Tragic Hero vs. Hero of Faith / Formal Paper 2.0

There are certain givens in life that everyone follows, these “givens” apply to everyone. The ethical is also called the universal, which means that it applies to everyone. For example, Universal Human Rights are rights that apply to everyone. Article three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person” (United Nations). Just as universal rights apply to everyone, universal laws apply to everyone.  Can anyone can get around the universal? We would not think so, because universal means it applies to everyone all the time; however, there is a man that is able to step outside the universal. The tragic hero stays inside the universal. Jeptha, a judge in the Bible, stays within the universal because he served the communal good. Abraham stepped outside the universal because he served the absolute. However, how can someone kill their own child and still be doing good? The tragic hero and the man of faith are able to sacrifice their own child for a greater purpose. Both do good, but one does better. Kierkegaard values the man of faith over the tragic hero because the man of faith was able to overstep the universal. 

  Three fathers sacrificed their children without moving beyond the ethical. Jeptha was a judge of Israel. Jeptha prayed to God to help him defeat the Ammonites. He told God that if He delivered the Ammonites to him, he would sacrifice the first thing that ran out of his house when he returned home. This seems like a strange oath to make to God. Generally, you are supposed to sacrifice the best of the best that you have. However, this oath seemed to work because God gave Jeptha victory over the Ammonites. When Jeptha returned home, his heart sank when his daughter ran out of the house first to welcome him. Jeptha kept his oath with God and sacrificed his daughter, who was his only child. Judges 11 says, “And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.”  Even though he loved his daughter dearly, he kept the oath that he made to God. Jeptha made this oath with God to ensure the safety of his people. Jeptha sacrificed so much for his people. Although he could have made a different oath with God, or not made an oath at all, he did what he did because he wanted to ensure victory over the Ammonites and safety for his people. Two other men are referenced as being tragic heroes. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter so the Greeks would win the trojan war. In the Oresteia, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter to the goddess Artemis so she would not interfere with him sailing to Troy. If he had not sacrificed his daughter, he would  have never even made it to Troy. Also, Brutus put his sons to death for plotting against the state. All three men acted to protect their people. These three were tragic heroes because they killed their children for the good of their people 

Abraham did not sacrifice his son for the greater good like the tragic heroes did, he was going to sacrifice his son for a different reason. God made many promises to Abraham throughout his life. God promised Abraham a new land, so Abraham picked up his things and followed where God told him. God promised Abraham and his wife Sarah a child in their old age. He also promised Abraham that his descendants would be a great nation. God has always provided and taken care of Abraham. Now, God has asked Abraham for something greater; God asked him to sacrifice his only son. Genesis 22:1-2 says, “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Morriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” God was testing Abraham, but Abraham did not know this. All he knew was that God had given him a commandment, and he did as God asked. Abraham took his only son, Isaac, up to the mountain, tied him up and placed him on top of the altar. As Abraham raised his hand to kill Isaac, God stopped him. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his only son because God commanded him to. This is what separates Abraham from the tragic heroes. The tragic heroes sacrificed their children for the communal good, or the good of the community. Abraham was not going to sacrifice his son to help anyone or ensure the safety of his people. He is not a tragic hero, so what is he? 

Agamemnon, Jeptha, and Brutus are all called tragic heroes, but how can we identify Abraham? Is he a murderer or a great hero of faith, as Hebrews 11 says? Kieregaard poses this question as well. He says, “Abraham is therefore at no instant the tragic hero, but something quite different, either a murderer or man of faith” (Page 65-66).  Although, he is technically not a murderer because he did not have to follow through with the sacrifice. However, in his mind he was prepared to kill his son, so in his mind, he had killed his son. The only thing that can determine whether he was a murderer or man of faith is God. If Abraham was crazy, and God did not tell him to sacrifice his son, he would have been a murderer. However, God did command him to sacrifice his only son, and he obeyed, which makes him a man of faith. 

But, how is Abraham a man of faith if he was not following the universal? The tragic heroes stayed within the universal. But the man of faith was not bound by the universal, because he was able to overstep the universal. The matter was between Abraham and God, which gives Abraham a higher telos. Kierkegaard says, “ With Abraham it is different. In his action he overstepped the ethical altogether, and had a higher telos outside it, in relation to which he suspended it” (Page 68-69). Abraham had a greater purpose than the tragic heroes. The tragic heroes served the communal good, but Abraham served the absolute, which is God. 

Who required more faith, Abraham or the tragic heroes? The tragic heroes acted for the good of the people, and their reward was earthly and immediate. But, Abraham did not have any incentive  to act, except to obey God. People were able to look at the act Aeneas, Jeptha, or Brutus committed and see how their sacrifice was for the good. However, if people were on the outside looking at Abraham prepare to sacrifice his only son, they would not understand. The tragic heroes knew what the outcome of their sacrifice would be, Abraham did not. All Abraham had was the strength of the absurd, Abraham believed that God could bring his son back to life. This is absurd because, prior to this, there was no mention of resurrection in the Bible. There was no example of God bringing someone back from the dead, nonetheless, Abraham believed God could. The strength of the absurd is what makes Abraham’s faith greater than the faith of the tragic heroes. 

At first glance, we might think that the tragic heroes are better than the man of faith. They sacrificed their children for the communal good. Because of their sacrifice, many lives were saved and there was a great result from their acts. However, the man of faith is greater. The tragic heroes served others, the man of faith served God. The man of faith thought only of God and obeyed Him. The tragic heroes did have a great telos, they served their community and the good of others. But Abraham had an even greater telos, he served absolute, God. This is why the man of faith can step outside the universal and the tragic heroes cannot. Kierkegaard values the man of faith over the tragic hero because the man of faith was able to overstep the universal.