Philosophy Exam 1: Singer's View

Charity

an action that is morally good to do but not wrong not to do. Singer claims that giving to famine relief is viewed as charity but should be a moral duty.

Moral Duty

a morally required action; it would be wrong not to do. Singer thinks we have a duty to prevent starvation

Marginal Unity

level at which giving more would cause us as much suffering as the suffering we would prevent. Strong version of Singer's principle requires us to give this much.

Supererogatory

an act that is morally good but not obligatory. the general view of famine relief is supererogatory, however, Singer disagrees.

Singer's Prevention Principle (Strong Version)

if we can prevent something bad from happening without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we should do it; give till marginal utility.

Singer's Prevention Principle (Weak Version)

if we can prevent something bad from happening without sacrificing anything morally significant, we should do it.

Drowning Child Analogy

if you came across a drowning child, its our moral obligation to save them, even if it means ruing our expensive clothes.

Irrelevance of Distance and Numbers

Someone's geographical location doesn't diminish our obligation to help them. Number of other people helping shouldn't reduce our personal obligation.

Consequentialism

theories that judge the morality of an action based on the results. Action is right if it produces the best results.

Utilitarianism

The right action is the one that maximizes happiness and well being while also minimizing suffering.

Impartiality

all individuals have equal moral weight regardless of their location, nationality, and relationship to you.

Normative Ethics

Philosophy claims about how humans should act.