Anyone who’s taken Psychology 101 will recall Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a pyramid-shaped analysis of how humans prioritize their lives. At the most foundational level are food, water, and shelter. Next, there are physical safety and security. Lastly, several levels up, there’s self-actualization – when individuals come to embody their beliefs about the Good. Though seemingly intuitive, Maslow’s description cannot account for the vast multitudes who have sacrificed comfort and, ultimately, life itself for the sake of higher ideals; those held up as heroes and saints, the highest exemplars of humanity. While our lives are generally ordered by the quotidian, it’s also true that humans are spiritual beings that seek not only material well-being but also moral wholeness and justice. This is true of individuals, but also of nations and civilizations for all of history.
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