Topics Happiness

Question Will good things happen to a person if they do good? Does karma exist? So in other words: If one share with the world everything they have without expecting good to happen to them in return, will great things happen for them anyways?

Accepted:
December 3, 2005

Comments

Are you asking whether, if one does good, then the world will always insome way reward one? I would think the answer is No. You may berecognized for the good you do and that recognition might bring yousome reward. But as often as not, I would think, one's good deeds arenot recognized or rewarded. If we shift our attention away from theworld, though, perhaps the answer's different. For perhaps doingsomething good is, in itself, healthy for one's soul -- just as doingsomething bad is corrupting of one's soul, regardless of whether theworld catches us out and punishes us. (For some related remarks, see Question 2.)

Surely not every good action will be recognized or rewarded by others, but most people would benefit from living in a world where many people perform good acts and so contributing to the existence of such a world might be a good goal to strive toward even if you are moved neither by a desire to improve your own soul (as Plato might have it) nor by the prospect of doing good out of a sense of duty and respect for morality and rationality (as Kant might have it).

Question Will good things happen to a person if they do good? Does karma exist? So in other words: If one share with the world everything they have without expecting good to happen to them in return, will great things happen for them anyways? Accepted:December 3, 2005

Question Will good things happen to a person if they do good? Does karma exist? So in other words: If one share with the world everything they have without expecting good to happen to them in return, will great things happen for them anyways?

Accepted:
December 3, 2005