Selfishness And Charity
Selfishness and Charity
When taking into account the doctrines of selfishness and charity, Ebenezer Scrooge is a prime example of moral irresponsibility. When asked by two philanthropic men to make a charity donation, he refuses: “It’s not my business… It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly” (Fleming, 19). With a utilitarian understanding of kindness and charity, Scrooge refuses to contribute because he believes that it doesn’t help the greater good. His rejection of charity is based on his principles of moral individualism and utilitarianism. The question posed from this situation is what, if anything, do we owe to strangers? The practice of universal obligation and charity is rare within society and the duty of man calls for people to mind their own business. Greek society, “made it clear that universal benevolence was not the Greek ideal” (23). This Greek morality was not universal, but particular, calling into mind selfish and individualistic tendencies. The first Christians, as well, lived under a contract that was exclusive to its people. In contemporary Christian theology, helping other people is a duty owed to God (32). Charity is characterized by an obligation to interfere so long as prior obligations to family and other principles are not broken. Selfishness attempts to individualize, while charity reinforces the duties that one owes to others, oftentimes within certain boundaries. In order to understand the concept of selfishness, Christians and Greeks reiterate that there is no particular responsibility due to others. The egoist perspective states that, “An individual’s only duty is to himself... The greater good that derives from the mere fact of being an individual whose only rational strategy is to make the most of his life” (29). Even though acts of charity are believed to be a part of a full life, the individual is not bound to any such obligation or duty to
When taking into account the doctrines of selfishness and charity, Ebenezer Scrooge is a prime example of moral irresponsibility. When asked by two philanthropic men to make a charity donation, he refuses: “It’s not my business… It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly” (Fleming, 19). With a utilitarian understanding of kindness and charity, Scrooge refuses to contribute because he believes that it doesn’t help the greater good. His rejection of charity is based on his principles of moral individualism and utilitarianism. The question posed from this situation is what, if anything, do we owe to strangers? The practice of universal obligation and charity is rare within society and the duty of man calls for people to mind their own business. Greek society, “made it clear that universal benevolence was not the Greek ideal” (23). This Greek morality was not universal, but particular, calling into mind selfish and individualistic tendencies. The first Christians, as well, lived under a contract that was exclusive to its people. In contemporary Christian theology, helping other people is a duty owed to God (32). Charity is characterized by an obligation to interfere so long as prior obligations to family and other principles are not broken. Selfishness attempts to individualize, while charity reinforces the duties that one owes to others, oftentimes within certain boundaries. In order to understand the concept of selfishness, Christians and Greeks reiterate that there is no particular responsibility due to others. The egoist perspective states that, “An individual’s only duty is to himself... The greater good that derives from the mere fact of being an individual whose only rational strategy is to make the most of his life” (29). Even though acts of charity are believed to be a part of a full life, the individual is not bound to any such obligation or duty to