I love Errol Morris. I became acquainted with his films when I started using the documentary The Fog of War in some of my classes to introduce some concepts around Just War Theory and other similar issues. The scene in The Fog of War in which Morris and Robert McNamara provide a city-by-city comparison of the sheer number of civilians burned to death by the American fire-bombings of Japan is pretty unforgettable. Morris has done other great work too, of course, not all of them political in nature.

Here is Morris discussing the problem of discovering the truth and how important it is to know the truth. An obsession with the truth, by the way, is a trait I’ve noticed in all decent people. They want to know the truth. People who don’t care about the truth, or who are happy to believe lies because it is more convenient, are usually people I try to avoid.

The Best of Ryan McMaken