Is heroism a form of madness? A British teenager has been killed fighting on the frontline in Ukraine. Some wonder if this kind of self-sacrifice is noble, or simply crazy.
The 18-year-old who died for Ukraine
Is heroism a form of madness? A British teenager has been killed fighting on the frontline in Ukraine. Some wonder if this kind of self-sacrifice is noble, or simply crazy.
"In peace, sons bury their fathers; in war, fathers bury their sons." It is common to think of the ancient world as an age of heroism and military glory. These words, written almost 2,500 years ago by Greek historian HerodotusAn Ancient Greek historian and geographer., are a reminder that even the ancient heroes knew that war was hell.
Yet this is a lesson each generation must learn for itself. Today, it is the death of a young British man who travelled to fight in Ukraine that serves to exemplify what Herodotus already knew.
James Wilton was just 18 years old when he was killed by a Russian droneA small flying machine. strike. It was his very first mission on the Ukrainian frontline. He is one of more than 15 British volunteers who have now given their lives for Ukraine and one of thousands who went to fight for the beleagueredIn a very difficult situation. country.1
Most of these volunteers say they joined up because they were outraged at Vladimir PutinRussia's ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.'s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and wanted to stand up for the Ukrainians against their bullying neighbour.2
Little wonder their friends and families think of them as heroes. But in a way, the idea of being a hero is swimming against the current.
Most of the history of warfare consists in trying to eliminate the element of heroism. In the Bronze AgeThe time between 2,000BC to 700BC when people used bronze to make items rather than stones. , many wars would be settled by a duel between two "champions" nominated by each side. Whichever nation had the finest individual fighters would triumph.
Even then, the line between heroism and madness was not a clear one. The term "berserker" developed in GermanicLinked to Germany or the Indo-European language family that includes German, Dutch and English. societies to describe those who would work themselves into such a frenzy they no longer felt fear or pain, and would throw themselves on the enemy to kill as many as they could.3
However, in subsequent centuries, this gave way to war defined by military drills and formations, designed to make soldiers fight as groups rather than as individuals.
Such formations easily swept aside undisciplined armies in which every fighter was looking for their own glory.
In the last few decades, there was even an idea that the individual role in war could almost be eliminated. French philosopher Jean BaudrillardA French sociologist and philosopher (1929 - 2007) noticed this about the Gulf WarAn armed conflict in the early 1990s between Iraq and a coalition of countries led by the USA. of 1990-91. He even wrote a book called The Gulf War Did Not Take Place.
He argued that the war was not really a conflict at all, because the US simply used its superior air power to demolish the enemy IraqiFrom Iraq, a nation in the Middle East with a population of 45.5m. forces. As a result there were barely any casualties on the US side, and journalists simply did not report how many Iraqis had been killed.
It created the impression of a war that took place entirely on the TV, with no actual human lives on the line. In removing almost all the risk of war, it also stripped away the very last of its heroism. Putting oneself in danger was unnecessary, and thus mad.
These days, however, war is not so easily controlled. Drone warfare is turning battlefields into slaughterhouses.
Military-grade drones can precisely target and kill anyone caught in an open space. Adapted commercial drones can drop grenades directly into tanks or snipers' nestsA small base for a sniper, or a person who shoots from a hiding place. . No-one is safe. Survival has become a matter of luck.
On the one hand, this shifts warfare back towards individual heroes. On the other hand, it means heroism is not enough to survive - perhaps a little bit of madness is needed as well.
Is heroism a form of madness?
Yes: Heroism means putting oneself in lethal danger for the benefit of other people. If we think of madness as acting against one's self-interest then it seems clear heroism is crazy.
No: Most of us feel we want to live for something more than ourselves. In this sense acts of heroism are a means of making our lives greater and more valuable than they might otherwise be. They are deeply rational.
Or... Heroism may be mad, but that does not make it any less admirable. Perhaps we might say heroism is madness plus nobility.
Herodotus - An Ancient Greek historian and geographer.
Drone - A small flying machine.
Beleaguered - In a very difficult situation.
Vladimir Putin - Russia's ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.
Bronze Age - The time between 2,000BC to 700BC when people used bronze to make items rather than stones.
Germanic - Linked to Germany or the Indo-European language family that includes German, Dutch and English.
Jean Baudrillard - A French sociologist and philosopher (1929 - 2007)
Gulf War - An armed conflict in the early 1990s between Iraq and a coalition of countries led by the USA.
Iraqi - From Iraq, a nation in the Middle East with a population of 45.5m.
Snipers' nests - A small base for a sniper, or a person who shoots from a hiding place.
The 18-year-old who died for Ukraine

Glossary
Herodotus - An Ancient Greek historian and geographer.
Drone - A small flying machine.
Beleaguered - In a very difficult situation.
Vladimir Putin - Russia’s ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.
Bronze Age - The time between 2,000BC to 700BC when people used bronze to make items rather than stones.
Germanic - Linked to Germany or the Indo-European language family that includes German, Dutch and English.
Jean Baudrillard - A French sociologist and philosopher (1929 - 2007)
Gulf War - An armed conflict in the early 1990s between Iraq and a coalition of countries led by the USA.
Iraqi - From Iraq, a nation in the Middle East with a population of 45.5m.
Snipers' nests - A small base for a sniper, or a person who shoots from a hiding place.