Generosity as a Learned Virtue

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Analysis
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The virtue of generosity has been in place throughout western tradition although there were different arguments about the name. A broader perception reflects hospitality, charity, and love. The concept has always involved significant religious questions about the nature of God, Humanity, and the human-divine relationship. Generosity was initially perceived as a way of nobility in the early days of the 16^th century. As asserted by the Free Methodist Church (23) “it was an aristocratic sense of being primarily in the linage of the noble or high birth”.

Analysis

The analysis of this study is aimed at studying the perception of generosity and trying to find out if generosity can be learned or it is just an inborn character trait. Generosity can be simply defined as a virtue of giving good things to other people by own free will and profusely. Generosity can also be conceived as a learned character trait with the involvement of a person’s attitude and action. Thus one becomes inclined to give out things freely. It is, therefore, appropriate to say that generosity is not just a mere random idea or a jumbled behavior but it’s more of a moral course of life. In a world full of contrasting morals, generosity involves rejecting vices like greed and selfishness at the same time entailing moral good that is expressed (Machan, 58).

Generosity does not only entail giving out things profusely, but it has more to do with giving out things that will benefit other people. The main idea behind it is to improve the well-being of the person receiving what is being offered. However, there is a difference between generosity and pure philanthropy. This is because at times people tend to be authentically generous with vested interests in mind.

The general idea of teaching virtues comes from the American Indian perception of the universe as living things relate intimately and they affect each other by attributes called “universal attributes”. All the noble living creatures that display virtues like courage, humility, and patience, keep these intimate relations for natural harmony. This is aimed at creating awareness that human relationship with nature is reciprocal (Carden, 45).

Reliable studies have indicated that it is quite possible to teach children, especially at an early age the value of generosity. Children can develop pro-social behaviors through modeling. If children are guided well at an early age they will develop generosity as if it were an inborn trait (Machan, 82). The theory of social learning states that moral judgment in children can be easily modified when a good adult model is used.

Studies also suggest that an individual can be neurologically manipulated to act generously. This procedure involves using oxytocin on the subjects. The researchers also found out those individuals who were given oxytocin via a neurotransmitter became more generous after the procedure (Machan, 87). This was a significant breakthrough in the world of science having the ability to instill a certain character trait that has been perceived to be an inborn character for numerous years.

Conclusion

Generosity should always be a genuine act for it to be learned and practiced. It should be practiced for the good of others to achieve one’s long-term good. At times generosity can be confused with philanthropy but the distinguishing factor is that generosity is supposed to be beneficial to the receiving party without any vested interest, while in philanthropy one can give out something that will be beneficial to the receiving party but have vested interests. Lastly, generosity does not necessarily have to be an inborn trait, but rather anyone can be trained or can learn how to be generous. It can even be instilled scientifically.

Works Cited

Carden, Stephen. Virtue ethics:Continuum Studies in American Philosophy, New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006.

Free Methodist Church. The Science of Generosity. Web.

Machan, Tibor. Generosity: Virtue in Civil Society. Boston: Cato Institute, 1998.

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Generosity as a Learned Virtue

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