singers arguments analogy

What is Peter Singer’s thesis on donating to charity?

Donating to charity is a moral obligation, not just an act of generosity.

What is the primary principle Singer uses to defend his thesis?

If we can prevent something bad from happening without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we are morally required to do so.

What analogy does Singer use to support his principle?

The drowning child analogy

What happens in the drowning child analogy?

You see a child drowning in a shallow pond. You can save them easily, but it will ruin your expensive shoes and make you late.

What is the moral lesson of the drowning child analogy?

Just as saving a drowning child is a moral obligation despite minor personal costs, donating to life-saving charities is also a moral duty.

How does Singer connect the drowning child analogy to charity?

He argues that failing to donate to charities that save lives is morally equivalent to walking past a drowning child without helping.

Why does distance not matter in Singer’s argument?

Because suffering is equally bad whether it happens near us or far away, and we can still help.

What conclusion does Singer reach?

If we accept the moral duty to save a drowning child, we must also accept the moral duty to donate to effective charities.