Question

Suppose a person rescues a child from drowning. He accepts an unsolicited reward from the parent. Is this moral? What if it is a token gift? Is it moral if he donates the reward to charity? Suppose a man rescues someone only after a reward is offered. Has he done a moral act?

Answer 1

Yes, receiving the gift was moral as long as the gift was given on a basis of personal value (a token) over monetary value.

While donating the gift may seem morally right at first, if the gift was of sentimental and personal value to the person who initially gave it, they may not want the item donated. This is especially true for heirlooms.

If someone is only rescued because a reward is offered, then the person was in the morally wrong although what they did was just. In a dire situation, a person should always be helped.