Generosity Is Best When Given Freely

December 2, 2009|By Tony Plakas

In the latest Star Trek movie, a prequel to the television series, a young, proto-logical Spock contemplates the idea, "morally praiseworthy but not morally obligatory."

Although swiftly spoken, the phrase catches attention. As a nonprofit executive whose role mainly involves motivating private, voluntary financial contributions (that are praiseworthy) to complement government funds earmarked to address specifically defined, community-centered needs (obligatory), I found the idea worth investigating, especially at this time, in a season of giving.

I discovered the concept dates to the Latin version of the New Testament and is first documented in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Called "supererogation," the notion means literally "paying out more than is due." It's a philosophical reflection suggesting some actions are morally good but are not necessarily morally required.

Also called "The Good Neighbor" parable, the well-known story centers on a man beaten by thieves who is left to die on the side of the road. A priest and a temple assistant, one after the other, encounter the man but cross the road to avoid him completely. A third man, a "despised Samaritan," stops to dress the beaten man's wounds and proceeds to lead him to care.

The story illustrates a subtle distinction between the expectation of saints and the voluntary actions of everyday people who do praiseworthy things, people we would consider heroes today. The comparison of two saints to a Samaritan, however, suggests the hero of this particular story was part of a class of people regarded with lesser esteem, and that the Samaritan's compassion was unexpected.

In as much as the Bible represents the past, Star Trek projects an optimistic human future where exploration is complicated only by intergalactic cultural competency issues that mirror current struggles in social justice.

History suggests disempowering labels will always abound and will be frequently promoted by suggestions of self-proclaimed saints who answer to higher obligations. It is the voluntary, praiseworthy actions of people that will stand the test of time and give promise for a better future because the spirit of giving rises above obligatory action, especially when gifts given are not a moral requirement, but are praiseworthy.

Tony Plakas is CEO of Compass Inc. in Lake Worth. E-mail him at

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