Famine Relief Essay -- Article Analysis

In response to the recent failure of the international community to prevent the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa since July 2011, Suzanne Dvorak the chief executive of Save the Children wrote that, â€Å"We need to provide help now. But we cannot forget that these children are wasting away in a disaster that we could - and should - have prevented† she added, â€Å"The UN estimates that every $1 spent in prevention saves $7 in emergency spending.† (Dvorak, 2011). Many people who read such statement wonder about our obligation towards famine relief, and ask, whether we are morally obliged to spend one dollar in order to prevent such a crisis or not. Forty years ago, Peter Singer answered this question in his article Famine, Affluence, and Morality; Singer suggested, â€Å"we should prevent bad occurrences unless, to do so, we had to sacrifice something morally significant† (C&M, 827). However, different philosophers and writers have criticized his view and the general idea to help the poor. In this paper, I will argue against two articles which were written against Singer’s view, and against helping the poor countries in general. I will argue against John Arthur’s article Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code (1974 ) ,and Garrett Hardin’s article Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor ( 1976); I will show that both articles are exaggerating the negative consequences of aiding the poor, as well as building them on false assumptions. Both Arthur and Hardin are promoting the self-interest without considering the rights of others, and without considering that giving for famine relief means giving life to many children. A Case against John Arthur In the article Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Cod... ... Friedman, U. (2011, July 19). What It took for the U.N to declare famine in Somalia. Retrieved from http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/07/what-it-took-un-declare-famine-somalia/40152/ Hardin, G. (1974, September ). Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor. Retrieved fromhttp://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.html Montgomery, K. (n.d.). The Demographic Transition. Retrieved on August 4, 2011 from http://www.marathon.uwc.edu/geography/demotrans/demtran.htm. White, J. (2009). Contemporary Moral Problems [pp360]. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=dcK6-h1ngtcC&pg=PA357&dq=Consumption+,+global+warming+and+famine&hl=en&ei=diw7TsOyGoSisQLK_N35Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Consumption%20%2C%20global%20warming%20and%20famine&f=false.