The essential interconnections among altruism, morality, and social solidarity: The case of religious altruism

Abstract

On May 24, 2013, a Buddhist monk named Bowatte Indarathana set himself on fire in Sri Lanka, reportedly as a protest “against the Muslim halal method of slaughtering animals” and as part of a call “for an end to proselytising by Christians and followers of other faiths in the Buddhist-majority nation” (BBC World News 2013). He later died as a result of his self-inflicted burns. As I was preparing this chapter, this case received international media attention partly because it is very difficult for many people to understand why anyone would burn himself or herself to death. This seemingly inexplicable act illustrates what I am calling the “essential interconnections of altruism, morality, and social solidarity," which I explore in this chapter. Indeed, the act seems “senseless” without simultaneously considering these three concepts. I have become increasingly convinced of the value of this kind of synthesis as I have attempted to better understand the diverse varieties of religious altruism.