Saturday, December 28, 2019
Peter Singers Argument in Famine, Affluence and Morality
This paper explores Peter Singerââ¬â¢s argument, in Famine, Affluence, and Morality, that we have morally required obligations to those in need. The explanation of his argument and conclusion, if accepted, would dictate changes to our lifestyle as well as our conceptions of duty and charity, and would be particularly demanding of the affluent. In response to the central case presented by Singer, John Kekes offers his version, which he labels the and points out some objections. Revisions of the principle provide some response to the objections, but raise additional problems. Yet, in the end, the revisions provide support for Singerââ¬â¢s basic argument that, in some way, we ought to help those in need. Singer presents his argument specifically inâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦I ought to prevent the bad because the mere presence of others does not lessen my duty. The inactions of others have no bearing on what I must do. And, every person in this case has an equal obligation to save the childââ¬â¢s life. The next premise relates to our individual obligation to give and is derived from the following: Given the equal obligation noted above, everyone should give his or her fair share. If everyone donates appropriately to famine relief in Africa, I would have no reason to give more than my fair share. But, in reality, this is not the case, so I must give more than my fair share to meet my obligation and I ought to give as much a possible up to the point of negative personal consequences to save as many lives as I can. This provides a foundation for premise three (P3) - Accepting the three premises seems to require us to reconsider the meaning of charity and duty. The obligation to give as much as we can becomes a matter of duty not charity. This upends the notion where charitable giving to those in need is praiseworthy, but failure is not to be condemned. By the force of Singerââ¬â¢s argument, failure to give is wrong because we must do everything in our power to direct every extra resource to those suffering from death and starvation. This changes our conception of giving from optional to obligatory. For example, it would wrong to buy a new shirt or enjoy a fine meal instead of giving to famine relief. Singerââ¬â¢s conclusion is simply ThisShow MoreRelatedI.Introduction. Famine Is A Highly Prevalent And Debated1106 Words à |à 5 PagesI. Introduction Famine is a highly prevalent and debated topic. Written in November 1971, Peter Singerââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠addresses famine as a moral issue. Peter Singer, as a Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, focuses on ethics and moral values, and with his text, I will analyze this moral dilemma and show that the reasonable and well-thought Peter Singerââ¬â¢s argument is successful. II. Peter Singerââ¬â¢s Argument Peter Singer begins by laying out two basic premises: 1.Read MoreThe Problem of Poverty in Famine, Affluence, and Morality by Peter Singer1112 Words à |à 5 Pages Peter Singer is often regarded as one of the most productive and influential philosophers of modern times. He is well-known for his discussions of the acute social, economic, and political issues, including poverty and famines. In his ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠, Singer (1972) discusses the problem of poverty and hunger, as well as the way this problem is treated in the developed world. Singer believes that charity is inseparable from morality, and no distinction can be drawn between charityRead MoreFamine, Affluence and Morality1663 Words à |à 7 PagesSingerââ¬â¢s Famine, Affluence, and Morality Ametra Heard PHI208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor Zummuna Davis January 14, 2013 Singerââ¬â¢s Famine, Affluence, and Morality In the Peter Singerââ¬â¢s article ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠, he discusses the way that people should take moral in their help toward the support of the Bengal famine crisis. Singer states three obligations that would help the Bengal region through the means of a wealthy person, and those individuals living life on a dayRead Moresociety poverty has various definitions that lack the true picture that poverty depicts. Dictionary500 Words à |à 2 Pagesreflected in Peter Singerââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence and Moralityâ⬠essay and the opposing essay written by John Arthur in ââ¬Å"World hunger and moral obligation: the case against Singer.â⬠Peter Singer raises the question of poverty and our obligations toward it in his essay ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠. In the essay, Singer addresses the question of what obligations we have toward those around the globe who are suffering from lack of food, shelter or basic needs. Singer uses the terms ââ¬Ërelieving famine,ââ¬â¢ butRead MorePhi 208- Peter Singer1214 Words à |à 5 Pagesââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠In Peter Singerââ¬â¢s 1972 article titled ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence and Moralityâ⬠, he suggests that wealthy nations have an ethical duty to contribute much more than they do to other nations who are suffering through a natural disaster, extreme poverty, famine or other issues. In this paper, I will describe Singers objective and give his argument with regards to this issue. I will describe three counter-arguments to Singerââ¬â¢s view which he addresses, and after that revealRead MoreMorality of Giving Essays1074 Words à |à 5 Pageswould say that although it is a good thing to do, one is not obligated to give anything. Other people would say that if a person has more than he needs, then he should donate a portion of what he has. Peter Singer, however, proposes a radically different view. His essay, ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality,â⬠focuses on the Bengal crisis in 1971 and claims that one is morally obligated to give as much as possible. His thesis supports t he idea that ââ¬Å"We ought to give until we reach the level of marginal utilityRead MorePHI 208 Week 2 assignment Essay1302 Words à |à 6 Pagesï » ¿ Famine, Affluence, and Morality PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning Famine, Affluence, and Morality In Peter Singerââ¬â¢s 1972 post titled ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence and Moralityâ⬠, he conveys that wealthy nations, for example the United States, has an ethical duty to contribute much a lot more than we do with regards to worldwide assistance for famine relief and/or other disasters or calamities which may happen. In this document, I will describe Singers objectiveRead MoreDefense Of Singer s Shallow Pond Argument881 Words à |à 4 PagesIn Defense of Singerââ¬â¢s Shallow Pond Argument Peter Singer is known in philosophy for many different writings, one of them being his ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠which includes his shallow pond argument. Many philosophers have argued against his shallow pond argument and for it, for many different reasons. In Singerââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠, he describes how he believes everyoneââ¬â¢s approach to global poverty should be. He starts by describing how people in many places in the worldRead MoreFamine, Affluence, And Morality1555 Words à |à 7 Pagesexperiencing famine, deaths and diseases in poor countries. However, the moral necessity of doing so has been controversial in humanââ¬â¢s society for years. One philosopher named Peter Singer gives his opinion in the article ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠, and presents a powerful argument supporting his claim. In this essay, I will explain his conclusion and main argument, propose one objection to his argument, and evaluate the validity of my objection by considering possible response that Peter SingerRead MoreEssay on Duty versus Charity: Why a Distinction is Essential1256 Words à |à 6 Pages1970ââ¬â¢s, the South Asian region of East Bengal (then East Pakistan, now the country of Ban gladesh) was undergoing a severe famine, due to rampant poverty, a civil war and frequent cyclones. The lack of overseas help to this impoverished region was probably what triggered Peter Singer to write the article Famine, Affluence and Morality, wherein he claims that world hunger and famine can be prevented and possibly eradicated if everyone in the wealthy nations did their bit to help the sufferers monetarily
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