“For evil to flourish it only requires good men to do nothing.”
— Simon Wiesenthal
The first three decades of the 20th century were especially difficult for the citizens of Europe. Germany, once an economic powerhouse, was battered by a global pandemic, a worldwide economic depression and the humiliating loss of the first world war. As the economic woes worsened, far-right political groups, most notably the Nazis, came to power in the early 1930s by demonizing the previous democratic government, Communists, Socialists, and Jews. Hitler came to power by convincing everyday Germans that “the others” among them were the root cause of all their problems. (Does any of that sound familiar?)
But the sheer horror of the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Nazis is not what this book is about. The first part of The Sunflower details an experience Wiesenthal had while on a forced work detail that brought him into contact with a wounded German SS soldier. The moral dilemma he confronted as a result of this contact is what Wiesenthal encourages the reader to consider. His tale asks what you would have done in the same situation.
In the second section of The Sunflower, Wiesenthal presented his story to a number of world-renowned experts from various religious, ethical, philosophical and theological disciplines; from the Dalai Lama, to Suzannah Heschel, to Desmond Tutu and beyond; to give their thoughts on his moral dilemma. It is certainly interesting to read the moral diversity of their replies.
Wiesenthal knew that at some point, the history of his time would repeat itself. He knew that at some point evil, corrupt leaders would rise again while everyday good men and women looked on and did nothing. Perhaps a reading of The Sunflower will give you the necessary historical perspective to summon the moral courage to confront your own complacency. Read The Sunflower before the legislature bans it. They certainly don’t want you to take the time to consider the moral consequences of their actions.