Question

research, and come up with a contemporary example of absolute poverty. That includes where it exists, and how this qualifies as absolute poverty given Singer’s definition of that concept. Next, think about what Singer might say our responsibilities are with respect to this case, and how we might go about fulfilling those responsibilities.

Answer 1

Rich and poor by Peter Singer from Centre for Bio-ethics, Monash University has described absolute poverty as 'the lack of sufficient income in cash or kind to meet the most basic biological needs for food, clothing, and shelter'. This goes beyond the definition of absolute poverty given by Robert McNamara, the then president of the World Bank as ‘a condition of life so characterised by malnutrition, illiteracy, disease, squalid surroundings, high infant mortality and low life expectancy as to be beneath any reasonable definition of human decency'. Most of the people in countries from African and Asian countries live under poverty. Singer is very much worried about the most basic needs fulfilment for survival.

Singer, at times points out the developed countries for the problems of the underdeveloped and developing countries. Most of the resources both material and human were exploited by the developed countries. Thus Singer says that ‘If it is in our power to prevent something very bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral significance, we ought to do it’. He also says that people can’t neglect this responsibility stating the distance as a reason.