Was Robin Hood a moral character? Were his actions moral or immoral?

Some clarification may be required for this question. Ignore the image of men with green tights and bows and arrows running around Sherwood forest stealing kisses from blushing maidens desperate to be seen to be presenting a token resistance. Ignore too that the local Sheriff of Nottingham was a corrupt public servant serving his own interests instead of those of the people. Focus instead on the slogan of the legend:

He stole from the rich, and gave to the poor.

Is this moral? Is it right? Is it acceptable to take money (by force) from people because they are rich and give it to others because they are poor?

Note that this is a totally different question to whether it is a good thing for rich people to give charity to those who are less well off than themselves. The question is whether it is acceptable to force the rich to give money to the poor.

We are also making no judgment about how the rich became rich. Presumably some became rich due to theft (like the Sheriff of Nottingham), and others became rich through their own hard work and ingenuity. This hypothetical is about taking from the rich, not about taking from those who the State has judged didn't really work as hard as others or some other blunt variation.

Note too, that we are not referring to the rich paying on a user-pays basis for roads, or for use of public lighthouses, or police protection. We are talking about taking money in order to give it to the poor.

Is it moral? Is it right?

If your answer is yes, then you believe that people are the property of the State. That the wealth they produce through their own labor, or ingenuity does not belong to them, but belongs to others. That it belongs (at least in part) to the state.

If your answer is no, then surely is also unacceptable to force people to pay for others' health, education, child-minding or dole payments. Such payments could be made as voluntary charities, but should never be forcibly taken. Taking money to pay for public goods (services which everyone uses) might be acceptable - but hospitals, schools and libraries can easily be charged on a user-pays basis.

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