Peter Singer
Explication of Peter Singer's "Famine, Affluence, and Morality"
Peter Singer's objective in "Famine, Affluence, and Morality" is to raise activism in the general public with regard to ending famine and conditions of abject poverty. The focus of the article concerns the public's need to take greater action. His argument stems from his view that "At the individual level, people have, with very few exceptions, not responded to the situation in any significant way" (1). Thus, people have a moral obligation to assist those who are impoverished, and even those in remote locations should not be excluded from aid.
A main focus of Singer's article concerns moral utility, and exactly how much people are morally obligated to provide to those who are impoverished. Singer argues that there has traditionally been an overly severe distinction between duty and charity; people are quick to fulfill their duties, while charity is viewed as activities that are conducted at less frequent intervals and those that one is not required to perform. A person will go to work to perform their duty, but they will not donate even a paltry sum of money to refugees in Bengal. Singer notes that "The traditional distinction between duty and charity cannot be drawn" (4). Activities that have traditionally fallen under the umbrella of charity should now be viewed as duty.
One of the questions raised is exactly how much people should give, and Singer argues that the premise of moral utility should apply. He invokes the premise of marginal utility, or the belief that...
Charity Patients WHEN HEALTHCARE IS LIMITED Treating Charity Patients Charity or uninsured patients do not receive adequate health care. They cannot afford it as hospitals charge them to four times more than those with healthcare coverage (The Associated Press, 2004). Hospitals explain that the steep charges are meant to cover the increasing costs of indigent care. These patients who are already financially crippled are furthermore subjected to aggressive debt collectors. About 43 million
Charity If I had $1 million dollars to donate to charity tomorrow, the charity to which my donation would go would be to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude's is an organization that was started several decades ago to research and treat, what it calls, catastrophic diseases, specifically in children. St. Jude's is especially known for its success with researching and treating forms of cancer in children. It is a
Charity/Foundations AngliCORD Board of Directors John Doe, CEO Recent Article in BRW concerning Charity Accountability This memo aims to address a recent and rather disturbing article in the March 24-30, 2005, Australian Business Review Weekly entitled "Charity Inc." I rather suggest that each of you obtain a copy and read it so as to get the full effect of what I am about to address. As I am sure you are all very well
Of these, proponents like Bruce W. Fraser (2005) quote studies and statistics that support the financial viability of corporate responsibility. One study is for example the one by Oekom Research, which indicates that of the 602 companies examined, the 186 companies with the highest sustainability rating also performed better financially than the 416 remaining companies, outperforming them by 23.4%. Critics like Vogel are however not impressed by such numbers (Stavins,
Case Study 3 This case is somewhat more complex than the two preceding, in that a great deal of variation in the tax implications exists depending on the type/purpose of the charitable organization and its plans for the property. If a house on Cape Cod somehow suited the tex-exmpt purpose of the charitable organization (e.g. It was used as a hospice for sick children that the organization cared for), then the
It doesn't take long for them to realize that living among the "proper" ladies is not for them. Even sweet Charlotte is willing to do anything to get back home. (Freeman, 1887) The author analyzes the way "upper-class" women gain their sense of identity by taking a charitable interest in their lower-class neighbors. It is this sense of moral superiority that is actually a form of take-over and domination since
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