Our Approach

Ideologies—seemingly imposed from above—are not separate from human beings—who invent and perpetuate them.

This website poses the question: why are certain ideas embraced so vehemently—with such passion—that people are willing to die and kill in their name?

The following concepts are among those that are central to our investigation and the dialogue we hope to generate:

Sacrifice: The Roman poet Horace declared, "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." For a time, it seemed that glorification of sacrificial death was on the wane. Islamic terrorism—suicide bombing—revivified the idea of giving one's life for a sacred ideal. What is it about ideologies that compel people to die (and kill) in their name?
Sacred Ideals: At the core of each ideology lies a sacred ideal. Hitler is viewed as anomalous, but his statement, "We may be inhumane, but if we rescue Germany we have performed the greatest deed in the world," conveys the structure of thought lying behind most forms of societal violence. Sacred ideals transform acts usually viewed as criminal and pathological into actions considered noble, honorable and praiseworthy.
The Nation: Nations are symbolic objects—often thought to be real entities—that permeate everyday existence. Yet however ordinary they may be, nations generate extraordinary forms of collective behavior—such as warfare and genocide. Societal killing is undertaken in the name of purifying or preserving one's nation by destroying or eliminating "enemies" that are imagined to be a threat to its survival.