Subject:
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Re: Altruism is a bad idea? (was Re: Finally some church/state mingling that I can really get behind!)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:19:09 GMT
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Viewed:
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319 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Frank Filz wrote:
> Dave Schuler wrote:
> > > Under that definition, altruism, in my view, is a bad idea, as it fosters
> > > incorrect behaviour.
> >
> > If circumstances drove you to destitution, and the only way that you could
> > survive (or could ensure your children's survival) would be to accept
> > altruistic (by your definition) charity, would you accept it?
>
> Isn't it pretty sad to think that there is nothing you could do to
> "earn" charity? Wouldn't it be better if you went up to a church (or any
> other building) and offered to pick up trash in their parking lot for a
> hot meal and a roof to sleep under? Surely there are plenty of menial
> tasks to be done. Heck, I'm even comfortable with churches offering
> charity in exchange for the recipients spending an hour in prayer every
> day (though I trust that the churches that simply ask their charity
> recipients to pick up some trash will have a larger share of the market,
> both from recipients and donors).
You propose a valid system, but any kind of work-to-earn-charity scheme seems
either to disqualify the relevent gift as charity or else to qualify all
payment-for-work as charity. Do you consider your paycheck a charitable
contribution from your employer to you, or is it payment for work performed?
The differential between work-performed and payment-received isn't central; if
there is delivery of payment in return for services performed, then it's simple
compensated employment.
Not that that's bad, of course! But if we include it, then we've changed the
nature of the underlying debate.
Dave!
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