I am only concerned with taking responsibility for the reasonably foreseen results of one's actions. Someone has to own the real estate, it may as well be you. That is not at issue. But whether you trash your yard, or raise pigs in a residential neighborhood, to the disgust of your neighbors, and with a deleterious impact on their property values, would fit in with what I said. Avoid obvious offense, to the extent possible, and be a good neighbor, that is, someone who will pitch in when there is an emergency, or who enhances the beauty of his property, or from whom one can borrow sugar.
As for helping society, I mean be a good citizen, contribute to charity on occasion, participate in the political process in a responsible manner, that sort of thing. Disagreements on what is best, as long as they are intelligent and in good faith, are alright, since many points of view may need airing to get to the right place. It is not so hard. And what if it happens that your $50 contribution made the difference in deciding on a last minute tv blitz in central Florida, and that that blitz gave George Bush the margin to win the presidency. Just going about your business, you may happen to affect the course of things in profound ways.
I do not recall saying anything about Rwanda. In a general sense, though, I would wish to see humanity progress, and therefore to see my country, or other organizations in which I may be involved (church, civic organizations, universities) contribute to the overall progress of mankind. And I would always wish to be the sort of person who was revolted by genocide, and who would do whatever was in his power to alleviate that sort of infamy, even if it only to send 20 bucks to Medecins Sans Frontiers.
Why? Because I suppose human life to mean something, and my empirical existence cannot encompass all of that meaning, I am too small and transient to matter that much on my own. If it means something, it does so far flung over history and the several continents, and has to do with the improvement of the general human lot......... |
