Phil 111

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Recommended: Concept of moral responsibility

In my paper I would argue for Peter Singers’ argument that given that we have a moral duty to save someone from drowning in a shallow pond, we have moral duty to donate our money, when it is of no morally significant cost to us to do so, to save the lives of faraway strangers in need. There are a lot of reasons that revolve around this argument such as it only makes sense to help people in need out of morality and try to bring greater good. Also, the fact that there is no significant cost to us makes it even more feasible.
The argument, if broken down, includes a lot of points that should be explained. Firstly donating money holds true for only those who would save someone from drowning in a shallow pond and think that it is morally right. For the ones that do think so, saving someone from drowning is almost same as donating money and helping faraway people in need in many ways. Firstly, there is betterment being brought from our actions out of morality. Also, in both cases there is slight inconvenience but it is insignificant as compared to the outcome that is being brought. The other very important thing that needs to be highlighted in the argument is that we need to help other by incurring no significant cost to us. The argument in no sense propagates that we should give up our necessities and comforts to help those in need because in the end the objective is to bring greater good of all. The cost here being talked about is the cost over wasteful consumption such as expensive clothing, cars etc. that is morally useless and can be diverted towards a much better way.
Let me start explaining my argument and try to convince with a pretty well off family of 4 in the USA keeping 2012’s median income as the standard measure (US Go...

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...heir own way are helping the society. Also, taxes are very domestic in nature and thus wouldn’t be able to help people who are in need and are maybe in international countries that plays role as the faraway aspect of the argument.
The liberal side of me does understand that when money is involved people do tend to get a bit rigid due to obvious reasons, Its hard earned money and is ‘technically’ of utmost importance to our survival in today’s world. But the central idea is to help faraway strangers in need with no morally significant cost. We as members of the society shouldn’t forget our responsibilities and duties and should thus do what is maximally efficacious. Since there isn’t a lot that donating to someone in need takes from us, we should definitely do it.

Sources:
US Gov., . . N.p., Web. 13 Mar. 2014. .

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