Is Charity the Answer to World Poverty?
In “The Singer Solution to World Poverty,” Peter Singer discusses multiple scenarios where individuals are put in situations where they must decide between their needs and others. He believes individuals can save the life of another by sacrificing some wealth or material possessions. This simplistic solution to a problem that has present for decades fails to address certain issues. One such problem with his solution is the variability between the circumstances people undergo and changeable nature of life. Another challenge with adopting Singer’s solution is the long-term effects it has on the person living in poverty and the one giving to them. Given the many flaws of Singer’s argument, charity cannot be the solution to poverty itself, rather a component in helping the poor improve their situation.
Singer puts forth a bold solution to poverty, stating people are required to give away money not used on essentials for living, with a few examples. One example …show more content…
Singer’s proposal neglects this very nature of human life by suggesting people should give away all the money they use for non-essentials. Some individuals may live more frugally, in anticipation of an emergency, while others have the luxury of spending as they please due to unlimited access to funds and contacts. Not every person is able to afford the same level of comfort, and therefore have different standards of livings and different views on what constitutes a necessity. A simple example of differing standards can be illustrated with food, such as bread or eggs. A middle-class family may go out of their way to find the lowest price available for the product, while a wealthier family will opt for organic, brand-name items. If one were to apply Singer’s solution in such a case, there would be less given away by the people that were wealthy
In “The Singer Solution to World Poverty,” Peter Singer discusses multiple scenarios where individuals are put in situations where they must decide between their needs and others. He believes individuals can save the life of another by sacrificing some wealth or material possessions. This simplistic solution to a problem that has present for decades fails to address certain issues. One such problem with his solution is the variability between the circumstances people undergo and changeable nature of life. Another challenge with adopting Singer’s solution is the long-term effects it has on the person living in poverty and the one giving to them. Given the many flaws of Singer’s argument, charity cannot be the solution to poverty itself, rather a component in helping the poor improve their situation.
Singer puts forth a bold solution to poverty, stating people are required to give away money not used on essentials for living, with a few examples. One example …show more content…
Singer’s proposal neglects this very nature of human life by suggesting people should give away all the money they use for non-essentials. Some individuals may live more frugally, in anticipation of an emergency, while others have the luxury of spending as they please due to unlimited access to funds and contacts. Not every person is able to afford the same level of comfort, and therefore have different standards of livings and different views on what constitutes a necessity. A simple example of differing standards can be illustrated with food, such as bread or eggs. A middle-class family may go out of their way to find the lowest price available for the product, while a wealthier family will opt for organic, brand-name items. If one were to apply Singer’s solution in such a case, there would be less given away by the people that were wealthy