Philosophy of Sacrifice

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Are humans inherently selfish? Or are we capable of altruistic and self-sacrificial actions? To what extent does morality obligate us to sacrifice our well-being for the greater good? Where does the rhetoric of “dulce et decorum est” (“It is sweet and noble [to die for one’s country]”) originate? Does this have any validity? What are the political uses (and dangers) of such rhetoric? What is the theological and philosophical role of sacrifice in major world religions? What are the theological and philosophical implications of martyrdom, both in classical and contemporary religious contexts? How is the rhetoric of martyrdom used as a political tool? How is the sacrifice of enemy non-combatants justified in war time (for example, as with “strategic bombing” in World War 2, or the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki)? As is made vivid by Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” exploitation may be a form of sacrifice justified by the greater good. What is exploitation? Is it a form of sacrifice? Can it ever be justified?