Message #3610

[Aristotle]

The short answer? 

Perhaps nothing.

A man or woman do owe their children a great deal.  If a child is brought into this world, nature insists we owe that child all we can give the child to allow it to reach maturity.  That instinct is found all throughout the animal kingdom, it is prevalent in human beings as well.

As for the rest ofthe human race, an argument can be made that a civilized people owe one another civility. An honorable man or woman who sees an injustice occurring might also try to stop it from occuring.

And yet, are we duty bound to do these things?  The best things in this world, the ones that have the most value, occur when they are given of a person's own free will, no because a person has to do them.

We are every bit as much competititors in this world as we are our brother's keeper - perhaps moreso.