Comparing Solutions to Poverty in the World.doc
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1、Comparing Solutions to Poverty in the WorldbyDavid LiuWriting 39BProfessor ConcannonMarch 22, 2004AcknowledgementsFor this essay, I would like to thank my suitemates, Eduardo Rivera and Luis Flores, for allowing me to read their essays in order to help get ideas on ways to organize and compose my es
2、say. I would also like to thank my peer editors Dave Giannino and Jill Nakamura.In todays society, how often does one run into an instance of poverty? A more important question might be how often does one do something about it? It is not hard nowadays to see a homeless person on the side of the road
3、 and chances are, it would not be hard to find a person out there who has turned their head to a homeless person instead of offering some help. Does that make every person in society a cold-hearted monster? Peter Singer addresses this question in his essay, “The Singer Solution to World Poverty, by
4、stating that it is not up to society to feel horrible about the insensitivity of its actions; instead, it is societys responsibility to realize the excess of leisure it experiences in its every day life. If each individual were to donate this excess to the “poor, it would be the first major step tow
5、ard eliminating all poverty from the world, according to Singer. Following the same lines is Garrett Hardin who, like Singer, is supportive of American society realizing their beneficial situation; however he argues that instead of donating these luxuries, society should utilize them to the fullest.
6、 Also, in Hardins world, these “luxuries become seats in a lifeboat (which represent certain limited resources) that are available only within the wealthy nations, while the poor are left to struggle and compete for any remaining seats in the lifeboat. Though these conditions sound harsh, Hardin is
7、able to establish a more convincing stand on the problem of poverty by using a well-structured set of reasonable points that make it easier for the reader to agree with him. Singer, however, struggles to find solid ground in his argument, as he trusts the reader to be convinced by a series of weak e
8、xamples that fall short because of continuing flaws and his degrading tone.One tactic that both authors use is binary logic; the reason one author is able to establish a more convincing argument is through the different ways each uses their binary logic. Quite frequently throughout his essay, Singer
9、 uses binary logic in his attempts to sway the reader onto his side. While this type of logic can be useful in many cases because of the fact that it forces the reader to choose a side, Singer makes a mistake by implementing it in his argument since he actually causes the reader to take the opposing
10、 side. Singers main scenario on which he bases the majority of his points is the one involving Bob, a Bugatti, and a child who is about to be killed by a runaway train. After describing the situation to the reader, the author proposes a choice: either save the Bugatti or save the child. While this t
11、actic does cause the reader to start realizing the futility of all the luxuries they own, the situation becomes too specific upon further analysis to provide a solid argument. The reader finds themselves estranged and in an awkward position when Singer asks them to make a decision. This feeling is e
12、nhanced, as Singer offers no alternatives to an already bizarre predicament. The fact that the situation is introduced as happening to another person, as well as the extreme rarity of the circumstances, causes the reader to not only disagree with the authors stance, but to retract themselves from th
13、e situation completely. After the reader has done so, Singers logic tends to backfire on him as now both the reader and the author are looking at the situation from the outside. Because Singer makes no mention of any action he has taken, it causes Singers logic and tone to sound hypocritical. By doi
14、ng this, Singer has made his utilization of binary logic entirely ineffective. A much more efficient use of binary logic can be seen in Garrett Hardins essay, “Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor. Hardins representation of the world as a lifeboat where only the wealthy nations are gra
15、nted seats within the boat provides a much more effective use of binary logic. Hardin, in the same way Singer does, presents a choice to the reader by creating a life and death situation; however, unlike Singer, Hardin includes the reader as well as himself in the unfortunate setting. In addition to
16、 this, Hardin produces a more convincing argument since the situation he is describing to the reader is far closer to reality than Singers. Hardins scenario, though it may be somewhat crude and lacking details, is a direct representation of the world, while Singer uses a scenario that is entirely fi
17、ctional. The reader will obviously place much more stock in a decision made based on reality, and since Hardin has already created an obvious choice for the reader to take, he has already established a much stronger argument, while Singer is still struggling to get a decision out of the reader.Hardi
18、n later informs the reader that the decision (whether or not to let others into the lifeboat) will be made by both of them together. By including himself with the reader and utilizing a direct appeal to the reader, Hardin automatically creates an unspoken bond between the two that helps to quicken t
19、he readers decision to side with Hardin. Because of this bond that Hardin has created, he is able to further convince the reader that his “solution clearly offers the only means of his and the readers survival even though “it is morally abhorrent to many people (453). In this line, Hardin is further
20、 able to use his binary logic through such words as “clearly and “only; with these words, not only does Hardin make the decision black and white for the reader, but he also underlines which one is the right answer. Once again, he is able to do this because he himself is in the lifeboat with the read
21、er, and is also making the same decision. Hardin also strengthens his point with the phrase “morally abhorrent to many people. There is no doubt that the reader may have guilt regarding their choice to ignore those who do not have a seat in the lifeboats, however, when Hardin reminds the reader that
22、 this was a horrible situation no matter what the readers choice was, he is able to strengthen the readers resolve about their decision. Throughout this particular portion of the text, Hardin is acknowledging the readers guilt and comforting them, as he continually reminds the reader that the people
23、 who may be looking down on the reader are also looking down on him, further strengthening the bond between himself and the reader.Singer uses a direct appeal to the reader as well, however it is in vain due to the previously mentioned hypocritical tone that he uses. Unlike Hardin who places himself
24、 next to the reader and in the same dilemmas, Singer chooses to simply watch the reader as they struggle to make a decision between the Bugatti and the childs life. While this technique is efficient in illustrating Singers point of the excess of leisure the reader most likely has in their life, it a
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