Damon Horowitz shares a an encounter that questions our conceptions of right and wrong. Damon teaches college-level Philosophy classes to prisoners in a US prison.
I think it’s a noble calling to bring to life something as complex as Philosophy and teach that to inmates in prison. Not because it is an unpleasant environment to teach in but because so much of the world writes off convicts as soon as they are behind bars. As Damon describes his encounter with his student inmate, you get the sense that in that moment, it did not matter what Tony did wrong to land him in prison. What mattered was that there were 2 individuals in the same room discussing and challenging each other’s thoughts about a subject they shared a passion for.
How much of what we do and how we act is drive by our conceptions of the world about other people, and how much of what we do is just fuelled by passion? Would you take the time to sit and teach an inmate something that stereotyping dictates to be above their intellectual capabilities?