Writing is a skill, a creative activity. As such, it cannot be learned primarily by reading a textbook or listening to lectures. One learns to write by writing . . . and writing and writing and writing. This course builds on the skills acquired and lessons learned in Introduction to Writing, and students write and analyze writing throughout the course. The focus is on “applied philosophical writing”—i.e., nonfiction writing that applies philosophical thinking to current events and cultural and political issues.