What Money Can't Buy- Moral Limits 9/24

Actual Text #1

The first piece of information that stood out to me in Sandel’s reading was the part about "gift giving" and friendships. He states that friendships cannot be bought and if someone were to hire a “friend”, then it would loose its value. The Truman Show is a great example. It shows how deception leads to corruption. Sandel also discusses the aspect of "gift giving". The value of a handmade gift or cash to go purchase what you would like, can hold a lot more value then a gift bought last minute or a gift that is not pleasing to the receiver. He gives the example from a recent book that states, “when other people do our shopping, for clothes or music or whatever, it's pretty unlikely that they'll choose as well as we would have chosen for ourselves. We can expect their choices, no matter how well intentioned, to miss the mark.”

Response to Text #1

I thought this was very interesting because in today’s day and age people feel the need to bring money into every situation. A relationship should not be built around money. It destroys the meaning of a relationship if you are with someone for his or her money or feel the need to buy someone’s happiness. If a relationship isn’t given out freely and openly it should not be taken. I think a lot of people loose sight of getting to know people by what on the inside and end up just focusing on the materialistic outer appearance. This ties into gift giving because I think it is a lot more meaningful to give a gift that is made from the heart. I know kids whose parents have bought them everything and there is not a toy they don't have. However, that does not equal love or a meaningful relationship. We live such fast paced lives that most of us don't just stop and enjoy the little things of a relationship. I value Sandel’s view on gift giving and how “if there was no stigma, then givers would give cash, and recipients would choose items that they really want, resulting in the most possible satisfaction given the amounts spent."

Actual Text #2

The second point that stood out to me what the discussion on buying a baby or paying people to give blood. He states, “that putting a price tag on children would corrupt the norm of unconditional parental love; the inevitable price differences would reinforce the notion that the value of a child depends on his or her race, sex, intellectual promise, physical abilities or disabilities, and other traits.” Sandel also touches on Titmuss’s view on paying people to give blood. He worried, “market-driven societies might become so inhospitable to altruism that they could he said to impair the freedom of persons to give. The commercialization of blood and donor relationships represses the expression of altruism, he concluded, and "erodes the sense of community."

Response to Text #2

I completely agree with these two points. Children should not be labeled as less important due to where they came from or what they look like. Adoption should be based on love and responsibility. A child should not come with a price tag, just like a friendship should not. It is sad to think about how many kids are put up for adoption or going foster home to foster home. Every child should be given the opportunity to be a part of a family and feel loved, respected, and wanted and no price can match the value of that. Secondly, donating blood is a charitable act. It is a way for people to give back to the community. Good deeds should not be connected with receiving commission for doing it. There is a moral responsibility that comes with the thought of donation your blood. If it becomes a commodity it will loose that value. Not only will it loose value but also it can have harmful implications affecting the quantity and quality of donating blood. Today the world is so brainwashed to think that everything has to be tied with making profits. What happened to doing what is right because it's the morally correct thing to do?

More blog posts in this category Common

• The Wound & the Blessing/The Economy of Communion Project Post
• The Crest- Jewel of Wisdom & Work as a Spiritual Practice Post
• "What Money Can't Buy" Blog Post
• Blog Post Ni: FTRN Booklet & Arithmetic of Passion
• Work as a Spiritual Practice (The Transformation of Work)