The term “fungible” means that something is of such a nature (like money or a commodity) that one part can be replaced by another part. Ideals and ideologies are fungible. It could be this ideal or that one; this ideology or that one; this sacred entity or another. One group might die and kill for X. Another might die and kill for Y. The ideology may be one we believe is good, virtuous, and valuable; or one we believe is evil and destructive.

Hitler killed to rid the world of Jews. Abraham Lincoln killed to free the slaves. We may judge Hitler to be evil for the deaths he caused. We do not consider Lincoln evil by virtue of the deaths that he caused. In each case, massive numbers of people died--for the purpose of actualizing an ideology. Vast quantities of blood were shed. We may judge an ideology to be good or evil. What is constant is the mechanism bringing the ideology into existence, persuading us that the idea is real.