Samaritan's dilemma
Encyclopedia
Samaritan's Dilemma refers to a dilemma in the act of charity
. It hinges on the idea that when presented with charity, in some location such as a soup kitchen
, a person will act in one of two ways: using the charity to improve their situation, or coming to rely on charity as a means of survival.
The argument against charity frequently cites the Samaritan's Dilemma as reason to forgo charitable contributions. It is also a common argument against Communism
and Socialism
, claiming that state aid is equivalent to charity, and that the beneficiaries of such aid will be slothful or otherwise negligent members of society
.
Some critics deny the dilemma exists, arguing there is no connection between charity and the incentive to improve one's life. Rather, many people rely on charity to survive, and a dependency arises from necessity rather than an exploitation of human kindness.
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH, Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin, Tel. (030) 2 54 91 - 0
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
. It hinges on the idea that when presented with charity, in some location such as a soup kitchen
Soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
, a person will act in one of two ways: using the charity to improve their situation, or coming to rely on charity as a means of survival.
The argument against charity frequently cites the Samaritan's Dilemma as reason to forgo charitable contributions. It is also a common argument against Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and Socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, claiming that state aid is equivalent to charity, and that the beneficiaries of such aid will be slothful or otherwise negligent members of society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
.
Some critics deny the dilemma exists, arguing there is no connection between charity and the incentive to improve one's life. Rather, many people rely on charity to survive, and a dependency arises from necessity rather than an exploitation of human kindness.
Literature
- Buchanan, J. M. (1975): The Samaritan's dilemma. In: Altruism, morality and economic theory. In: E.S. Phelps (ed.), New York: Russel Sage foundation. Pp. 71-85.
Weblink
- http://skylla.wzb.eu/pdf/1999/iv99-12.pdf Johan Lagerlöf, Incomplete Information in the Samaritan’s Dilemma: The Dilemma (Almost) Vanishes, Discussion Paper FS IV 99 - 12, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, 1999.
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH, Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin, Tel. (030) 2 54 91 - 0