You find a $20 dollar bill on the ground. Do you take it?

[Axmann8]

You're walking on the sidewalk. No people or houses are near, but there is a police station within reasonable walking distance.

You find a $20 dollar bill lying on the ground.

Two questions:

1. What would you personally do, if anything, and why?

 

2. What does Objectivism say one should do in this situation?

[softwareNerd]

Check this thread.

[A is A]

You're walking on the sidewalk. No people or houses are near, but there is a police station within reasonable walking distance.

You find a $20 dollar bill lying on the ground.

Two questions:

1. What would you personally do, if anything, and why?

 

2. What does Objectivism say one should do in this situation?

1. Keep it.

2. Objectivism is not a system of rules but of principles.  

[Axmann8]

1. Keep it.

2. Objectivism is not a system of rules but of principles.  

Perhaps a better phrasing would be, "According to the principles of Objectivism, what should one do, if anything?

[A is A]

Perhaps a better phrasing would be, "According to the principles of Objectivism, what should one do, if anything?

There are many options, as discussed in the link from above.

[softwareNerd]

2. What does Objectivism say one should do in this situation?

May be you saw it drop and you can easily catch up to the granny who dropped it? No, you'll say, you don't know who dropped it. The point is that you need to get all the facts. Then you need to put those facts into factual-type conclusions. For instance, you might be in a context where there is a very reliable lost-and-found procedure, or you may be in a context where there is none. The factual-type evaluation would ask: what is the chance of returning this to the owner, or at least of making a reasonable attempt to do so? Similarly, there could be evaluations of what type of effort you will put into this.

Finally, ask yourself this: imagine that some land is still un-owned. You're hiking in a forest on this un-owned land and find a gold nugget, what will you do? And, in what ways is this different from finding a $1 bill?

[thenelli01]

Yes, context needs to be considered.

 

But, in general, if I find a $20 bill and I don't know who dropped it, no one is around, and I have no knowledge that would allow me to figure out who's it is, I would keep it. The reason being is the nature of a $20 bill. There aren't any identifying features (that people pay attention to) which would allow someone to find the rightful owner. It is not like it was a large amount of money or money held together in a red paperclip, which could easily be identified to someone. But as SN said, it would also depend on the area, the reliability of the lost and found procedure, -- the full context of the situation.

Edited August 3, 2013 by thenelli01

[secondhander]

If it can go back to its rightful owner, then it should. If there is no way you could identify or prove whom the rightful owner is, then you should keep it, and do with it what you will.

 

This is why I put my name and address on every bill of legal tender I own ...

Edited August 4, 2013 by secondhander

[A is A]

If it can go back to its rightful owner, then it should. If there is no way you could identify or prove whom the rightful owner is, then you should keep it, and do with it what you will.

 

This is why I put my name and address on every bill of legal tender I own ...

Social security number too?  

[CrowEpistemologist]

Ayn Rand once said, "accidents happen to those who deserve it". In the context in which she said it, she meant that a broader context of virtue in your life will increase your odds of positive--yet still random--events (and the inverse as well).

 

With the disclaimers others have mentioned here in place, there's nothing wrong with accepting good fortune. No, it's not as rewarding as achieving a value which is directly earned, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, either.

[Nicky]

The worst thing by far that you could do in this scenario is waste the cops' time by using them as a lost and found office.

[Harrison Danneskjold]

1. What would you personally do, if anything, and why?

I would see if there was anyone nearby, perhaps walking down the same sidewalk, who may have dropped it.  If not then I'd pocket it.

Why?  Because it's $20; that's why!     If you know who dropped it then you should return it.  If not then "waste not".

 

2. What does Objectivism say one should do in this situation?

Well, assuming you don't know who the owner is, there's no way to return it.

 

In that case you could leave it on the sidewalk, which benefits nobody, or you could take it.  I think Objectivism wouldn't have much to say about it; basically what I said.