Returning Lost Money
Webcast Q&A: 14 August 2011, Question 3
I answered a question on returning lost money on 14 August 2011. You can listen to or download the podcast of just this question below – or check out the whole episode of Philosophy in Action Radio.
If you find money in a house that you've purchased should you return it? A man recently found about $45,000 hidden in the house that he'd recently bought. (See this article.) It was saved up by the prior owner, now dead. He returned it to the man's children. Should the buyer of the house have returned the money? Was he morally or legally obligated to do so? If not, was doing so foolish or altruistic?
My Answer, In Brief: In some such cases, you cannot regard yourself as morally entitled to the money, even if it's legally yours. In that case, you should return it, and to fail to do so would be a breech of integrity.
Tags: Benevolence, Ethics, Honesty, Justice, Property, Property, Rights
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- Duration: 9:40
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About Philosophy in Action
I'm Dr. Diana Brickell. I'm a philosopher specializing in the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on most Sunday mornings and some Thursday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Thursday evenings, I interview an expert guest or discuss a topic of interest.
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