Primo Levi Essay

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Then there is the aspect of morality and religion. If one chooses their moral beliefs based on religion, a standard of morality from a religious standpoint could not arise from a purely pragmatic, "survival of the fittest" mentality. Morality, as religion sees it, is commanded from a higher power. Religious morality is not based on our desire for self preservation, but from an arbitrary deity (of choice) who says it should be so. But even those who look to their religious or spiritual beliefs may find themselves in a position where all that they have learned and live by can change and they will be forced to make the choice between the morality of God and the morality of survival.

What does the morality of survival truly imply? If one chooses survival over morals does this imply that morality is more subjective than our society is willing to admit? It isn't so much a question of whether it is "right" to survive - we all have the right to defend and facilitate our continued individual existence - but at what cost? The morality of survival concerns the

method(s) chosen to ensure and sustain survival and the effect it has upon others. No individual can be certain that his personal preference of morals is the correct one, because at any given time his preference of morals can change based upon the circumstances in which he is placed.

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Bibliography

Levi, Primo. Survival in Auschwitz. New York: Touchstone Books, 1986

"Morality." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 3 Mar 2008, 00:30 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 4 Mar 2008.

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Raven, Meg. Hard Choices - Site Location & The Morality of Survival. 5 Mar 2008

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Thorpe, Samuel. The Foundation of Morality: Is Morality Subjective or Objective? 5 Mar 2008

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