Category: Writing

Create a list of the interests in your life, describing each
one as specifically as possible. Begin with the present and work backward as
far as you can remember, covering your areas of employment, education, and
general activities. Make the list as comprehensive as you can, including as
many interests as you can think of. (Don’t worry about duplication.) Ask people
who know you how they would describe your interests.

“Even in extreme situations, we have a choice, whether we
choose to exercise it or not. The belief that our role, our desires, our past,
or the actions of others preclude our acting morally is a convenient but
illusory way of distancing ourselves from the evil that surrounds us.” Evaluate
this claim in light of the behavior of the military and intelligence personnel
at Abu Ghraib prison, both those who participated in prisoner abuse and those
who resisted such participation.

Sabini and Silver argue that the ability to think critically
must be developed within a social context, that we must expose our thinking to
the criticism of others because “individual thinking, even the best of it, is
prey to distortions of all kinds, from mere ignorance to ‘bad faith.’” Explain
how “allies” were helpful in enabling those at Abu Ghraib prison to resist the
pressure to conform to the prevailing norm of prisoner abuse

Identify another case of viral outrage (there are plenty to
choose from!) and apply your critical-thinking skills to evaluate the case. Was
the “offending party” as guilty as the viral outrage suggested? Did the
punishment “fit the crime”? List your conclusion along with your supporting
premises.

In the article “When the Cyberbully is You,” Nick Bilton
offers Nietzsche’s quote, “Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you
become one.” What do you think Nietzsche means here? How could fighting a
monster turn you into one? How does this relate to the topic of viral outrage?