ABSTRACT
Utilitarianism and Kantianism have dominated Western philosophical thought about morality. Although the former has been in decline and alternatives to both have arisen, they continue to influence much ethical reflection, even beyond the sphere of right action where they have been at home. This chapter argues that there is in fact some good moral reason to experience survivor’s guilt, specifically, because one would be a better person for doing so. Normative ethical theories prominent in recent Western philosophy have difficulty entailing and explaining the judgment that survivor’s guilt is typically reasonable. The chapter shows that the Afro-communal theory of virtue plausibly entails that and explains why one would often be a better person for experiencing survivor’s guilt. Roughly, feeling bad upon the dumb luck of survival when one’s associates have perished is a virtuous instance of honouring one’s ties with them.
