Helping people Quote by Sam Harris
““We might also wonder, in passing, which is more moral: helping people purely out of concern for their suffering, or helping them because you think the creator of the universe will reward you for it?””
About This Quote
Source Podcast: Moral Philosophy, 2018
Helping out of fear of divine reward may be less moral than helping out of genuine concern; motives matter in ethics.
In simple terms: Motives affect moral value of help.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate compassion without expecting reward.
Themes
ethics
motivation
altruism
spirituality
reward
Mood
introspective
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- charitable work
- volunteerism
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
consequentialism
deontological ethics
psychology of giving
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do you help others?
- Can altruism be truly selfless?
A Different Perspective
If reward is removed, some may stop helping.
![“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern world. [...] The first thing to observe about the moderate’s retreat from scriptural literalism is that it draws its inspiration not from scripture but from…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b44/sam-harris-457_bible_moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to_6967.jpg)
