THE ETHICIST TAP. : [A] HONOURS

WHAT'S AT STAKE for your husband is what kind of a person he wishes to be seen as.

In the bio-medical ethics course you would have taken in medical school, you both were probably introduced to the utilitarian ideal of doing what will produce the most net good.

You're wondering whether you can square a concern for character with the concern for consequences.

What seems obvious is that accepting the money needn't be conceived as being paid for volunteer work, given that only the clinic would benefit.

So should we dismiss his unease as vanity masquerading as ideals? Not necessarily - it may reflect his understanding that the perceived authenticity of charitable work has real implications for the broader culture of service.

If people begin to doubt whether celebrated volunteer work is truly uncompensated, it could discourage others from pitching in.

The point is the good we do isn't just a matter of immediate consequences; it can involve sustaining social institutions over the long term.

Given your worries, your husband could urge the hospital to donate the relevant amount directly to the clinic instead.

This would maintain the purely volunteer nature of your work while benefiting the clinic, reconciling character and consequences.

The World Students Society thanks Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah, who teaches philosophy at N.Y.U. His books include '' Cosmopolitanism.'' '' The Honor Code'' and '' The Lies That Bind :  Rethinking Identity.''