"The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt"

Why does Cpt. Bonenberger feel survivor guilt?

• He didn't save Pulaski in Afghanistan

• He hurt Pulaski

• He couldn't help Pulaski in the US

• He killed enemy soldiers

What is subjective guilt?

• culpability that matches wrong doing

• the feeling of guilt even when it isn't earned

• another name for objective guilt

• how prisoners feel

Nietzsche and Spinoza note that _______, internal sense of right and wrong, can cause people to take more responsibility than they should

• conscience

• burden

• empathy

• logos

What other emotions do soldiers describe when they talk about feeling guilt?

• love

• duty

• anger

• fear

How is agent-regret different than survivor guilt?

• agent-regret focuses on bad luck and accidents

• in agent-regret, people are not agents or causes

• agent-regret recognizes the feeling of guilt

• agent-regret is based on empathic distress

How did Pvt Mayek’s mother respond to his death?

• she blames Capt. Prior for her son's death

• she writes letters to Capt. Prior as if he was her son

• she studies philosophers like Aristotle

• she refuses to talk to Capt. Prior

Is survivor guilt rational?

• Logically no

• Emotionally yes

• Morally no, people need to forgive themselves

• Morally yes, it helps people care for others