Abstract
In the tradition of Western ethical thought, “charity” refers to two ideas. Although now distinguishable, they are historically connected. The first is an attitude: the attitude of selfless love that is treated in the Christian tradition as the most fundamental of the moral virtues. The second is a kind of action: the action of rendering voluntary material assistance to those who need it. Derivative from this second idea is the current use of “a charity” to refer to an organization through which such assistance is coordinated. Core questions about charity discussed within philosophical ethics include questions about its scope, proper aims, justification, and merit, its obligatoriness, and its relation to other ethical ideals with which it can seem to be in competition – ideals such as justice, self‐realization, and relationships of special attachment. There are also important ethical questions concerning the operation of charitable organizations.