Annotations on “An Antidote to Injustice” by Jennifer M. Morton

[Annotation 1]
 Line: “This is your gruelling daily routine. Now, ask yourself: what could philosophy do for you?”
 → Morton paints a vivid picture of hardship to ground philosophy in lived experience. The rhetorical question links abstract theory with real-life struggles, making philosophy feel practical and relevant.

[Annotation 2]
 Line: “They are strivers, seeking an education…while holding onto jobs and taking care of families.”
 → The word strivers highlights perseverance and determination. Morton emphasizes the resilience of her students, portraying their pursuit of education as a meaningful effort despite heavy responsibilities.

[Annotation 3]
 Line: “Philosophy is the antidote to the uncritical acceptance of the world and ourselves as we are.”
 → The metaphor of antidote frames philosophy as medicine for the mind. Morton presents philosophy not as abstract luxury, but as a tool that helps people resist passivity and question harmful assumptions.

[Annotation 4]
 Line: “Consider the questions our protagonist could ask herself: Why should she have to take out student loans…?”
 → Morton uses a series of rapid questions to model critical inquiry. The barrage challenges the reader to reflect and destabilizes passive acceptance, encouraging independent thought.

[Annotation 5]
 Line: “Imagine that an evil demon is controlling your every thought.”
 → Descartes’ “evil demon” thought experiment pushes doubt to its extreme. By imagining complete deception, students are forced to question how much of their knowledge can truly be trusted.

[Annotation 6]
 Line: “Philosophers…are failing as citizens if they turn their back on those in the cave who are less fortunate.”
 → By invoking Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Morton reframes philosophy as a moral duty. Knowledge is shown to carry responsibility: those who understand more are obligated to help others see beyond ignorance.

[Annotation 7]
 Line: “If the groups over-fish, famine ensues and all of the families will die.”
 → The classroom exercise dramatizes the challenge of limited resources. It highlights how individual greed can harm the whole community, teaching lessons about foresight, cooperation, and restraint.

[Annotation 8]
 Line: “Rawls asks his readers to imagine a hypothetical social contract…”
 → Rawls’ “veil of ignorance” is a thought experiment designed to remove bias. It forces people to think about justice from a neutral position, encouraging fairness and equality.

[Annotation 9] 
Line: “She will be indignant because many of them are the product of unjust political institutions…”
 → Morton frames indignation as a productive moral response. Philosophy helps people recognize injustice clearly and articulate why unfair systems provoke anger.

[Annotation 10]
 Line: “The way injustice often undermines our agency is by shrinking the horizons of what we think is possible.”
 → Morton explains how injustice limits imagination and hope. Philosophy works to expand possibilities, giving people vision and confidence to seek change.

[Annotation 11]
 Line: “Dogmatism is an enemy to peace, and an insuperable barrier to democracy.”
 → Russell critiques rigid certainty as harmful to progress. Morton uses this to emphasize how philosophy promotes open-mindedness, tolerance, and democratic dialogue.

[Annotation 12]
 Line: “Martin Luther King Jr…held up hope in the form of a dream.”
 → Morton concludes by connecting philosophy with imagination and justice. King’s dream is used as an example of how ideas can inspire hope and collective action against injustice.