It has always struck me that moral/ethical actions have more value if there is no punishment or reward involved - 'virtue for virtue's sake', so to speak.
Suppose I see a child drowning in a pond. I have the ability to save the child, but I stand there doing nothing. Then, someone offers me $1000 to rescue the child, so I do. In another scenario, the someone holds a loaded gun to my head and promises to kill me if I don't save the child. In either case, it seems clear that an incentivized or compelled action has less moral value than an action undertaken for its own sake.
Boru
Suppose I see a child drowning in a pond. I have the ability to save the child, but I stand there doing nothing. Then, someone offers me $1000 to rescue the child, so I do. In another scenario, the someone holds a loaded gun to my head and promises to kill me if I don't save the child. In either case, it seems clear that an incentivized or compelled action has less moral value than an action undertaken for its own sake.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
