Opfer in Leben und Tod - Sacrifice Between Life and Death

Sacrifice is one of the most primordial forms through which the human being relates himself to the transcendent. Apparently, it can be found in all cultures and on all levels of evolution of mankind. Sacrifice is essential for the understanding of idproduct, stability and perhaps even the formation of human societies. It is likewise of decisive meaning when we try to understand and to master human suffering. Sacrifice is the most fundamental expression of the insight into the originally paradoxical constitution of human existence: namely the insight that our life can only find its meaning through the commitment to something which we regard as more important than the satisfaction of our short-term preferences and, eventually, as even more important than our personal survival.
However, what does 'sacrifice' really mean? The German word 'Opfer' already combines in itself the meaning of the notions sacrificium and victima, which, although they essentially belong together, have clearly different meanings. The human being sacrifices, but he is also sacrificed. There is voluntary and involuntary sacrifice, and there is self sacrifice and what could be called sacrifice of the other. Thus, do we find more than 'family resemblance' between these and the many other aspects of the meaning of this word? Especially because of its universal dimension, the notion of sacrifice is obviously in need of philosophical analysis and clarification. In this context, the dialogue between Eastern and Western philosophy becomes of key importance.