IAH206 MSU Famine Affluence and Morality Peter Singer Paper

Peter Singer argues that we have a very (indeed, a surprisingly extensive) obligation to

help the global poor and hungry.

His central argument (I’ve called it Argument #1 in the

class slides) is put on pp. 15-16 as follows:

(1)

Suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are (really) bad.

(2)

If it is in your power to prevent something (really) bad from happening, without

sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so.

(3)

By donating to aid agencies, you can present suffering and death from lack of food,

shelter and medical care, without sacrificing anything nearly as important.

CONCLUSION: Therefore, if you do not donate to aid agencies, you are doing something

wrong