This ethic runs through Sontag’s criticism. In On Photography (1977), she warns that passive consumption of images dulls moral perception; curiosity, therefore, must be attentive rather than acquisitive, asking what an image reveals, who is framed, and who profits. Later, Regarding the Pain of Others (2003) urges viewers to face suffering without turning it into spectacle—curiosity should deepen understanding, not harvest sensation.
Even earlier, Against Interpretation (1966) argues for "recovering our senses" through close, unjaded looking. Across these works, Sontag models a disciplined curiosity that refuses reduction. The habit is not merely to know more, but to perceive more honestly, refusing both sentimental shortcuts and cynical detachment. [...]
