Peter Singer Analysis

764 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ethical issues with organ donations

Peter singer argues that it shouldn’t be any reason for Americans to don’t donate money to poor children when they can afford luxuries that are not important for their lives and health. Singer used two examples with two different situations and he tying to motivate readers to donate as much as money they can.
The first example is about the retired schoolteacher name Dora. Dora has a very poor life and she was barley affording her life expenses. One day she got a job offer and they told her if she takes a nine years old homeless boy to a family that will adopt him, she will get a good money. Dora takes the boy to the new family, and she received the money. After she got the money, she bought a television, and she went home. Dora’s neighbor comes to her house and Dora told her the story and her neighbor’s respond was, the boy was too old for adoption and they might kill him and sale his organs. As a consequence, Dora decided to go and find the boy and take him back.
The second example that Singer uses in his article comes from the philosopher Peter Unger’s book Living High and Letting Die. Bob bought a Buggati and he spent most of his saving to buy this car. One day, Bob took his car and he parked his car on the rail road and the train was quickly approaching him. And the other side it was a kid who was playing on the rail road. He should decide to save the boy life and forget about his expensive car or he chose not to sacrificed his car and the boy is killed by the train and his Buggatti is unharmed.
Singer used tis two examples and his goal was to make the reader think and make a desertion. In Dora’s example Stinger emphasizing if Dora didn’t take the boy back, in eye of audience she would become a monster. in the Bob ex...

... middle of paper ...

...f spend on luxury will harm the economy as well. If we give money significant amounts we could seriously damage the economy because we live in a capitalist consumer economy and it’s predicted on consumption.
But Singer thinks every diner in a restaurant can save a child life. The question is how much people need to donate. He said American middle class families spend 20000 every year on unnecessary things, they can donate that money instead. He gives us with two options, being like Bob (monster) or donating every single dollar to charitable. Singer says: “I accept that we are unlikely to see, in the near or even medium-term future, a world in which it is normal for wealthy Americans to give the bulk of their wealth to strangers”. Americans need to donate money, if we don whe should know that we are failing to live in the morally decent life as Singer believes.

Show More
Related

  • Peter Singer Moral Obligation

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    Singer’s utilitarian theory points out his main arguments for his statement “If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it” (375). He supports this by suggesting that were are morally obligated to prevent bad no matter the “proximity or distance” , “the number of other people who, in respect to that evil, are in the same situation we are” and that we ought to prevent hunger by sacrificing only their luxuries, which are of lesser moral importance (378). This meaning that we shouldn’t limit our aide to only those that we can see or that we know because morally there is no different between our obligation to them and our obligation to those overseas. Also, we should limit our aide to what we think ...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Peter Singer And Facing Famine

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order for her to make thousands of dollars she has to persuade a family about adopting a homeless nine year old boy. In the process she succeeds and successfully delivers the boy into his new family. She is then later on told about how the boy was too old to be adopted and will be killed for organ transplantation. As a consequence, Dora decides to take the boy back. Singer then explains, “In fact, an average family in the United states spends almost one-third of its income on things that are no more necessary to them than Dora’s new TV was to her” (2). Singer elaborates on the fact that we indeed spend so much of our money on things not essential to us. Singer also states, “Going out to nice restaurants, buying new clothes because the old ones are no longer stylish, vacationing at beach resorts - so much of our income is spent on things not essential to the preservation of our lives and health” (2). One might agree to Singer because he does state an important point on how most of us do spend our money on unnecessary things and instead should be given to charitable agencies. He believes that the money will save the life of children in need between life and

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Singer Solution To World Poverty

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” by Peter Singer is a persuasive article trying to influence people to donate money to save children’s lives. Peter Singer stated, “Evolutionary psychologists tell us that human nature just isn’t sufficiently altruistic to make it plausible that many people will sacrifice so much for strangers… they would be wrong to draw moral conclusions to that fact”. First, Singer tells a story about a retired school teacher who doesn’t have extra money. Dora, the school teacher, is given a chance to make a thousand dollars by walking a homeless child to a house, in which she was given the address for. She then walks the child to the house, and then later Dora’s neighbors tell her that the child was probably killed

    Read More

  • Andrew Carnegie And Peter Singer

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Singer’s belief that everyone should give away all excess wealth to eliminate as much suffering as possible conflicts with the idea of competition and, therefore, reduces the productivity of human civilization. Peter Singer, a professor of moral philosophy, stated in his essay “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” that it is everyone’s duty to participate in philanthropy since it is morally wrong to not help someone who is suffering. Singer thoroughly explained the details of the “duty” of philanthropy: “we ought to give until we reach the level of marginal utility - that is, the level at which, by giving more, I would cause as much suffering to myself or my dependents as I would relieve by my gift.” If this philosophy is followed, and the poor beneficiary experienced the same level of comfort as the wealthy benefactor, then what incentive would the beneficiary have for

    Read More

  • Reevaluating Charity: A Radical Approach

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his essay, Singer states that "if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it." However, if individuals in first world countries were to continuously donate rather than spending that money on luxuries, the majority of their income would be spent on alleviating a global issue and their savings would ultimately diminish down to the level of global poverty until they would be unable to give any more.

    Read More

  • Strong Response to Peter Singer’s: The Singer Solution to World Poverty

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Peter Singer’s “The Singer Solution to World Poverty,” an article in The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing. Peter Singer debates the only method to solving world poverty is simply the money that is being spent on necessities, such as luxuries, should be donated to charity.If this is not done, the question of morality and virtue is put in place. Singer’s article begins by referring to a Brazilian movie Central Stadium, the film is centered on Dora, a retired schoolteacher, who delivers a homeless nine-year-old-boy to an address where he would supposedly be adopted. In return she would be given thousands of dollars, thus spending some of it on a television set. Singer then poses an ethical question, asking what the distinction is “between a Brazilian who sells a homeless child to organ peddlers and an American who already has a TV and upgrades to a better one, knowing that the money could be donated to an organization that would use it to save the lives of kids in need?”(545). Singer mentions the book Living High and Letting Die, by the New York University philosopher Peter Unger, discussing a peculiar scenario. Bob, the focus of the story is close to retirement and he has used the majority of his savings to invest on a Bugatti. The point of this story is to demonstrate how Bob chose to retrieve his car rather than save ...

    Read More

  • The Singer Solution to World Poverty

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ould be given away” (Singer, Peter). He did not give enough reasoning in why we should donate and why he is requesting such a large portion of one’s salary. He then goes on and says, “If we value the life of a child more than going to fancy restaurants, the next time we dine out we will know that we could have done something better with our money” (Singer, Peter).

    Read More

  • Singer Cullity

    1687 Words  | 4 Pages

    response to the Singer. Cullity argues that Singer’s conclusion, that we ought to help others in need so long as this does not cause any significant damage to ourselves, is severely demanding, as it is essentially arguing that we are morally obligated to help everybody in the world. The only way in which we would be able to justify not helping somebody who needed our help would be if doing so would put the person helping at significant risk. Cullity argues in his paper that Singer’s argument is asking too much of people when it claims that donating to aid agencies is a moral obligation and that not doing so would be immoral. His main way of doing so is by rejecting the Severe Demand.

    Read More

  • Peter Singer's Paper 'Famine, Affluence and Morality'

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    Singer starts with the base of assumption that suffering and death from lack of the essentials of food, water, shelter, and proper medical assistance are bad. I find no problem with accepting this assumption as it is consistent with most widely accepted moral theories. Singer continues by stating “if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it”(Singer, Pg.231). Like his first statement, this one is easy to swallow. No moral code, save for maybe ethical egoism or nihilism, would attempt to refute either of his premises. His final conclusion is that if it is in our power to stop suffering and death from lack of the essentials, without sacrificing anything of comparable moral worth, we are morally obligated to do so. This essentially removes the current definition of charity, making giving money to famine relief, not a supererogatory act, but a moral duty of all people who have the ability to do so. Singer admits that this would drastically change the way people live their lives. Instead of living with any disposable income, people would be giving money to those who are living under bad or unsurvivable conditions. But wi...

    Read More

  • Morality of Giving

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Singer's argument appears to be mainly an appeal to logos, in his argument he reasons why he thinks it is morally required of people to give for famine relief and other needs. However, his argument relies heavily on pathos as well. The main thrust of his argument is this “If I am walking past a shallow pond and see a child dro...

    Read More

  • Beggars, Homeless and the Professional Panhandling Plague

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lou, A. “Should I give money to homeless beggars, especially children?”. intentious. 18 Nov. 2013. Web.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Singer Solution to World Poverty by Peter Singer

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Saint Augustine once said, “Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” (Augustine). Augustine's belief that it is the duty of the individual to assist those less fortunate than themselves is expressed in the essay "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" by Peter Singer. Singer shares his conviction that those living in luxury should support those struggling to survive in poverty. Singer adopts the persona of a sage utilitarian philosopher who judges the morality of actions based on the consequences that are wrought by them. Singer utilizes powerful pathos, rhetorical questions, ethos, and a bold tone which contributes to his purpose of persuading his intended audience of American consumers to live only on necessity rather than luxury as well as to donate their discretionary income to the impoverished.

    Read More

  • Singers Solution to World Poverty

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    Singer’s argument may have swayed many people to donate their dispensable income to children in need despite the fact that it has many fundamental flaws. He argues that we should give away the majority of our earnings to charity. Since Singer wants the reader to donate such a large amount of money, the readers are given no choice but to contribute nothing whatsoever. His solution is not realistic and does not take into account the long-term financial impact this type of donation contribution system would have on a country’s economy.

    Read More

  • Difference Between Jan Narveson Vs Peter Singer

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his article, the author Peter Singer presents valid points within his work in a way that provokes one to question their morals and ethics. He rationalizes the gift of donation in an unconventional but motivating manor. The purpose of “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” is to encourage people to reevaluate his or her ability to contribute to the underprivileged people of the world. Singer is addressing this article to any person with the ability to donate. The author makes it clear that nearly everyone has the ability to make a difference is others lives. Additionally, in “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”, the author explain that we have a duty to give, but he is not stating whether it is a duty of justice in Narveson’s sense. He is not stating if would be morally correct for anyone to force us or impose to us to give to the needy. This author is trying to persuade or convince people to give voluntarily. The author is not enforcing to do something, this is contrary to Narveson’s position “enforced fee”. “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” addresses the urgency for a more generous world. Peter Singer presents valid points within his work in a way that provokes one to question their morals and ethics. He rationalizes the gift of donation in an unconventional but motivating manor. The main purpose of “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” is to

    Read More

  • Utilitarianism In John Singer's Peter Singer Solution To World Poverty

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    Peter Singer practices utilitarianism, he believes the consequence of an action matters more than the reason behind the action. Singer is trying to convince his audience to donate their money to end world poverty. He believes it is moral to give as much money as the person can give, allowing them to purchase just enough for them to live on, and this will be the right action to take. Singer is aiming toward the United States to contribute more to charity. Singer does not consider specific aspects that do not support his argument and causes his argument to not list specific aspects of his belief. Singer’s argument is not a good argument because he does not consider the ramifications of people donating their surplus of money would do to the economy; is it our duty to feed the poor; and that our moral intuitions are not consequentialist at all when it concerns what our rescue duties entail.

    Read More

More about Peter Singer Analysis

Open Document