Rhetorical Analysis Of The Singer Solution To Poverty

The Singer Solution to Poverty Does Singer Present a Valid Argument? Peter Singer is an Australian Philosopher and a Bioethics professor at Princeton University. He is the author of Animal Liberation, a book that moved many to become vegetarians, while others were offended at his suggestion that humans and animals be on the same moral plane. In September of 1999, Singer published an article in the New York Times Magazine called ‘The Singer Solution to Poverty’. In his article, Singer argues that people who have money to spare should be giving it to charities, specifically Unicef or Oxfam America. Although he has a valid point, people should donate money to the less fortunate if they can, his argument
Singer again compares the average American family to Bob, and Bob is compared to the woman from the movie. He then explains that some people will try to justify their actions by stating that other people do or do not do the same thing that they do or do not do. Again, he compares the average American family to Bob. He states that giving up dining out for a month will be sufficient to save money to donate. But, he asks, how big does the sacrifice have to be to be significant? His answer was $200,000. He explains that people who are comfortably off will donate 10% of their income to charities, and although that is much more than average, it is still not enough. He claims that people should be able to donate 70% of their income to charities, yet he only donates 20%. In the end, he tries to explain that those who do not donate all this money are not leading a “morally decent life” whatever that means. Singer is correct in stating that people should donate extra money to charities. He is off, however, on how much money that should be. He says that an American household with a $50,000 income spends only $30,000 annually on necessities. He does not, however,
If they donate, they can lead a ‘morally decent life’ (according to Singer). What would happen if everyone were to donate their spending money, rather than to buy new clothes or electronics? Singer fails to look at the other side of the story. Say everyone was to stop spending. Our economy would most likely suffer (more than it is currently). Stores would go out of business if everyone stopped upgrading their electronics and buying new clothes. Is it justifiable to compromise our economy to save children in third world countries? Singer needs to get off his high horse. He thinks his way is the only way, when there are many ways to donate and help others. I think Singer has a valid point but I think he is rude when he tries to present it. Throughout his article I felt insulted, and yes, guilty. But I reminded myself that I am not Bob, I would rather lose my car than live with the fact that I stood there and let a child die. I am not Maria, the woman from the movie; I did not sell a boy to black market organ venders just for a new television. He tried to argue ‘what if everyone did it?’ thinking that it might lead people to think their actions are legitimate. I don’t think that way. Just because something is the way it is,