Christianity, the Duty to Assist Others, and Supererogation

<p>In 1958, J.O. Urmson's landmark article "Saints and Heroes" was the first in the history of philosophy to treat supererogation in a systematic manner. Arguing that the traditional threefold classification system consisting of <em>duties</em>, <em>permissible acts</em>, and <em>wrong acts</em> was insufficient, he went on to propose a fourth category of moral actions that while morally praiseworthy, are not obligatory. This in turn opened the door to a host of other philosophers to write on <em>supererogation</em> over the past few decades. In light of this, Christian ethicists must ask the question, "Are supererogatory actions possible in Christian ethics?" This question must be broken down into two questions to account for the central role God plays in Christian ethics. The first question is, "Is it possible for a Christian to perform a supererogatory deed toward God?" and the second question is, "Is it possible for a Christian to perform a supererogatory deed toward another person?" While it is not possible for a Christian to perform a supererogatory act toward God, it is possible toward another person. Thus, the task remains for Christian ethicists to search out in each specific area what in fact is a <em>duty</em> and what actions are <em>supererogatory</em>. The specific area chosen is the opportunity that American Christians of relative affluence have to give aid to rescue lives overseas.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Philosophy and Religion

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• Condrey, Billy Max, Jr.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Samuel Bruton
• David Holley
• Paula Smithka

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/441

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1518