Critical Essay Topics

The word “criticism” for many is associated with condemnation, the identification of negative aspects. You might think that writing a critical essay boils down to smashing all the author’s arguments and showing how weak his or her work is. But in fact, this is not true. Our critical essay topics show that criticism implies an analysis that identifies both the negative and the positive aspects of the subject under consideration.

A critical essay is a kind of essay in which it is necessary to analyze and evaluate any scientific work (thesis, article, report) or a work of art. We have prepared critical topics that will help you to come up with your own ideas for writing an essay.

critical essay topics on sport
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Sports Critical Thinking Essay Topics

  • Impact of video games to children.

    At school, in society, and in families, there are often discussions about what is a more palpable effect of computer games: harm or benefit? Today many children are keen on computers and especially computer games: in the game they cease to be passive observers, and they have an opportunity to actively influence the events of the virtual world. Unfortunately, parents do not quite understand that they have their own fault in this problem.
  • Health effect of video gaming.

    Video games are an integral part of entertainment for people of all ages. There are both positive and negative effects from computer games. Playing violent video games makes the individual’s brain less responsive to violence. This may unconsciously lead to an increase in aggressive behavior, and over time, the brain does not perceive aggression as something abnormal.

critical essay topics on culture

Culture Critical Essay Topics

  • Changing gender roles.

    In modern sociology, it is believed that gender is one way of measuring social organizations and institutions that determine our relationships with other people. At the same time, the gender approach also means differences in the parameters of wealth, power, and privileges. At the present time, the definition of the English sociologist Anthony Gydens is most appropriate: “Gender is not the physical differences between a man and a woman, but the socially formed characteristics of masculinity and femininity.”
  • Impact of technology.

    We live in the 21st century – the age of information and telecommunication technologies. A large number of organizations specializing in this or that branch of computer technology has appeared, as this is the most urgent direction. Even 20-30 years ago, humanity could not imagine that a computer could fit in the palm of your hand – we say the computer, since a normal mobile phone supports many more functions than the first computers.
  • Homelessness.

    As a social phenomenon, homelessness is embodied in a whole range of economic, social, political, civil, legal, cultural, and psychological conflicts, due to which a significant part of the population in modern society is systematically deprived of the necessary housing conditions recognized as an integral part of civilized society and social policy in modern legal states. Homelessness has become a particularly notable phenomenon in connection with urbanization, with population concentrations, and overpopulation, although it should not be considered a purely urban problem. Homelessness can increase, covering a significant part of the population, even in periods of active housing construction.
  • Drug abuse among teenagers.

    Teens experiencing a lack of emotional warmth from contact with other people begin to compensate this with the help of alcohol and drugs. If at this age a teenager at a party or a disco was first given a drug test, he/she would not just become addicted to it, but the likelihood that the teenager, being under the influence of narcotic intoxication and the “age crisis,” decides to die “beautifully.” All over the world, psychologists are becoming more concerned, as the number of cases of suicidal behavior among adolescents is increasing.
  • Multicultural societies.

    The terms “multicultural society” and “multiculturalism” arose in Canada in the 1960s, but the phenomenon they designate has been known since ancient times. The term “multiculturalism” (“multicultural”) is used in three different contexts in politics, relating to politics and institutions; empirical, describing different societies; and, finally, in political and social theory and philosophy. In all three contexts, the word is used by both supporters and opponents of this phenomenon.
  • Xenophobia.

    Xenophobia is hatred, intolerance, or dislike for anyone or anything alien, unfamiliar, or unusual. In the nature of xenophobia, the natural fear of the unknown lies, intensifying in the conditions of mutual information isolation and unfamiliarity of other people’s customs. On this basis, an opinion easily arises about the barbarous customs of these “outsiders,” and sometimes unauthentic rumors are artificially spread.
  • Islamophobia.

    Islamophobia is one of the strongest manifestations of ignorance in our modern world. This is a kind of xenophobia, a collective definition for various forms of negative reactions to Islam, as well as related social phenomena. Back in 1997, the British research center Runnymede Trust published a report: “Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All.”
  • First nations of Canada.

    Although Canada is considered a new country, its history began 20,000 years ago, at the end of the first glacial period. At that time there was still an isthmus connecting Siberia and Alaska; Siberian nomad hunters crossed this bridge and became the first inhabitants of North America, and during the following centuries their descendants gradually moved to the south. During the archaeological excavations in the Old Crow River basin in the Yukon, tools were found that scientists believe are relevant to this period of migration.

critical essay topics on culture

Crime Critical Essay Topics

  • Factors leading to juvenile delinquency.

    According to official statistics, the largest number of recorded crimes is committed by youth at the age of 16 (about 40%). As he/she grows up, the juvenile offender becomes more dangerous and difficult to change. On the motivation of the criminal behavior of juveniles, a special imprint is imposed by the characteristics of the teenage psyche: increased suggestibility in relation to authorities and youthful negativism in relation to persons attempting to exercise pedagogical influence, a tendency to social and psychological “infection.”
  • Rehabilitation of women released from prison or who received a suspended sentence.

    Annually, thousands of women are released from institutions that execute criminal penalties, who on their return to their native places experience deep feelings connected with the numerous problems of adaptation – housing, employment, and restoration of social ties. Not being prepared for the social and economic realities of today and finding no understanding in society, women often find themselves again involved in illegal activities. The correction and return of law-abiding citizens convicted in the society is a complex and diverse process.
  • Why do the rich commit serious felonies?

    Some people become rich as a result of a crime, some rich people keep wealth thanks to clever scams and frauds, and some former millionaires, having fallen from the money Olympus, do everything possible just to prolong the charm of their usual lifestyle. When such stories become public, large scandals are erupting, but the motives behind such crimes are well understood even by the poorest inhabitant: the rich person does not have enough money and he/she starts stealing, cheating, and killing. But it is quite another matter when a person commits a crime who has no visible financial problems and who, from a philistine point of view, could live without felonies.
  • Connection of violent crimes with genes.

    Scientists have found a link between the behavior of cruel killers and genes. According to their data, the gene encoding special forms of the dopamine receptor D4 is associated with the commissioning of planned thoughtful, serious crimes. The researchers concluded that many cruel, planned murders are not related to attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

critical essay topics on history

History Critical Essay Topics

  • Wonders of the ancient world.

    The pyramid of Cheops, or the Great Pyramid, is the only one of the seven wonders of the world preserved to this day. The temple of Artemis was built in 560 B.C. by the king of Lydia Crees in the city of Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor. A giant statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios was installed at the entrance to the Rhodes port in between 292 and 280 years B.C.
  • Atlantis.

    In the dialogues of the ancient thinker Plato, there is still an argument that speaks of the reality of this legendary island. For more than 2000 years, there has been a legend about Atlantis. But only a few decades ago people, desperate to find traces of a once prosperous state, ranked Plato’s writings to utopias.
  • Ancient nanotechnologies.

    We are convinced that we are at the peak of technological civilization. But the latest research shows that our distant ancestors owned technologies that we still can not understand. However, they quickly lost them. A group of Italian researchers led by Gabriel Maria Ingo from the Institute of Nanostructured Materials (Italy) reported on the first successes in studying the ancient technology of gilding products.
  • The pyramids of Giza.

    Unlike the pyramids, lonely rising in the desert, the pharaohs of the ancient kingdom built three tombs on the Giza plateau and created a real cemetery city, with tombs, temples, roads, and sidewalks. They buried not only the pharaohs, their wives, and servants, but also their closest relatives, as well as the courtiers – in short, everyone who wanted to follow their master to the other world in the hope that he would give them life after death (all these people except servants were of noble origin – the road to eternity was closed forever for simple people). Not without reason, we can assume that the Egyptian pyramids in Giza are the real cemetery for aristocrats, where a considerable number of people was buried.
  • The Colossus of Rhodes.

    Colossus of Rhodes is a giant statue which became the embodiment of the ancient Greek god of the Sun, Helios. The gorgeous statue served as an ornament of the port city of Rhodes, located on the homonymous island of Rhodes. (It can be found on the border of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, or on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.) Being a major economic center of the ancient world, Rhodes attracted the rulers of many neighboring countries.
  • The statue of Liberty.

    Perhaps, not only Americans, but also any inhabitant of our planet on the question of what is a symbol of the United States, without hesitation, will answer: the Statue of Liberty. It is no coincidence that this monument is most often seen in American cinema, and it’s no coincidence that as tourists, we buy in souvenir shops and bring home copies of the Statue of Liberty. Emphasizing the greatness of the monument, the Statue of Liberty is often compared with the Colossus of Rhodes, an ancient Greek statue that has not survived to this day.
  • The statue of Zeus in Olympia.

    Unfortunate were the inhabitants of Ancient Greece who did not see this statue of Zeus in Olympia. Antipater Sidonsky attributed the main decoration of the temple of Zeus in the 3rd century B.C. to the list of seven wonders of the world. The most memorable work of the sculptor Phidias shocked all contemporaries who saw it.
  • America’s Founding Fathers.

    Modern America has its own uncanonized saints. These are the so-called Founding Fathers – those people who played a key role in establishing American statehood, winning independence and creating the principles of a new political system. They founded the modern United States.
  • Colonization of America.

    The history of America began relatively recently, when in the 16th century people arrived to the new continent discovered by Columbus. These people were of different skin color and different prosperity, and the reasons that prompted them to come to the New World were also different. Some were attracted by the desire to start a new life, others were trying to get rich, others were escaping from the persecution of the authorities or religious persecution.

critical essay topics on history

Economics Critical Essay Topics

  • Ways of managing inflation.

    In economic literature and in practice, there are different opinions about the fight against inflation. Some authors propose to live in conditions of strong inflation. Its negative consequences should be corrected with the help of anti-inflationary protection of economic entities.
  • Importance of entrepreneurship.

    Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the development of society. Entrepreneurship is an initiative of independent activity of people aimed at obtaining profit or any personal income, carried out on their own behalf, under their own responsibility, or on behalf of and under the legal responsibility of a legal person, that is, a firm, or an enterprise. This is the first task, and at the same time the role of entrepreneurship.
  • Foreign exchange.

    Foreign exchange means banknotes of foreign countries (banknotes, treasury notes, coins), credit, and payment documents (bills, checks, and others) that are used in international settlements. Foreign exchange is closely related to the concept of “currency of monetary obligations,” since it reflects the currency unit expressing the value of the obligation (the amount of the contract) in liabilities subject to monetary valuation.
  • International trade.

    International trade is a complex economic category that can be considered in at least four aspects: market, organizational, technical, and social and economic aspects. The organizational and technical aspect studies the physical exchange of goods and services between state-owned national economies (states). The main attention is paid to the problems associated with the purchase (sale) of specific goods, their movement between counterparts (the seller-buyer), and the crossing of state borders, with calculations, etc.
  • Monetary policy.

    Monetary policy is a combination of central bank and government activities in the area of monetary circulation and credit. Monetary policy is an essential element of macroeconomic policy. All impacts are reflected in the magnitude of the aggregate social product and national product.
  • Gross Domestic Product.

    Gross Domestic Product is the aggregate value of final goods and services produced in the territory of a given country, regardless of whether the factors of production are owned by residents of a given country or are the property of foreigners. Gross Domestic Product is used to characterize the results of production, the level of economic development, and the rate of economic growth. Gross Domestic Product measures the market value of all final goods and services produced on the territory of the country during the year, so this is a monetary indicator.
  • Unemployment.

    Unemployment is a social an economic phenomenon in which part of the workforce is not engaged in the production of goods and services. The labor force is the composition of the employed and the unemployed. The able-bodied population is a part of the population that is able to work by age and by state of health.
  • Import duty.

    Import duties are customs duties, and they represent a tax payment for goods imported into the country. The payment is charged in favor of the state budget and allows to indirectly regulate the volume of imports. These kinds of fees are most common in world practice.
  • Ways to improve GDP.

    The policy of income and wages is related to macroeconomic problems. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the volume of products and services at market value created for a certain period as a result of the production activity of economic units that are residents of the country. Residents are understood as economic units (enterprises and households) with a center of economic activity in the economic territory of a given country.
  • Strategic financial investment.

    Financial investments are implemented in securities, such as stocks, bonds, bills of exchange, bank deposits, and other financial instruments that allow you to extract profit or income from financial investments. The main objective of the company’s financial investments is to make a profit. The higher the profitability of financial investments, the higher the financial risks are.

Critical Essay Topics on environment

Environment Critical Essay Topics

  • Ways of conserving the environment.

    Sort the garbage. Separate garbage into “components” and throw them out separately – environmentalists are trying to accustom the inhabitants of all developed countries of the world to this habit. On the streets, you can find receptacles of different colors – for paper, for glass, and for other wastes.
  • Solar energy.

    Solar power generation is a pure alternative to electricity from produced fuel, without air and water pollution, without global pollution of the environment, and without any threats to our public health. A total of 18 sunny days on Earth contains the same amount of energy that is stored in all the reserves of the planet of coal, oil, and natural gas. Outside the atmosphere, solar energy contains about 1300 watts per square meter.
  • Green energy.

    “Green” clean energy is spoken about everywhere, new research is constantly carried out, and developments are being issued. Over the past three decades, research into renewable energy has sped up, leading to the emergence of many new technologies that help reduce our dependence on coal, oil, and natural gas. “Green” energy is derived from natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, rivers, plants, algae, and geothermal heat.
  • Substitutes for fossil fuels.

    Fossil fuels were formed in the earth’s crust for millions of years. These solid, liquid, and gaseous energy carriers are by far the most extensive sources of energy consumed by mankind. Coal was used before other fuels which was of great importance in the era of steam engines.
  • Land reclamation.

    Agricultural land reclamation is a complex of technical, organizational, economic, and social measures aimed at radical improvement of unfavorable natural conditions in order to obtain high sustainable crop yields. Land reclamation and land protection is a field of science and technology engaged in purposeful improvement, restoration, protection of lands for various purposes, and pollution control, with natural elements – floods, flooding of lands, their erosion, landslides, mudflows, and dry winds – to increase the consumer value (utility) of land.

Students can be asked to “hire to write an essay” for college in order to develop critical thinking skills, because in the process they will learn to identify contradictions, errors, inaccuracies, as well as to see the strengths and weaknesses of the work, check the reliability of certain arguments. Our critical analysis essay topics are presented to help students deal with this task. First of all, get acquainted with these topics and only after that, compose a plan and start writing. Look through our guide on how to write a critical essay as well to have a full picture of requirements towards the particular paper type. Finish your research with reading of critical analysis essay examples to write a perfert paper.