In Merit Why do we Value It?

Merit

The philosophy of each person about virtuosity comes from his own classified upbringing . If a person was raised to only believe what is morally and ethically correct , then he should be able to reason out for himself that any action equates to an equal reaction . In the aspect of merit , there is ac complete consensus of the general population that it is a matter of beneficial acquisition to reach far greater advantages over others . Some simply considers it as a claim for a designated reward (Most , 1994 . Merit can become a form

of royalty which sometimes equates to the rights in exchange of a good deed

Pojman 's philosophy about merit is somehow a very good notion to consider . However , it is not that really perfect . Since most people are hungry for attention , fame , fortune and security , it would best describe the current situation of humanity 's thirst for affirmation . It only makes sense that those people who are virtuous enough should at least get a fair share of credit . If one did a good job or has influenced another 's life for the better , then it would be a very good point to raise that person 's status within the social parameter he is immersed in . In today 's world , becoming a Good Samaritan does not readily have a significant effect towards the shaping of the social structure . All what is left today is greed and insecurities because of the relatively ethic-less ' characteristics of cultural development . Of course , it is not very hard to find a virtuous person . But having a virtuous character may simply become a choice and is no longer recognized as something very crucial for human development

Although merit is not a requisition in doing virtuous things , it can somehow project a certain role in reshaping the community for the better . Since doing things according to one 's will is a personal choice merit can only be acquired if others recognize such act as worthy enough to let a person earn a credit or reward . Of course , it would always be dependent on the degree of effect of an action for it to earn a merit If a man simply assists an old lady cross the street , getting a simple thank you would fairly be enough . Actually , it really depends on the person whether he will help from his own will . But if one wishes to provide help , then it should be unconditional-at least in an ethical perspective . Just like compassion , it should involve great efforts and with conviction (Bush , 2004 . It really does not matter whether the society will recognize one 's act . What is more important is that he has done something according to what he think is best . So Pojman 's argument to initiate a reward system for virtuosity does not really count to be feasible

One more situation about the merit-reward notion is the fact that vicious people are not really identified by a certain set of rules . How would one...