But what if you’re stealing from someone who needs it as much as you do? That’s part of why the question is difficult. We’re not always assuming you’re stealing from someone who is hoarding.
This website is primarily populated by westerners, myself included. This ethical dilemma is commonly depicted within the confines of stealing bread from a business in some form or fashion. In the common depiction its pretty black and white to me. And even if we were to entertain the idea of stealing a loaf of bread from an individual with equal need, we only have to stop and think about it for a second to realize that capitalism and hoarding still created the conditions for this to happen, in which case this continues to be an artificial problem that shouldn’t exist.
We only need to look to history to see how people actually deal with conditions that lead to food scarcity (disasters, economic collapse, war, etc). People tend to share what they have with their neighbors in times of scarcity, often times people go without to their own detriment to make sure their neighbor has what they need to survive. Oftentimes the resources they need are “looted” from businesses, but they get spread around the community nonetheless. The answer to your scenario is to ask your neighbor for some of their bread, or offer your own if you see somebody in need.
But what if you’re stealing from someone who needs it as much as you do? That’s part of why the question is difficult. We’re not always assuming you’re stealing from someone who is hoarding.
This website is primarily populated by westerners, myself included. This ethical dilemma is commonly depicted within the confines of stealing bread from a business in some form or fashion. In the common depiction its pretty black and white to me. And even if we were to entertain the idea of stealing a loaf of bread from an individual with equal need, we only have to stop and think about it for a second to realize that capitalism and hoarding still created the conditions for this to happen, in which case this continues to be an artificial problem that shouldn’t exist.
We only need to look to history to see how people actually deal with conditions that lead to food scarcity (disasters, economic collapse, war, etc). People tend to share what they have with their neighbors in times of scarcity, often times people go without to their own detriment to make sure their neighbor has what they need to survive. Oftentimes the resources they need are “looted” from businesses, but they get spread around the community nonetheless. The answer to your scenario is to ask your neighbor for some of their bread, or offer your own if you see somebody in need.