Obligation and Charitable Motivations

Peter Singer is the author Famine, Affluence and Morality, who tries to find distinctions between obligation and charitable motivations. He attempts to explain that rich people should do more to support the people of the world who are very poor and suffer from hunger. Many people believe that helping in hunger relief is a good act, but is not obligatory. Singer thinks it is compulsory and morally justified for the favorable to help the deprived people as much as possible.

Firstly, it is important to define who makes decisions concerning what we ought morally to do and what we are compelled to do. If one has money to make donations to a philanthropic cause, are they absolutely compelled to do so? According to Singer’s opinion if we have an ability to prevent something from taking place, without thereby sacrificing anything of commensurable moral meaning, we ought, in moral sense to do it. If true, then everyone who has ever had an opportunity to help philanthropic cause, but in spite of this did not help, has disregarded the interests of mankind.

Before reading Singer’s work, I haven’t known anything about the events in Bengal, or in any other country of the third world for that matter. It is not because of my careless attitude or that other people do not want to know anything about it, it is connected with the fact that people have their own priorities and difficulties. Singer says that there is no moral difference whether a man you can help is a neighbor’s kid who is ten yards away from or a Bengali whose name is unknown and who is many miles away. Although it is much easier to help someone you know. The majority of people are visual persons, it means they need first see something and then believe in it.

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