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If a family is hungry and has no other way to get food, is it OK to steal food from a rich store owner? Why or why not?
If a family is hungry and has no other way to get food, is it OK to steal food from a rich store owner? Why or why not?
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A utilitarian would say yes, a moralist would say no
Consequential moral reasoning would say yes, categorical moral reasoning would say no
A communist would say yes, a capitalist would say no
An altruistic person would say yes, an individualist would say no
basically the answer is that everyone will die anyway
Morally yes, legally no.
Yeah, because people before profits
Well, it’s not legal pretty much anywhere in the world.
I’d suggest the best course of action is not get caught
Literally no other way to get food? Including selling your children to the rich store owner? No, just do the noble thing and die in the midst of plenty. You pleb.
As long as no employee is hurt and the owner receives at most a non-lethal bludgeoning, then sure.
Morally it’s fine.
Now let’s talk about the morality of catching them, prosecuting them, and housing them for the duration of their sentence, all instead of just making sure they had food in the first place.
When I was younger (before I could get a job aged) my mother worker 2-3 jobs and still never had enough to put enough food on the table. The way I tried to base my moral compass was I tried to steal from as many big corporate stores as I could when I needed to steal and I tried to avoid stealing from locally black owned businesses because while I was hungry I had the moral dilemma of not wanting to be an asshole. I personally am okay with it because people need to eat at the end of the day
Stores have something called “shrink” which is basically accounting for things going missing and/or being stolen. Its your moral obligation to steal things so that the store can meet their shrink expectations because that shrink cost is factored into the price of everything in the store so if they don’t meet their shrink expectations, they’re basically stealing from their customers by charging them for shrink that doesn’t exist.
It’s not ok, no. Is it some epic crime in that they should be put in prison or some les mis scenario? No.
There are both social services in terms of government and charities that cater to people in need. Putting that aside though, as some abstract to toss around and explore things in generalities.
The question is complicated by the wealth aspect as ‘moral judgment’ or situational ethics kinda thing. That’s the same reasoning that people apply to murder people in things like ‘revolution’ as the first people to go based on their supposed evil (based on wealth). The irony in that seems to escape people because they’re not ‘good people’: they’re murderers.
It might not be “OK” in terms of local laws, but laws aren’t really about what’s ethical or not. I think if you are trying to survive it is completely understandable to steal resources and it’s more of a failing of the community and that society that you’ve had to engage in that behavior to survive in the first place.
If you ask I bet they would give it to you. I know our local Kroger’s gives regularly to our local food bank. How do I know? I volunteered at the food back. Lots of food pantries around my city too. If you want to see a difference, make a difference!
Y’all ever heard the proverb “it takes a village to raise a child”?
I think so
You do what you have to do, places like walmart and other big stores throw out most of their there baked goods every night so…
Yes because your going to die without food, if you feel like u could die soon because you have no food then u have or should have the right to get something for ur self
I’m assuming you mean individual owners in a metropolitan area and not a corporation, I’m also assuming you mean a First world western country due to the fact that the family has no other way to get food and the store owners are rich. Is it okay? No. Is it necessary? Eventually. Sadly you’re more likely to get arrested or kicked out if you’re trying to rob or steal enough food for a whole family. Realistically, I’m sure if the poor hungry family asked enough rich store owners or just people in general they would get something to eat or receive support.
Depend on where one live I guess, in some places nobody starve unless they choose to, in some places only those who are fortunate do not
It’s really not OK but it’s necessary.
Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat…. Tell you all about it when I got the time!
No stealing isnt okay but if I witness it I wont say anything or try to stop them.
Yes, but not if they’re actually cigarettes and that you’re selling them at a price that’ll be practically giving them away!
it’s not legal. but if it’s a corporation like target or asda, or your countries equivalent, do it. you need to eat to survive, you need to eat to fuel yourself (which will enable them to be better an finding jobs or working etc) and food shouldn’t be a privilege, it’s a right.
Just don’t get caught and don’t steal from the mom and pop stores. They’re struggling too. I mean, legally, that’s a whole other question. But the cost of food is SO fucking high right now. Just know that shoplifting can drive up the cost of food even more for others.
Remember kids: if you see someone shoplifting food or essentials (diapers, soap, etc.) you didn’t see anything.
The family could try to get a job at said store. But I mean if it’s a small locally owned store, no. If it were a big supermarket chain, then probably yeah.
Yes.
John Rawles, Veil of Ignorance
Yes but store owners aren’t rich. Rich people don’t own mom and pop grocery stores.
Morally? No.
That said morality is for those with privilege. Everyone else survives however they can.