• Home Page
  • What Should A Billionaire Give Peter Singer Analysis

What Should A Billionaire Give Peter Singer Analysis

Improved Essays
Show More
Peter Singer’s essay “What Should a Billionaire Give” discusses the harsh truth of global poverty that many individuals suffer through due to living in a developing country. In his essay, he tells the story of Bill and Melinda Gates making the decision to take it upon themselves and donate to those in need via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For any human, it is his or her civic obligation to care about the needs of others, whether the needs are physiological or based on safety. In order to provide for the basic needs of the poor, it is vital to understand how individuals respond to poverty, how war affects poverty, and how poverty can be related to psychology.

In the essay, Singer references Bill Gates' confusion …show more content…
For example, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid points out needs, such as basic, psychological, and self-fulfillment, that must be met consecutively (McLeod). Without the basic needs being met, there is no motivation for an individual or a country to achieve psychological or self-fulfilling needs. Along with that, the lack of safety inside of Syria due to their civil war does not allow for the basic safety needs that Maslow describes as necessary to achieving one's full potential. Denmark is a self-fulfilling nation, and that is why it is able to support Syrians with donations that can provide for the basic needs of the individuals inhabiting the country. Likewise, a country’s inability to afford vaccines for individuals also conflicts with Maslow’s pyramid because vaccines save millions of lives, thus helping complete the basic needs of a country. A country is a single source made of individuals, and in order to be a self-fulfilling country, the individuals must also be self-fulfilling. This cannot happen unless all of the previous needs, such as basic and psychological, are

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Philosophers Jan Narveson And Peter Singer: Moral Responsibility And Duty
    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Philosophers Jan Narveson And Peter Singer: Moral Responsibility And Duty

    He reasons that everyone on the planet does not have an equal entitlement on the resources of others, that we are bound to a greater duty to our family and circle, who have a greater right. By providing for and ensuring happiness to our immediate needs from all others that may claim to our resources, is, in fact, a more efficient means to achieve happiness. Singer counters that although pockets within these first world nations can experience poverty relative to others within their population, these developing nations face absolute poverty, where life is plagued by hardships including death, disease, squalid living conditions and overall despair. Where industrialized nations possess a prosperity and capacity to provide assistance to third world nations, Singer suggests that a donation of one-tenth of their wage would not only lessen the destitution of their fellow man but could be achieved without cost to their own particular well-being and wealth. As this act would maximize the utility or happiness for the greatest number of world citizens and therefore have an ethical obligation to do…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of Morgan Spurlock's Article 'Do You Want Lies With That?'
    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of Morgan Spurlock's Article 'Do You Want Lies With That?'

    Modern poverty is much different. There are copious charities and organizations that help the poor and homeless and give much-needed help to the poor so that they do not need to live in what this article describes. Although there are the organizations that help the poor and homeless, poverty is not fun. Nobody wants to be homeless or live in poverty. In conclusion, this article is completely outdated and does not hold significant relevance…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Famine Influence And Morality Peter Singer Summary
    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Famine Influence And Morality Peter Singer Summary

    Famine, Affluence and Morality In his article “Famine, Affluence and Morality” Peter Singer believes that people should make adjustments with their life styles and give those unnecessary spending money for the people who really needs it. According to him it is an ethical evaluation of the consequences of people’s actions. If people have all the things they need to live there is no point in buying additional things again and again just because to show the world that you are capable of buying things and you are rich. According to him it is wasting money which has no value.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Morally Obligated In Peter Singer's Argument
    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Morally Obligated In Peter Singer's Argument

    Peter Singer identifies the moral problem in society and the lack of individual participation in global affairs. More specifically, a lack of interest and contribution in the plight of the world’s most destitute and unfortunate. In Singer’s argument, he brings up several points in the defense of his position: proximity and quantity of possible contributors. Singer identified his argument as, “If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything of comparable moral significance, we ought, morally, to do it.” Additionally, it is in individuals’ power to prevent bad things from happening.…

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Bell Hooks
    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Bell Hooks

    What type of a world where we go without assisting the poverty victims or even ways to cut energy usage? Gloria Watkins, a pen name for Bell Hooks, an author who wrote an article called, “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor.” Hooks approach a point of view on the issues relating to individuals from the higher class compared with those are from, the lower level. In her article, she uses her own personal experience how poverty effects on negative stereotypes towards today’s society. Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, are writers and graphic artists who wrote an article titled, "As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial.”…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Breaking The Poverty Cycle
    • 88 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Breaking The Poverty Cycle

    Poverty is a broad subject that includes many fields, and it can affect the way a person lives and learns. A person in poverty lacks money, food, clean drinking water, basic education, or access to medical care. Breaking the poverty cycle can be difficult, especially when someone doesn’t know any different. War can harm a person’s surroundings and their mentality, and more often than not, leave a whole country in poverty. All of these combined makes living hard, but there are many organizations that help people in need.…

    • 88 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    A Modest Proposal Essay
    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Modest Proposal Essay

    In every society there is the wealthy and the poverty-stricken. Although many may disagree, there is an unwritten obligation as human beings to care for one another and lend a helping hand to those in need. If those who have more than the less fortunate don’t give at some point and have compassion on those in need, then we are left with a selfish and cheap society. If we all work together as one, wealthy and impoverished, then this guarantees our survival as a human race and ultimately guarantees the formation of a united society. Often times we are too selfish to realize that we all got to where we are by way of assistance.…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Analysis Of Famine, Affluence, And Morality By Peter Singer
    • 1478 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Analysis Of Famine, Affluence, And Morality By Peter Singer

    In “Famine, Affluence, and Morality,” Peter Singer discusses the moral obligation of humans to prevent bad things from happening. In particular, Singer focuses on the prevention of the famine in East Bengal during November 1971 where many people were dying from poverty. Singer argues that since global poverty may be inhibited through charitable donations, then individual people ought to be morally obligated to donate what Singer defines as their surplus of money to charities that will aid impoverished nations. Singer writes his article in the format of a thought experiment, in which he presents a number of generally agreeable premises that lead up to his conclusion which is to donate as much money to charity as what Singer determines is reasonable.…

    • 1478 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Peter Singer Famine Affluence And Mortality Analysis
    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Peter Singer Famine Affluence And Mortality Analysis

    In “Famine, Affluence and Mortality”, Peter Singer sets out to critique how those in affluent countries have a moral obligation to give and do far more to help those who are suffering than they actually do. According to singer, human beings and governments have the capability to prevent suffering in other parts of the world and have not done enough to help. He uses the situation in Bengal as an example because it has arguably the most extreme and largest-growing problem in the world. Individuals and governments were aware of the problem, which is why he chose this as the primary example to begin his critique. The situation in Bengal represents the thousands of other emergencies, disasters, problem etc.…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Analysis Of A Billionaire Give And What Should Me By Peter Singer
    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of A Billionaire Give And What Should Me By Peter Singer

    Merelyn Cedeno Prof Dingman WR 201 7 June 2015 The cost of a human life How much you do think your life cost? How much your parents are worth? One time or another we’ve ask ourselves these questions but now you have to ask yourself how much is the life of a homeless person? In the article, “What Should a Billionaire Give and What Should You” by Peter Singer, he asked what is a human life worth?…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Book Report: A Long Walk To Water
    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Book Report: A Long Walk To Water

    As my Mathematics professor always says, “Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.” For some people who live in the third world countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan, even a few dollars or a cup of water is a great help. However, in today’s society, most people only care about themselves and forget to think of others in need. Less and less people are willing to help others. Moreover, some people once accepted help, but they forget that many are like them that need help.…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Peter Singer Argument
    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Peter Singer Argument

    The underlying goal of philosophy is to help humans seek the ultimate truth to the questions that orbit their knowledge for the meaning of existence. One question that many philosophers are challenging themselves to answer would be that of just how far individuals should go in order to provide relief for those who are suffering from poverty. After attaining a degree in bioethics, a professor by the name of Peter Singer recently ventured to provide the world with an answer to the question that had been protruding the minds of many philosophers. Singer claims, “The formula is simple: whatever money you’re spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away.” Although Singer’s argument proposes an idea that could be beneficial towards…

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Bill Gates's Speech
    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Bill Gates's Speech

    Moreover, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have many things in common, such as academic life, working on Internet industries. Therefore, these two speakers have more comparison than any other else. Comparing with Steve Jobs, who delivered a commencement address at Stanford University on June 2005. His address exists some similarities and differences from the address that Bill Gates…

    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Poverty As A Social Problem
    • 1805 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Poverty As A Social Problem

    Poverty is an issue that people face in every country of the world. Many people are living in poverty today and unable to live within the same standards as others members of their same society, simply due to differences in their financial capabilities. This is an issue for individuals, as well as an issue between countries, having some countries striving with wealth, while other countries struggle to feed and house their people. A social problem is defined as “a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world” (Guerrero, 2005. 4). This paper was written about the issue poverty because it is an important social problem that affects such a large number of Americans…

    • 1805 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Persuasive Essay On Poverty
    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Persuasive Essay On Poverty

    According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die from poverty each day: 270 million have no access to health care, and 121 million children are out of education worldwide. Poverty remains one of the most severe harms against humanity in society today. Today, the question is not why one of two children in the world remains in poverty while a plethora of people live luxurious lifestyles, as we know the reasons are lack of education, lack of health care, and lack of income equality, but rather how this detrimental problem can be mitigated. Poverty will never truly be eliminated.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings