> In her essay Regarding the Pain of Others, on images of violence and suffering, Susan Sontag famously asks: “What is the point of exhibiting these pictures? T

> In her essay Regarding the Pain of Others, on images of violence and suffering, Susan Sontag famously asks: “What is the point of exhibiting these pictures? To awaken indignation? To make us feel ‘bad,’ that is, to appall and sadden? To help us mourn? … Do they actually teach us anything?” I'll take a stab at it: 1. The point is basic education, let's call it "social literacy." 2. Not necessarily, though in some cases it obviously does. 3. Sadness is sometimes a consequence of the process of gaining social literacy-- same as when people cry while gaining literacy through reading novels, no? 4. Sometimes, but of course mourning is only one small category in the process of learning about the world around you. 5. Well, for one thing-- off the top of my head-- this knowledge essentially inoculates one against some of the worst types of religious demagoguery. E.g., "god's plan" is seriously questioned by some of the worst types of human-induced horrors, and reasonably rejected upon discovery of the worst natural horrors. See Dostoevsky's "Brothers Karamazov" (can't remember the chapter). Reasonable religious people may disagree, but the point is zealous demagoguery doesn't function well in light of such knowledge.[1] 1: Though it's no panacea: e.g., nihilism is an easy option in such conversations.