Description:
For the final essay, your job is to identify the moral foundations of the argument in one of the opinion editorials below and to explain how these moral foundations help or hurt the argument when it comes to readers who might lean toward being socially liberal or socially conservative and to offer a better argument that makes better use of the moral foundations. In other words, given what Jonathan Haidt tells us about liberals and conservatives and their tendencies when it comes to moral foundations, how might the argument be improved to better target those who lean towards the opposite side of the ideological spectrum?
For the final essay, you will need to spend time explaining what the opinion editorial is arguing and quoting and explaining the quotes to the reader. You want to be sure to explain which moral foundation/s the opinion editorial seems to emphasize (i.e., care/harm, fairness/reciprocity/cheating, loyalty/in-group/betrayal, authority/respect/subversion, sanctity/purity/degradation, liberty/oppression). Then, you should evaluate how the argument will go over with liberals versus conservatives. And finally, you should explain what argument the author might have made to be more persuasive to those with different moral foundations.
Choose one of the opinion editorials:
“With the Death Penalty: Let the Punishment Fit the Crime,” by Robert Becker.
“In a Civilized Society, Not Even the Most Vicious Crimes Justify a Death Sentence,” by the L.A. Times Editorial Board.
“In Support of the Immigration Travel Ban,” by Alexander Cullen.
“Immigrants Shouldn’t Have to Be Talented to be Welcome,” by Masha Gessen.
When you write your essay, be sure to include:
An introduction that contextualizes the issue.
A thesis that states your central point as exactly as possible. For example, opinion editorial X appeals more strongly to conservatives/liberals because of its focus on moral foundations a and b, but it should actually have focused on foundations c and d or spoken about foundations a and b in this way in order to appeal to those who lean to the opposite political spectrum.
A clear and logical structure that follows from your thesis.
Topic sentences and transitions introducing individual paragraphs.
Support for your points in the form of quotations from both the opinion editorial and The Righteous Mind. Choosing the right quotes is just as important as having enough supporting evidence.
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