The Least of My Brethren: What Charity Demands

Although few would question the historical role of Christianity in establishing charitable institutions, such as public hospitals, many seem to question its importance in the present time. This essay examines why public hospitals may have failed to emerge under pre-Christian frameworks. I will investigate how (1) Stoicism, (2) Ancient Greco-Roman paganism, and (3) Aristotelian virtue ethics define and limit the principles, respectively, of (1) camaraderie of humanity, (2) honor-motivated generosity, and (3) pursuit of generosity as a virtue. It will be shown that the logical implications that allow each foundational worldview to derive its principle also limit that principle's role in establishing charities. Afterward, I will introduce the Christian framework and demonstrate how the concept that every human possesses the Imago Dei can successfully ground the establishment of charitable work. Since Christian virtue ethics built upon Aristotle's, direct comparisons will be made with Aristotle's ethical system. Whereas Aristotle was arguably unclear about the highest virtue, Christianity's highest virtue is a loving union with God (charity). Since a virtue is that which disposes one toward happiness, and since God is the ultimate Happiness, there can be no true happiness without the virtue of charity. But since each fellow human is an Image of God, there is no true happiness without practicing charity toward one's neighbor by coming to their aid. The corporal works of mercy can therefore be deeply grounded in the concept of the Imago Dei, with an added call to be Christ-like, where those with more ought to supply those with less. In the conclusion, I briefly discuss a larger pattern: not only do charitable works require a sound motivating principle, but that principle also requires an adequate foundational worldview.