In her interview with Playboy, Ayn Rand stated "My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue."
In contrast to collectivists, Ayn Rand thought that the money you've earned is yours. She didn't think that there was a moral obligation to "give something back" as you didn't take it in the first place - you earned it. Yet there are things we see like this video that evoke such an emotional response, especially during a holiday season, that we feel compelled to give charity to those who are less fortunate. (I get tears in my eyes every time I watch this video.) What is it that drives/motivates us to give charity? Why does this especially occur during holidays? Is it guilt that we have something of value, like happiness, while others do not? What is the basis of the social belief that, the more you earn, the more generous you should be? How does this video make you feel? How do you propose to feed the world?
Band Aid - Do They Know its Christmas 1984
DISCUSS!
Original posting by Braincrave Second Life staff on Dec 18, 2010 at http://www.braincrave.com/viewblog.php?id=408
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