The Singer Solution To World Poverty Summary

World poverty is arguably at the forefront of issues plaguing our society as a whole today. I found an article displaying some of Peter Singers thought experiments that will further help display his beliefs. In his essay The Singer Solution to World Poverty, world-renowned author and philosopher Singer claims he has the solution. Singer asserts that materialism is the roadblock preventing the third world’s climb from despair into prosperity. The author begins his essay by detailing two thought experiments; the first recounts a Brazilian film, “Central Station,” in which the main character, Dora, unknowingly causes a young boy to be sold into the organ trade. After some debates as to Dora’s real motives, as well as further contemplation, Dora decides to rescue the boy (Singer).
The author, being both a scholar and a philosopher, has a smooth writing style, and it shows. He invokes just the right amount of inquiry, logic, and writes with such an authority that it becomes easy to not question both his statistics and the evidence he either omitted, or did not realize. Due to this, Singer’s argument itself is markedly effective, making it is easy to feel compelled from the points he makes, and the illustrations he uses. He invokes strong feelings of guilt, and assigns a social liability for the welfare of those less fortunate, but his support is ultimately less than pragmatic. While Singer’s intentions are pure, and to such a degree are worth of some merit, simple logically analysis of much of his deductively supported report shows his solution is impractical. This is not to say Singer is not on to something, indubitably his opinion has many good components, and following his advice certainly can do much good, but conclusively I can not accept it as a ‘solution’ to world poverty, and his efforts would likely be more valuable directed towards more specific