: Much of the information that people assume is factual actually turns out to be inaccurate.
no. - sure, paradigms shift. we have experienced many great paradigm shifts in scientific history such as breakthroughs in quantum physics with the double slit experiment, the studies of darwin, etc. - but it is awfully difficult to make any progress or simply operate as a society when we cannot agree to any set of rules or understanding. - in the book sapiens by yuval noah harari yuval noah harari we are presented with the idea that many ideas of humans that are collectively agreed upon such as culture or religion within a group of people is a huge evoluntionary advantage because these people can ascribe to a set of beliefs or agreements and work together
Scientists and other researchers should focus their research on areas that are likely to benefit the greatest number of people.
not necessarily. scientists and researchers should follow their own curiosities and epiphanies
People who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are also the most critical of it.
not true. -loyalty or dedication to an idea does not ensure that a person will be critical of it - ex: religious ideals, politics, idols, etc - in a perfect world, yes.
The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds.
sure. - human minds as a collective have produced countless machines - human minds exist without machines but machines do not exist outside of human minds
Some people believe that in order to thrive, a society must put its own overall success before the well-being of its individual citizens. Others believe that the well-being of a society can only be measured by the general welfare of all its people.
the general welfare of all its people is the overall success of society by definition. - "success" when measured in economic terms is just a dollar amount. society itself is a people, a culture. - some may argue that its too hard to gage the "wellness" of people and it seems easier to understand a society when looking at quantitative data like the economy. but quantitative data for wellness does exist. healthcare, education, life expectancy, suicide, poverty, hunger, can all be counted quantitatively. there is no excuse.
Some people believe it is often necessary, even desirable, for political leaders to withhold information from the public. Others believe that the public has a right to be fully informed.
the government doesnt have the right to keep secrets from the people. - politicians are elected to serve the people by the people. - the practice of them routinely withholding whatever information they choose to keep a secret is a danger to democracy. they may use this to their advantage to spread misinformation or campaign a narrative that makes them look more favorable for their own benefit
Some people believe that in order to be effective, political leaders must yield to public opinion and abandon principle for the sake of compromise. Others believe that the most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives.
the most essential quality is not a lack of compromise. - compromise is a human response to empathy and growth, a quality found in a compassionate leader - above all, the leader is a voice of the people and should listen
Governments should place few, if any, restrictions on scientific research and development.
they should be few, but there should be limits. - the government should limit unethical research. ethics tend to be regarded as objective, but the government has a duty to limit research and development that is particularly harmful to others. - the government should monitor and limit activity that is a danger to others or promotes health and safety dangers.
Knowing about the past cannot help people to make important decisions today.
voltaire says history is a story of all of mans crime - we should teach students to recognize patterns in human history and learn from past mistakes
A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.
yes - there are too many versions of cirriculum - more resources would be saved if we focused on one cirriculum - would make a better cirriculum - cirriculum wouldnt be ommitted due to religious or political disagreements
In order to become well-rounded individuals, all college students should be required to take courses in which they read poetry, novels, mythology, and other types of imaginative literature.
yes! - all of these things teach about the human condition, human history, culture, etc. - these are important skills and concepts to work alongside others and to participate in a diverse society
Governments should offer college and university education free of charge to all students.
yes.
People should undertake risky action only after they have carefully considered its consequences.
yes.
The main benefit of the study of history is to dispel the illusion that people living now are significantly different from people who lived in earlier times.
yes. "history is the story of all the worlds crime"- voltaire french philosopher and writer - the idea that our ancestors and even our grandparents were inherently extremely different kinds of people that experienced life completely unlike is is unfortunate and wasteful. - we can better appreciate art and history when we are able to identify with the humans that created it. - we should study history to learn about the past and apply it to the future.
To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.
yes. - anything less than this cannot prove as effective. what are they aiming to achieve if not doing so ethically? who does that serve?
The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that they have more leisure time.
yes. - as long as we define efficiency as being the quickest and EASIEST way to do something
College students should be encouraged to pursue subjects that interest them rather than the courses that seem most likely to lead to jobs.
yes. - college is not just about getting a job. trade schools are about just getting jobs. colleges and universities are institutions that serve the whole person, not just the future employee. universities should produce well rounded students that can use critical thinking skills, an understanding of humanity, and ideas from other fields
People's attitudes are determined more by their immediate situation or surroundings than by society as a whole.
yes. - compare oregon vs oklahoma citizens/experiences - race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability
Educators should base their assessment of students' learning not on students' grasp of facts but on the ability to explain the ideas, trends, and concepts that those facts illustrate.
yes. - different minds, different abilties, different strengths/communicative styles
Competition for high grades seriously limits the quality of learning at all levels of education.
yes. - differently abled students. students with limited resources, poverty, home life, disabilities, etc are subjected to more stress in school, at home and internally which cause lasting effects. - without an importance on grades, there is no reason to cheat. - when worried about grades, students are more likely to take the easier or simpler essay topic, project, or even write a paper about a topic they dont agree with because they think it will be more concise and earn a better grade than a more challenging topic they are personally interested in
Unfortunately, in contemporary society, creating an appealing image has become more important than the reality or truth behind that image.
yes. - ex women, standards of beauty
Critical judgment of work in any given field has little value unless it comes from someone who is an expert in that field.
yes. - for a judgement to be held as highly significant, it must come from a place of knowledge or insight.
Formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather than set them free.
yes. - institutionalization is dangerous - education is not inherently bad, but it TENDS to constrain creativity - lack of resources in ed = poor outcomes for education = adult centric institution
Politicians should pursue common ground and reasonable consensus rather than elusive ideals.
yes. - it is not just or ethical for politicians to solely speak in inaccessible language and abstract ideas that the general public cannot understand or respond to. - politicians can use this to their advantage, intentionally leaving dissenting citizens out of the conversation altogether.
The increasingly rapid pace of life today causes more problems than it solves.
yes. - people often argue that humans today live much easier lives today than our hunter-gatherer ancestors. However, our ancestors didnt work 9-5 work days, suffer from migraines and strokes from being overworked, etc. - since the industrial revolution, humans have been rapidly increasing our productivity. exponentially, even. - work/money does not equal wellness. modernization and industrialization has its costs. - environmental concerns, economy, corporate life
It is primarily through our identification with social groups that we define ourselves.
yes. - social groups do not just signify class, race and religion (which are all big things) but also connect people with similar lived experiences, interests, passions, careers,
Educators should find out what students want included in the curriculum and then offer it to them.
yes. - the education system should nurture and foster natural curiosity
The surest indicator of a great nation is represented not by the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but by the general welfare of its people.
yes. - the elite can forge their achievements through money, privilege and exploitation of others.
Claim: When planning courses, educators should take into account the interests and suggestions of their students.Reason: Students are more motivated to learn when they are interested in what they are studying.
yes. - this does not mean to teach a class about harry potter instead of math to a class of first graders, but rather to take into account what the children find interesting, their curiosities, their hobbies, their learning styles, their questions and etc to create a more meaningful and effective lesson.
Requiring university students to take a variety of courses outside their major fields of study is the best way to ensure that students become truly educated.
yes. - true education is holistic and well rounded. - students should learn about more than one topic to be dynamic and cooperative employees and leaders - nothing learned is a waste of time
The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority.
yes. - true well being is jeopardized when we blindly submit to a system that is not checked - we must hold those in power accountable to achieve wellness - US police brutality, abusive educators, abusive family, - define enhanced and wellbeing
Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.
yes. - universities do not just create employees but well-rounded critical thinkers
In any situation, progress requires discussion among people who have contrasting points of view.
yes. - what else is there to limit progress? - examples of when the discussion was not held and progress was limited: war, politics, family trauma, relationships, work, abortion, same sex marriage, advocacy
People's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making.
yes. - what we are taught is what believe.
Learning is primarily a matter of personal discipline; students cannot be motivated by school or college alone.
yes. -students must be shown the value and meaning in education to take to it
Some people believe that college students should consider only their own talents and interests when choosing a field of study. Others believe that college students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field.
you should choose a field based on your passions and talents.
