On Teaching Writing

The following rather long posts are connected to an assignment I give my writing students at the college. I challenge them to argue for what they think is the best foundation for making moral decisions about public and social issues. In other words, “What makes right, right?” The running on empty post contains some reflections on my students’ essays and the post on Why Right is Right is my attempt to write the same essay I assigned my students. It isn’t a very good piece of writing, and certainly doesn’t deserve publication of any kind–but it is posted to keep me honest as a teacher. I need to be taking the same risks I ask my students to take. It is also posted just as evidence that this essay can be written.