Ariella Azoulay

Susie Linfield's The Cruel Radiance is a defense of the ethical necessity of viewing images of political violence. This analysis breaks down its 4 cores: 1) Arguing against the "anti-photography tradition" that sees images as inherently exploitative; 2) Positing that "learning to see" (with context and facts) is a trained civic capacity; 3) Arguing for a case-by-case ethics rather than a total ban; 4) Defending photojournalism and empathy against cynicism. The book dialogues with Sontag and Azoulay, reframing viewing as a civic duty.