Samaritan's dilemma

The Samaritan's dilemma is a dilemma in the act of charity. It hinges on the idea that when presented with charity, in some locations such as a soup kitchen, a person will act in one of two ways: using the charity to improve their situation, or coming to rely on charity as a means of survival. The term Samaritan's dilemma was coined by economist James M. Buchanan as a moral hazard.^[1]^: 71–86^[2]

The dilemma's name is a reference to the biblical Parable of the Good Samaritan.

^ Buchanan, James M. (1975). "The Samaritan's Dilemma". In Phelps, Edmund S. (ed.). Altruism, Morality, and Economic Theory. Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 978-0-87154-659-3. JSTOR 10.7758/9781610446792. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
^ Meiners, Roger E. (January 1, 1978). Victim Compensation: Economic, Legal, and Political Aspects. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780669016673 – via Google Books.

[Buchanan_1975-1] Buchanan, James M. (1975). "The Samaritan's Dilemma". In Phelps, Edmund S. (ed.). Altruism, Morality, and Economic Theory. Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 978-0-87154-659-3. JSTOR 10.7758/9781610446792. Retrieved April 11, 2022.

[2] Meiners, Roger E. (January 1, 1978). Victim Compensation: Economic, Legal, and Political Aspects. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780669016673 – via Google Books.

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