On The Moral Boundaries Of Begging For Freedom

Begging is a process in which beggars demonstrate their difficult survival situation, after receiving the sympathy, accept alms from people. Because of the parasitic nature begging does harm to the dignity of the beggars, and because of its passivity, it usually does not cause any harm to others. Beggars have different purposes, some to solve the crisis of survival, some to escape from poverty, some to reap huge profits, and so on. people will give different moral evaluations on different purposes. The freedom to beg is negative freedom. The value of it is not on its purpose but on its instrumental value. It is a tool for survival or other interests. The essence of it is survival interests. There are three reasons for reasonably restricting the freedom to beg: damaging principle, parents principle and social principle. Specifically speaking, we should limit fraudulent begging, and limit begging which damages the public interest. And to be concerned about beggars we also have to restrict the freedom to beg. Restrictions should include begging places, the methods, and we can give them indirect charity. The process of begging is an interactive process of human relation. Humanitarianism and social justice are the two main normal perspectives for people to relieve beggars. Charity and social assistance are the two basic forms of relieving. In a harmonious society for freedom to beg, these two forms are essential.