It seems obvious that most people, if given the chance, will shy away from work, particularly excessive or unnecessary labor. Thus it naturally follows that society should cater to this desire. Indeed, modern society should find it an all-encompassing preoccupation to supply its citizens with instant and exertion-free gratification. This idea may seem ridiculous, yet it accurately reflects a human desire to avoid any superfluous work – work to help other people, for example. Indeed, individuals are hesitant to labor even for their own good; it seems that a profound laziness plagues society. However, if everyone decided to work only for one’s own good, never exerting any further effort towards problems in which they had no influence, society would literally come to a standstill, not only decreasing the goodwill and stewardship of the world, but also causing people to lack the knowledge of simple social interaction.
The principal problem with a decision to solve only one’s own problems is that this position cannot possibly become an absolute rule for living throughout society. Thousands of charities provide assistance around the world, all based on the idea that one should help others’ plights, even if he/she had no hand – direct or indirect – in causing them. And if these charities ceased to exist, poverty would increase exponentially with a frightening immediacy, numerous diseases would have no hope for a cure, and many students would have no way in which to afford an education. These results are only a few that would surface, out of a depressing multitude. The fact is, millions of people give aid – either through money or time – every day to problems they did not cause, and the progressive functioning of the world depends on such goodwill.
It makes sense to any logical person that one must take responsibility of the problems one has caused, making a legal obligation to do so appropriate, if not demanded. If I were to drive home right now, and in the process hit a person with my car, I would be legally obligated to help that person in every way possible, or at the very least, not simply leave the scene of the accident. In fact, the punishment for a hit-and-run is steep and unforgiving. However, if I was driving down the street on my same trip home and witnessed a driver hit another person with his/her car, there would be no legal obligation for me to stop and help. And perhaps this sort of legal compulsion is not as appropriate. Yet how could I possibly drive by that situation and not feel a powerful need to do what I could to help? This would be impossible because I am bound by a certain moral duty to resist ignoring such obvious and glaring problems. Perhaps it makes more sense for me to ignore the needs of children in Africa, starving and sickly. But this is not right. The people of our modern society should continuously feel morally required to help others in their problems, no matter who caused them.
The truth is, there are numerous problems, crimes, and injustices continually befalling our post-industrial world. And often the people who caused these problems are either incapable or unwilling to accept responsibility. While it is easy for everyone else to follow suit, people must be bound by a moral obligation to offer their help in these situations. Like many of the circumstances facing our world, the prospects seem grim and impossible. Yet the world would benefit greatly if everyone stopped shying away from the problems and obligations of our society.
