Jane English, a philosophy professor at the University of North Carolina argues that grown children have no filial obligations to their parents. Jane English believes that there are two relationships based on reciprocal favors and relationships of friendship. Both relationships involve duties, but English argues that friendship and its duties should be governing the relationship of grown children and their parents. In other words, the relationship between a grown child and their parents should model on a friendship-type relationship. When asked the question "What do grown children owe their parents?" English's response is "nothing." Her position held is that it is misleading to describe them as things "owed" specifically because parents make voluntary sacrifices, rather than generate debts to be repaid, they create love or friendship. To further understand how these relationships work English explains some different instances for each relationship.
Aspect one, Favors Create Debts is a suggestion to perform equal, reciprocal, canceling sacrifices. English feels that a person who performs a "favor" expects a mutual gain from their acquaintance. Many times it is difficult to distinguish between "favors" and "non favors" because friends tend to do favors for each other, and those who exchange favors tend to become friends. A way to test this is to ask what someone's motivation is. Are they establishing a relationship to be nice, or because he/she did me a favor? Consider the example on page 692 where Max, a new neighbor, asks Nina to collect his mail while he is on vacation. Nina agrees and did Max a favor. The metaphor of Max's "owing" Nina is appropriate. Once Max performs one act of similar nature for Nina, their obligations ...
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...y are ungrateful and spoiled.
As someone who is semi-spoiled and is able to get mostly what I want and need, I feel it is imperative that I show my parents that I appreciate all that they can and try to do for me. I am grateful for being taken care of and I believe it is selfish to not want to give parents anything in return. When I am asked the question "What do grown children owe their parents?" my response is everything under the sun for all the love, care, and support I have received from my parents. Although answers may differ from person to person depending on how much of a relationship they have with their parents, in the end your parents gave you life and that is the biggest gift anyone can receive. The experience to live even if your life has not been of "high-quality" is an experience I love and continue to love, in which I have my parents to thank.
In my opinion, parents are the result of a young person’s actions. Parents or caregivers have the biggest influence in their children's lives. I think that the way you raise your children will reflect who they become and their morals. Growing up, a child learns by copying what their parents do for example for me, I got the habit of biting my nails from my mother. Cooking, cleaning, driving, are taught to us by our parents, therefore; children learn to carry on those skills they learn and use them in the future.
When I was a little kid I thought of my parents as the most amazing people in the world, to me they c...
...same favors nor appreciate it. Thus, we can finally conclude that being kind and nice can in return be risky and “counter beneficial”.
The framework question, “What do we owe to each other?”, addresses complex issues of human existence. No matter the response, the answer is subjective, related to one’s own personal experiences and their understanding of morality and inequality. Yet, an individual’s answer can be further influenced by academic study and helping others in need. Philosophy, theology, and service influence the understanding of the question, “What do we owe to each other?” by allowing one to explore problems of human morality, experience human connection through theology, and feel sympathy for others.
...so bad that I was thinking that my parents were mistreating me. In reality when compared to the rest of the world, people might think that people like me are spoiled. I am at such a greater advantage to succeed in the world then my pen pal because I have parents there helping me daily and I am given numerous opportunities to learn more and go to the next level.
Others claim that children don’t have any duties to their parents because of the idea that the child did not voluntarily assume the role in the family. Some philosophers claim that children should have the right to leave the family even if they are still at an age that requires parental
...lled under our social system. X helped Y out of trouble in the past. Now Y owes a favor back to X. However, if Y denies to help X in the future, usage of the word "owe" cannot make Y help X. Again, the moral values of Y are coming into action. The moral values of Y are not forcing Y to help X. In this situation, even if X claims that Y "owe" the favor to X, it is not making a difference to Y. Again, looking at the case we see that X helped Y in the first place without owing any form of favor to Y. It was because X's moral values forced X helped to Y. Thus we see, that the word "owe" had nothing to do with whether X helps Y or not.
In my early childhood my parents constantly tried to ensure my life was the best it could be. Though they tried as best they could they were still constantly hit with obstacles. These obstacles would be having to live in a total of seven different homes by the time I was age 7, struggled to provide financially and dealing with my dad being in and out of jail because of DUI’s. My Mother struggled to keep a job for more than a couple months and my dad was an irresponsible alcoholic. It wasn’t
My parents have this perfect life for me pictured in their heads, and the first thing they see me doing is going to college. They expect the best of me, and so by going to college, I will not only have fulfilled their goals for me, but I will have accomplished one of the goals I have set for myself. In our culture, when parents come to the age where they can’t support themselves, it is the duty of the children to look after them.
Had it not been for them I would have missed out on very valuable lessons. My parents raised my brother and sister and I while managing a shoestring budget. It wasn 't easy but they made it work because they had no choice but to. Although it 's not the most comfortable way to live it taught me about the importance of unnecessary spending. I as a child never knew exactly how broke we were because i always had everything i needed. When i needed clothes or
Our parents work hard to get us where we are today. Due to the fact that my parents had lack of education and there English wasn 't that good they wasn’t able to get a job that was more relaxing. Though they work in company only they were able to earn enough to raise all of us. Through nurture, now that I’m older I don’t exactly see all the struggles that my parent had gone through to raise me, but I do see and understand more about the struggles. Their love for us, nothing can compare to it. Seeing what my parents had gone through and how hard they have work inspired me to work hard, go to school get a good job so in the future they can depend on me and just rest.
I grew up having more than the average kid. My parents bought me nice clothes, stereos, Nintendo games, mostly everything I needed and wanted. They supported me in everything I did. At that point in my life I was very involved with figure skating. I never cared how much of our money it took, or how much of my parents' time it occupied, all I thought about was the shiny new ice skates and frilly outfits I wanted. Along with my involvement in soccer, the two sports took most of my parents' time, and a good portion of their money. Growing up with such luxuries I began to take things for granted. I expected things, rather than being thankful for what I had and disregarded my parent's wishes, thinking only of myself. Apparently my parents recognized my behavior and began limiting my privileges. When I didn't get what I wanted I got upset and mad at my parents somehow blaming them for all my problems. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't a bad kid, I just didn't know how else to act. I had never been exposed to anything less than what I had and didn't realize how good I had it.
To begin with, they gave us life. Parents who help us to grow up; without them we would not be in this world. It was not easy for them to bring us in this world .They provided shelter, clothes, and medicine whatever we needed at that time; also they provided education, and teach us how we could survive in this world. Parents always try to make their children able and they want to see them a successful person. Sometime parents even kill their own desire and happiness to make their children successful. Therefore, they have right to expect something from their children in their old age. Our parents sacrifices a lot of things for us in their life so, children can show their love and gratitude for elderly parents by taken care of them.
To begin with, as an adult, I start valuing how “easy” it was to be a child when I have to pay my car insurance, phone bill, gas, and other responsibilities I have to take care of. I remember as a child my mom would give me $20 and I felt rich. Now,
Parenting carries love, moral values, life skills, knowledge, traditional and so on to their children all the time. Most of the children practice the moral values, knowledge, and tradition which taught by their parents. In this way, most of them follow and believe in their parents’ word. Basically, children world views and mind were deeply shaped by their parents. Most of the children exercise what their parents practice. Children learn to make sense of what is going on around them by interact with their parents and surroundings. Through the “eyes” of their parents, they learn to see, think, question and look for answer which can satisfy them. If children were raised in a good or positive way, there is a very great probability that our society would be better off. Hence, from my point of view, parenting should be a privilege for a better future not only for the children it own but also our society.