Singers Argument for Famine Relief

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Singers Argument for Famine Relief
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• How many people in the world die every day from
  famine?

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• How many people in the world die every day from
  famine?
• 24,000-40,000.
• 1 every 3.6 seconds, about 9 million a year.
• 75 of these fatalities are children.

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The Problem of Famine

• Why?
• What is the solution?

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Moral Classification of Actions

• Forbidden wrong to do, right not to do
• Permissible okay to do, okay not to do
• Required right to do, wrong not to do
• Supererogatory beyond duty good to do, not
  bad not to do. Morally heroic.
• Where does giving money to famine relief fall?

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Singers Argument

• (P1) Suffering and death from lack of food,
  shelter, and medical care are bad.
• (P2) If it is in our power to prevent something
  bad from happening, without sacrificing anything
  of comparable moral worth, we ought to do it.
• (C) We ought to act to prevent such suffering and
  death.

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comparable moral worth

• Drowning child analogy.

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Objectionsis he right?
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Objections

• Too demanding.
• Physical proximity.
• Why me?
• Effectiveness.

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Less costly ways to help

• The Hunger Site
• The ONE Campaign