BENEFICENCE,Christraj M.

                                                                    BENEFICENCE

                                   

"One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world". Beneficence means the practice of doing good; active goodness, kindness, or charity. A charitable gift or act. The term beneficence   connotes acts of mercy, kindness, and charity, and is suggestive of altruism, love, humanity, and promoting the good of others. In ordinary language, the notion is broad; but it is understood still more broadly in ethical theory, to include effectively all forms of action intended to benefit or promote the good of other persons. The language of a principle or rule of beneficence refers to a normative statement of a moral obligation to act for the benefit of others, helping them to further their important and legitimate interests, often by preventing or removing possible harms. Many dimensions of applied ethics appear to incorporate appeals to beneficence in this sense, even if only implicitly. For example, when apparel manufacturers are criticized for not having good labor practices in factories, the ultimate goal is to obtain better working conditions, wages, and benefits for workers.

Whereas beneficence refers to an action done to benefit others, benevolence refers to the morally valuable character trait or virtue of being disposed to act for the benefit of others. Traditionally, acts of beneficence are done from obligation, but they may also be performed from nonobligatory, optional moral ideals, which are standards that belong to a morality of meritorious aspiration in which individuals or institutions adopt goals that do not hold for everyone. Exceptional beneficence is usually categorized as supererogatory, a term meaning paying or performing beyond what is owed or, more generally, doing more than is required. The term usually refers to moral ideals of action, but it has links to virtues and to Aristotelian ideas of moral excellence. Such actions need not rise to the level of the moral saint or moral hero. Not all supererogatory acts of beneficence are exceptionally arduous, costly, or risky. Examples of less demanding forms include generous gift-giving, uncompensated public service, forgiving another's costly error, and complying with requests made by other persons for a benefit when these exceed the obligatory requirements of ordinary morality or professional morality. Be happy in doing good, willing to do good and help your fellow brethrens.