Definition of Favor

Jane English and Chenyang Li mainly differ on what they think to be the definition of a favor. On one hand Jane English presents the idea that a favor is simply an act done due to a request made by someone else. However, Chenyang Li writes that not all favors have to be actions that are explicitly requested for. They both agree though it would be a moral obligation to be appreciative when a favor is done for you.

So the problem becomes, what is the definition of a favor? I agree with Li in the sense that not all favors have to be specifically requested for. When giving examples Li mentioned more urgent and larger scale types of deeds in which much appreciation should be shown. Li challenges us to imagine the appreciation that a mother must show to the person who saves her three year old from drowning in a pond. Even though there was no request for help, the mother who does not show appreciation for that “favor” would simply be lacking moral character (Li 344). This contrasts to the examples that English mentioned where Max was told to take in the mail while the neighbor was out of town. Anything additional thing that Max would do would not be considered a favor though. The scale of the action done by Max as compared to the scale of continually looking after a child is completely different. I would think that everyone would agree that the care for a child requires total urgency. There is not one day in which the child can go on his or her own without the help of the parents. When a child gains strength on his or her own and has full capability then he or she ought to show appreciation for the efforts of the parents. The duty that is towards parents is to take care of them and to show good character to them. This means that the appreciation shown is not necessarily obliging by every command because you are in some sort of debt but because of love for the favor the mother has done in order for you to get to your current standing.