- Position‹3 of 6›
- Yes, you should always give to those who have less.
Whether they spend it on food or drugs, it doesn't matter how the homeless person uses it. All people—including homeless people—can make their own choices.
The argument
Everyone has the ability and right to make the best choices for themselves. If you are in a financially stable situation and can easily, freely choose what to do with your money, you should offer that freedom and ability to a person who is homeless as well. The freedom in question is not an abstract one: having money that can be spent on whatever the holder judges most urgent is what allows anyone to meet needs that nobody else can see. Some would rather give items to people who are homeless, rather than cash. Usually, givers do so because they want to ensure their money is used positively. The impulse is understandable, but it changes what is being given. A gift of cash transfers the decision along with the resource; a gift of goods keeps the decision with the giver and transfers only the result of it. However, choosing to give food, a coffee, or a blanket instead of money is motivated by a patronizing, paternalistic attitude towards people who are homeless. This attitude assumes that the giver knows what is best for the homeless person — an assumption made on the basis of a few seconds' encounter, about someone whose circumstances the giver does not know. Yet, people who are homeless know their own needs better than a passerby. A person who already has a blanket and needs a bus fare, a phone charge, or a prescription cannot say so to a stranger who has already decided what to hand over. Thus, giving cash or change is an act that recognizes beggars' freedom and autonomy to make the best choice for themselves. Because what matters is that the person is given the means and the standing to judge, it doesn't matter what they do with the money — you should give to those who have less.
Premises
Counter-arguments
You could have used that money to ensure you made a positive impact on someone. Once you relinquish control of that money, you have allowed that money to possibly go towards that person's choice to do something negative or harmful to themselves.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P1] Not everyone has the ability to make the best choice for themselves, especially if their judgment is clouded by drugs or alcohol. [Rejecting P2] It does matter what they do with the money because if they use it for illegal activities or to further their substance abuse, you have contributed negatively to their lives.
Framing
- Individuals have the right to make their own decisions for their own lives.