Yes, I would use 'he' and let my teacher possibly object; to me 'he' is
still much cleaner and less distractive than 'he/she'. (Although,
I often use 's/he', which I am rather fond of.
In essay writing classes, I encourage my students to choose the
side that they feel they can most effectively defend, irrespective of
which viewpoint is 'correct'. Before beginning to write, I ask
them to create a table that lists in note form the arguments and
counter-arguments for each viewpoint, and then choose the one that they
think they can write about most clearly and strongly.
There are limits to this general approach: the essay should not
defend socially unacceptable positions like murder, etc; and as I said
before, some assignments may want the student to present both sides
'equally'.