Science, not sacrifice

With coronavirus deaths in the US just over 640,000 at the time of this writing, calls for the public to continue to “make sacrifices” have resounded over the course of the pandemic. But, what we need right now is science, not sacrifice. Of course we must all remain vigilant in making difficult concessional ‘sacrifices’ like mask-wearing and social distancing in order to curb the spread of the virus. But, if we are going to continue to make sacrifices, then they should at least be worth our while and be sure they bring results. As such, we ought to hold our so-called ‘leaders’ accountable when they fail to lead, rather than submitting to place our most vulnerable on the chopping block. Whether ‘leaders’ fail through lack of acumen or forethought, compassion or empathy, or by refusing to make difficult or unpopular decisions for the betterment and safety of their constituents (I’m looking at you ‘Former Guy’), we need accountability from them. Leadership should not be a privilege.

First, when I say that we need ‘science’, I mean that we need the systematic, testable and replicable generation of knowledge and the implementation of that knowledge towards the betterment of humanity. We need a genuine strive towards policy based on accurate, authentic (and authenticatable) data.

When I say ‘leaders’, I mean decision-makers at every level of governance. As the Trump administration brought into sharp focus, bad decisions can put millions of lives needlessly in danger with little to no accountability levelled on those politicians who actively and persistently fail to work for a more equitable current and future world. How and why is such behavior tolerated? Perhaps a brief history lesson is in order to set this into perspective?

Leadership, accountability & sacrifice

The scapegoat is an ancient form of sacrifice. In the Greek scapegoat tradition (pharmakos), the community’s faults and fears were symbolically placed onto the shoulders of the king; after all who better to mediate the concerns of the people in the eyes of the gods than the divine ruler? But, with sacrifice there is always a catch. Rulers don’t like being ousted (much less killed) and rarely go into exile peacefully. They devise remarkable ways to avoid such consequences. In the pharmakos, the human sacrifice of the king was made by use of a proxy victim. The actual victims were selected from the pariahs of society. However, the gods were watching, so the victim was transformed into a very ‘important’ person, given fine clothes, feasts and choice foods and accommodation. But ultimately, the scapegoat was ritually killed (or driven out) to appease the cathartic needs of the polis.

Even while ancient Greek rulers managed to sidestep their own scapegoat sacrifice by replacing themselves by way of elaborate and explicit charade, the Greeks got one thing right about sacrifice and accountability: at least symbolically, it was the responsibility of those in charge to be held accountable for the prosperity or shortfalls of the people. The scapegoat sacrifice was a test of leadership, its responsibility and the consequences of failure. Like the ancient Greeks, we must realize that when we allow our ‘leaders’ to make scapegoats, they do so to save their own skins.

We need science

At present, global society walks the razor’s edge above pandemic, political turmoil, social inequality and injustices, warfare and sectarian violence, not to mention the imminent threats of the effects of climate change. As we strive towards possible, and possibly equitable futures, history (and theory) attest that as these conditions persist they will lead to the emergence of increasingly sacrificial forms of violence. Sadly, the potential for ritualized and sublimated violence to erupt at the global scale seems increasingly likely. The threats are real, as are the consequences of failing to address these issues intelligently. For this we need accountable leadership that will listen to the science.

If we must sacrifice, let it be our so-called ‘leaders’ who are at stake. Let it not be our frontline workers, not our grocery store clerks, not our nurses and other care providers. Let it not be our school teachers. Let it not be our elderly or infirm. Let it not be the poor. It should be those in positions of authority who actively act against the safety and well-being of their constituents who should be expected to make sacrifices and to become scapegoats. Let those in power bear the consequences of their shortsighted, scientifically-ignorant, and selfish decisions. We need not resort to torches and pitchforks (just yet). No confidence measures for politicians and stricter term limits are a good place to start in dealing with those who fail to work towards the needs of their constituents or focus their actions in support of personal interest or engage in explicit partisan pandering.

The end of the Trump administration heralded a step in the right direction in my opinion. But it is just a first and very small step. If Trump has taught us anything it is how unprepared American democracy is in the face of embryonic authoritarianism — indeed how nearly half of Americans would seem to embrace it. Emerging from this, we must strive for a better system and a better world — a world where sacrifice is not requisite nor is it sought, and if it must be made, the proper victims are well understood to be those responsible, not those called upon to respond. We need to elect and support leaders that accept accountability and are dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge-based policy. What we don’t need right now is a resurgence towards sacrifices that place the lives and livelihoods of those in power over those that are not. Indeed, we need the opposite. Right now, more than ever, we need science not sacrifice. But if we are called upon to make sacrifices, let us choose our offerings more wisely and more appropriately.

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This opinion piece stems from my ongoing involvement with the Human Sacrifice & Value project supported by the Research Council of Norway (PI Rane Willerslev; FRIPRO HUMSAM, project 275947). For an overview of the project please see (link) and to see our ongoing research and outputs please visit our website hosted by the Museum of Cultural History at University of Oslo, here.