The Singer Solution To World Poverty Rhetorical Analysis

Every day, millions of well-off people throughout the world buy brand-new vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, large entertainment systems to put inside their luxury homes, and countless amounts of other luxury items that are not considered necessities. In “The Ethical Life”, there is an excerpt from Peter Singer from “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” which Singer argues that the people that do not donate to those in need in-fact can donate. Singer believes that by not donating, one is purposely letting a child starve to death. In which, his solution to saving a child is to give up everyday luxuries, such as the ones listed above. Not only is Singer’s solution unrealistic but it is also extremely demanding to everyday people, especially when one has responsibilities, problems, and much more to deal with of their own. In “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” excerpt, Singer introduces two hypothetical …show more content…
Though the comparison between Bob and someone not willing to donate is effective, his argument loses persuasion towards the end and that is due to his own words. The first being “I can see no escape from the conclusion that each one of us with wealth surplus to his or her essential needs should be giving most of it to help people suffering from poverty so dire as to be life-threatening”. The second quote reads, “again, the formula is simple: whatever money you’re spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away”. Earlier in the excerpt, Singer asks every person to donate just $200 and shows that the amount could truly save a life, now Singer says that he wants everyone to donate all their extra money to charity and honestly, it is a large demand and does not convince one to donate. Quite frankly, if one demands money, they are likely not to receive it, especially when it comes to asking for lump sums, not a couple