Exam 5: Why We Cheat

Correct Answer:

Answered by Examlex AI Copilot

The 9/11 attack evoked such a high degree of moral outrage because it was a deliberate and heinous act of violence that resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent people. The issue-contingent model can help us understand why this event elicited such a strong moral response.

According to the issue-contingent model, moral outrage is influenced by the perceived severity of the harm, the intentionality of the act, and the perceived moral responsibility of the perpetrator. In the case of the 9/11 attack, the severity of the harm was immense, as thousands of lives were lost and countless others were affected by the physical and emotional trauma. The intentional nature of the attack, carried out by terrorists with the explicit goal of causing mass destruction and instilling fear, further heightened the moral outrage. Additionally, the perceived moral responsibility of the perpetrators, who were part of a known terrorist organization, contributed to the sense of moral outrage.

Furthermore, the 9/11 attack also evoked moral outrage due to its impact on national security and the sense of vulnerability it created. The attack exposed the vulnerability of the United States to such acts of terrorism and challenged the country's sense of security and invincibility.

In conclusion, the 9/11 attack evoked a high degree of moral outrage due to the severity of the harm, the intentionality of the act, the perceived moral responsibility of the perpetrators, and its impact on national security. These factors, as analyzed through the issue-contingent model, help explain the strong moral response to this tragic event.