Must privilege come with obligations?

I guess the responsibility would be to make it grow.

This seems like a very open-ended subjective morality question.

Must privilege come with obligations? Not of logical moral necessity in all cases, I wouldn’t think, no.

For my own moral views, thinking about the current situation, I’d say such a question really varies greatly in the specifics. All of the many actual details of the example as well as the mindset will shape the answer.

Personally, I’d say that billionaires making more billions while others are in dire need probably do have a moral obligation to do good with the power that comes from their position, at least.

And personally, I’d also say that a retired person with enough to live comfortably might also be considered wealthy, but needn’t feel obligated to put themselves out, though they might well choose to do good as well.

@SQUEEKY2 Why would you write that? I would not guess that at all. In fact, it appears to me that some of the worst problems this planet faces is the humans who both have more wealth than they have any real use for, yet are preoccupied with gaining more and more wealth, with no end in sight, leveraging the power of wealth in a futile game to increase it, at the real expense of so many others, and the likely eventual destruction of life as we know it.

If the privileged recognized they are privileged.

That is indeed a morality question. I’m sure some wealthy people aren’t inclined to feel obligated, while others are all about it. I’ve known several wealthy and extremely coldhearted people, sadly.

Officially, none. The only obligations are internal – moral or ethical, if you will.

Two variants:

-Noblesse Oblige -> the inferred responsibility of privileged people to act with generosity and nobility toward those less privileged.. This is a concept dating back to ancient Greece, but made more common and Gallicized by Balzac in 1836.

and

”With great power comes great responsibility”—alternatively known as the Peter Parker principle – Peter Parker is Spiderman’s alter ago.

Same concept.

It should. For the benefit of all.

@kritiper but why? Isn’t that involuntary socialism? The person with privilege has the option, I would think.

@Dutchess III Do you believe it common that the privileged are unaware of their stratus?

No I don’t think it’s common. I came from privilege and I was clueless, until I hit financial rock bottom in spite of working my heart out. Talk about an eye opener.

@elbanditoroso Humanity is about everybody, not just one individual. The same can be said about society. So what if it may be “involuntary socialism?” Why is socialism always a bad thing?

Because socialism getts in the way of capitalism, where it’s everyone for themself screw everyone else as long as I get rich that is all that matters.

Really, what do you mean by privilege?
1. Having a decent home and a decent job with some savings, all the adults owning their own car, maybe a vacation once a year to a beach or mountain town, helping your kids pay for college?

2. Having a large home in a nicer neighborhood, two vacations a year, maybe skiing, maybe the Caribbean, paying for your kids’ college so no loans?

3. Owning a large house, kids in private school, ocean front vacation home in an exclusive summer community, paying for kids’ college and grad school without breaking a sweat?

4. All of #3, plus a 50+ foot sailing yacht, and international posh vacations?

5. Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos type of wealth?

ETA I would ask this of everyone who has responded here.

Any of the above. Looking around here, it appears that privilege is as basic as whether or not you anticipate covering the rent. It must be terrifying for renters here.

@stanleybmanly your wording is inappropriate here, the use of “must” instead of “should” implies a morality call for anyone who has slightest bit of barely-above-subsistence-living going on.

I agree that must or should are matters of perspective. They’re both legitimate, just 2 different questions. What happens when a 6 figure income barely covers living in a closet?

Not necessarily privilege, but rights. Rights come with responsibility. To not abuse them. Like being on the honor system. One is expected to have integrity.

With great power comes great responsibility. -Uncle Ben Spiderman.

What is your definition of privilege?

Not having to stress over how to pay the rent or the utility bill. The wherewithal to buy pretty much anything you want to buy. Not having to worry about medical bills.

@Dutchess_III So wealth. Privilege can mean many things so I wasn’t sure. Thanks. Given that definition, I guess it depends on how you got your wealth and what obligations you were thinking of. To say you have an obligation to help those less fortunate could be a slippery slope. If you work hard and sacrifice and take investment risks and it all pays off and you find wealth, should feel obliged to give it to someone that did none of that? And if that is the case, why should anyone want to succeed at all? With that idea…that you somehow owe those less fortunate I think the corollary to this question would be: Does someone who does nothing to better themselves have a valid claim on the wealth of those that do?

You don’t have to be rich to achieve that. Just live within your means. However sometimes, no matter how hard you work, you can’t get ahead. That was my situation for a long time.
I’m much more understanding of poverty stricken folks because of it.
Whether or not you choose to help others less fortunate really has nothing to do with how much money you have, and everything to do with how compassionate you are.

@Dutchess_III “Whether or not you choose to help others less fortunate really has nothing to do with how much money you have, and everything to do with how compassionate you are.”

Exactly! Some of the poorest people I know are the most giving and compassionate.

@Dutchess_III I absolutely agree. However the question was looking for a tie between privilege and obligation. So you have to ascribe wealth to one side of the equation. I have been poor and I have been middle/upper-middle class. I’ve never been rich as most people view it. But I have always enjoyed giving back to the community with my time and money. But I do that for me, not because I feel an obligation to do so.

The only meaningful obligation the wealthy have is to pay their taxes, the rest is a matter for their individual consciences.