Peter Singer Essay - 1229 Words

Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher and professor at Princeton University asks his students the simple question of whether they would save a drowning child from a pond, while wearing they’re bran new pair of expensive shoes. The response was aggressive and passive â€Å"How could anyone consider a pair of shoes, or missing an hour or two at work, a good reason for not saving a child’s life?†  ¹ Singer continued to argue that â€Å" according to UNICEF, nearly 10 million children under five years old die each year from causes related to poverty.†  ² Is not saving a child drowning in a pond right in front of you the same thing as a child half way across the world dying in poverty? Peter Singer’s response would be a big yes, he explains his way of†¦show more content†¦We each have a right to buy anything we would like with our own money. Whether that right is a good decision how ever is something we must stop and question. â₠¬Å" You may have a right to spend your weekend surfing, but it can still be true that you ought to visit your sick mother.† Someone with all the money in the world could buy a new car every day, throw lavish parties, go on vacation once a month on a new jet plane and even throw tons of money into a lake, they have the right to do so with they’re money! How ever coud this incredibly rich person choose to do other things with their money? â€Å" To choose to do these things rather than use the money to save human lives is wrong.† ⠁ µ Singer insist that we should use our money wisely. In Singer’s last argument he states a blunt and simple responce to Lucy’s opinion on giving. â€Å" My aim is to convince you, the individual reader that you can and should be doing a lot more to help the poor.† By having the right to controle your own money and because we were fortunate enough to live in such great economical conditions, we should work harder to help others that will never have the same chances. Lucy from Glennview High and Peter Singer make strong points on each side of the fence. I am all for Lucy’s opinion in the sense that if a person works hard in life to earn their money, they have the right to spend it on themselves. I for one go to school fullShow MoreRelatedFamine, Affluence and Morality by Peter Singers929 Words   |  4 Pages In this essay I will be arguing why a utilitarian could possibly disagree with Peter Singers Argument presented in â€Å"Famine, Affluence and Morality.† After reading such an interesting paper I must say as much as I disagreed with Singers viewpoints I almost found it difficult to object them with support. From a utilitarian point of view we are to maximize Happiness by reducing suffering. How can Giving possible make someone unhappy? But as I was thinking a saying came across my mind, â€Å"Two steps forwardRead MoreThe Reading I Chose Is Animal Liberation, By Peter Singer828 Words   |  4 PagesThe reading I chose is Animal Liberation, by Peter Singer. Peter Singer argues against animals cruelty, discrimination, and animals equal rights. Singer uses philosophy to teach and educate others on his point of view. Singer points out that animals have rights too and supports animals just like he does with Black Liberation, Gay Liberation, and Women Liberation. Singer states, â€Å"It is a demand for a complete change in our attitudes to nonhumans. It is a demand that we cease to regard the exploitationRead MorePeter Singer: Sentience vs Self-Conciousness Essay1816 Words   |  8 Pagesyour answer.† More than three decades ago Peter Singer heralded the need for a new kind of liberation movement, one calling for a radical expansion of the human moral canvas and more importantly, a rejection of the horrors human beings have inflicted for millennia upon other sentient beings, treatment historically considered as being both natural and unalterable. Often regarded as being the father of the modern animal liberation movement, Singer contends that the campaign for animal liberationRead MorePoverty By Peter Singer724 Words   |  3 PagesPoverty At any given moment, there are millions of people suffering and dying each day due to poverty. According to Peter Singer, there is much more that we can and should do to help create a better life for these people. Even a small act can make a big difference. Although, there are many people who disagree that it is our duty to provide for those in need for various reasons. I will argue that Singer’s principle succeeds that it is our duty to help people in poverty. Singer’s argument states thatRead MorePeter Singer on Equality638 Words   |  3 Pagessuch issues as gay, women’s and African-American rights. Peter Singer gave a start to animal rights movement, paying particular attention to how in former time â€Å"permissible† types of discrimination and prejudice came to be seen as unjustly and dishonestly bias towards specific set of people and that the hour has come for a much the same dedication to the moral and legal entitlement of species that walk on four legs instead of two. Singer starts his argument by supposing that the ‘principle of equality’Read MorePeter Singer Solution1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe article, â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty,† by Peter Singer provides the argument that people are quick to condemn others about things that seem evil or monstrous without themselves knowing that they indirectly do the same. Going out to eat at nice restaurants, buying brand name clothes because everything else isn’t in â€Å"style†, buying a new phone year even though the old one was working just fine. So much of our income is spent on meaningless, or not essential to the preservation of ourRead MoreAnimal Rights At Factory Farms1629 Words   |  7 Pagesthey would want to be treated with respect and dignity before they die. In this paper, I will argue that animals have rights through a utilitarian view and that they should not be treated in an inhumane way. The framework I plan to discuss is Peter Singer s utilitarian view on animal rights. A general idea of what utilitarianism is can be described as the need for the many outweigh the needs of a few, or â€Å"majority rule† when it comes to happiness. Singer’s criteria for how a being gets rights isRead MoreAnimal Liberation By Peter Singer1329 Words   |  6 PagesKelsi Duncan Engl1030 Mr. Smith 09/24/2014 â€Å"Animal Liberation† Review Peter Singer’s essay on â€Å"Animal Liberation† was published in the New York Review in 1963. Ultimately, in this essay, Singer was trying to get humans to realize how they are treating non-humans, and that changes need to happen. Firstly, Singer claims that animals suffer just like humans do. He uses Jane Goodall and her chimpanzee research as an example. Jane Goodall taught a chimpanzee to talk with sign language, with this sheRead MoreThe Origin Of Speciesism By Peter Singer1025 Words   |  5 PagesThe Origin of Speciesism] Singer draws parallels between specicism and racism through comparing the grounds on which whose interests and suffering takes precedence. Singer believes that discarding the moral status of animal concerns in their exploitation as they are not of our species and therefore insignificant, mimics that of the prejudice of white slave owners against discarding the moral status of the interests and suffering of their African Slaves [Peter Singer Pr actical Ethics, 2nd edition]Read MoreAll Animals Are Equal Essay1744 Words   |  7 PagesIn our world, protests occur each day on the issues of animal cruelty and human rights, but when the issues are put together which will reign over the other? The author Peter Singer of â€Å"All Animals are Equal† and â€Å"Tools for Research† presents his argument for determining when animal experiments are justified. The author starts his paper with a counter argument, questioning if one would be willing to let thousands of people die if those people could be saved by experimentation on a single animal.

Comparison of the American and Chinese Cultures Essay

Comparison of the American and Chinese Cultures Cultural differences are apparent from one group of people to another. Culture is based on many things that are passed on from one generation to the next. Most of the time people take for granted their language, beliefs, and values. When it comes the cultural differences of people there is no right or wrong. People should be aware of others culture and respect the differences that are between them. The United States and China are two very large countries that have cultures that are well known through out the world. There are many differences between the United States and China, but there are many contributing factors that shape the cultures of these two countries. Language is†¦show more content†¦Buddhism is the worshiping of the â€Å"enlightened one† and teaches to overcome one’s desires is to overcome pain. Islam teachings are written in a book called the Koran and was founded by Muhammad. He claimed to have a vision from God. There are two different types of Islam that are practiced: one believes the religious leader is inspired to interpret the Koran and the other believes that Modernism threatens religion (Chinatown-online- Chinese beliefs). In the United States there are hundreds of denominations and sects of religion. About 69 % of Americans belong to a church or synagogue. In the U.S. people are usually drawn to a certain religion because of social class, race and age. The most obvious classification of religion in the U.S. is race (Sociology A Down-to-Earth Approach, 1999, pg. 511). African Americas and the White population tend to separate themselves into their own churches. With so many congregations and den ominations throughout the U.S. there is no dominate religion. Over the years moderilization in the U.S. has put less importance on religion. The Chinese culture is very much centered on religion (A Down-to-Earth Approach, 1999 pg. 512). Over a period of year’s education has grown to be very important to many cultures all over the world. At one time in many cultures children were only taught what was necessary to get along and sometimes only children of the wealthy would be taught. China’s governmentShow MoreRelatedComparison Of American And Chinese Legal Culture1609 Words   |  7 PagesComparison of American and Chinese legal culture Abstract: The legal culture is a national, regional or national basis in certain social and material conditions, the state power by the creation of a common legal system constraints and determine the status of the legal system of values and attitudes in the whole society and culture. Thus, each country has its own unique legal culture. By selecting the most typical American and Chinese legal cultures of two different aspects: the legal standard, comparativeRead MoreComparison Between Chinese and American Food Culture Essay1470 Words   |  6 Pages Comparison of Chinese and Western Food Culture Food is closely related to peoples lives and it is considered the most important element in Chinese culture. Chinese food is famous all over the world too. American Chinese cuisine differs significantly from the traditional Chinese cuisine and even though the variation in taste can be so it is still attractive to many people. When it comes to food, Chinese people always care about the color, taste, smell and shape of Chinese dishes. InRead MoreA Comparative Study of Family Values Between China and America960 Words   |  4 Pagesvalues are the reflections of distinguishing cultures in different countries. In order to get the better understanding of different family cultures between China and Americaï ¼Å' it is necessary to make a comparison between Chinese and American family values. This paper tries to grope for cultural origins behind those external different family values between China and US. Firstlyï ¼Å' this paper makes the comparison between Chinese family value and American family value. Secondlyï ¼Å' it illustrates the differencesRead MoreCultural Differences Between Chinese and American Born Chinese1172 Words   |  5 PagesWhen people walk around the land of American, it is easy find a group people who look like Asian, however, they can not speak another language expect English and also they do not understand another culture. With the developing of globalization, lots of people move from the motherland to other countries to seek their new life. With this increasing trend, there is a new population, they have different characteristics with the original countrys. According to â€Å"pair of tickets†, the author Amy Tan usesRead MoreChinese and Mexican Cultural Differences593 Words   |  3 PagesResponse to Chinese and Mexican Cultural Diff erences Nathan D. Smith for Dr. John Obradovich, Ph.D. BUSI -472 October 1, 2012 Response to Chinese and Mexican Cultural Differences The comparison between the Chinese and Mexican cultures is an interesting and fascinating one. I do agree that music and dancing is a vital part of the Mexican culture. Mexicans will use any event or situation as a reason to have a celebratory party. AllRead MoreCulture And Causal Cognition, A Study Conducted By Ara Norensayan And Richard E.1057 Words   |  5 PagesCulture and Causal Cognition, a study conducted by Ara Norensayan and Richard E. Nisbett analyzes the differences of perception and cognition of two cultures; American and Eastern Asia. Each of the cross-cultural comparisons had pre-reviewed participants whom had similar demographic values and cognitive abilities in an attempt to control the attempted results with the only casual explanation being the cultural differences. The psychological phenomenon that the study centered around is the FAE, orRead More Chinese Culture Essay852 Words   |  4 PagesAlso, the Chinese civilization was growing with these periods of time and it will continues greater than ever. Many wars and unhappinesses were happening during this period. Although, the time has passed, the histories and the civilizations have not passed. These family virtues, serious, working attitudes, sense of justice and the great Confucian tradition have been deeply assimilated into the Chinese people. Some Chinese traditions are different from North American’s. The Chinese culture has manyRead MoreArticles about Cross-cultural Field1070 Words   |  4 Pagesand all the participants were college graduate students from Japan and United States. At first, the snowball sample method was tested to Japanese college graduates and the online survey was tested both Japanese and American college graduates. In this study, a cross-cultural comparison w as established within Japanese and United States. The study was made to discover the development of coping on the individual aspects of bullying (Matsunaga, 2010). Therefore, a meditational model was made to testingRead MoreAnalysis Of Maxine Hong Kingston s The Woman Warrior 1547 Words   |  7 PagesThe Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston makes her narration compelling and relatable to the audience through her unique style of storytelling. The ever-present changes in perspective lead one to see how each event eventually affects Kingston. Her comparison of her life to that of Fa Mu Lan brings out the difficulties in her living in America while her mother had grown up in China. This hero myth allows her to connect to those values that Brave Orchid holds which make her so hard on her daughter. TheRead MoreEssay on Lost Sister by Cathy Songs526 Words   |  3 PagesLost Sister by Cathy Songs Cathy Songs poem Lost Sister explores the lives of two generations of Chinese women. One generation chooses to leave China and begin a new life in America. the other chose to remain in China and experience her culture the way it was meant to be. This is a comparison of the two generations of women and how they are linked by culture and seperated by lifestyle. In China, women were put in subservient positions to society. They were quiet, obedient creatures

The Revolution Of The United States - 1858 Words

Following the Revolutionary War in the late 1700’s, the United States of America was looking to create a democracy. The people voted Revolutionary War hero George Washington, as the first President to lead the newly born country. President Washington decided to turn ten square miles that were given to him into the capital of his country. It would be called Washington, District of Columbia, or Washington D.C. President Washington decided to place the most important building in the country, the Capitol Building, in the center of the city. Washington knew the process would take years to finish and that he was never going to see it finished, but he wanted the best for his country. Today, we see the full effect of the thousands of men and†¦show more content†¦L’Enfant refused for unknown reasons, and therefore, an architect was needed to be found. The Secretary of State at the time, Thomas Jefferson, and President George Washington realized that they were in n eed of an architect for the capitol quickly. Jefferson suggested that a contest should be issued to see who could produce the best design for the capitol. The winner would receive 500 dollars and a city lot (Silate 7). None of the seventeen submitted designs were satisfactory. However, a few weeks after the deadline, a design was sent in from a man that was born in the British West Indies who was an amateur architect by the name of Dr. William Thornton. Thornton sent in a design that was just what the President and Secretary of State were looking for. Dr. William Thornton received a medical degree from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and had never been hired as an architect. Thornton was considered an â€Å"amateur architect† prior to his work on the capitol. However, he was soon known as the â€Å"First Architect† because of his great work on the capitol (Silate 9). Dr. William Thornton was born on May 20, 1759 in the British West Indies where stayed until he graduated from the University of Aberdeen. After college, Thornton moved to the United States of America, where

Dads Against Discrimination free essay sample

Four out of five divorce cases with children under 18 involve a dispute over child custody. More than half the time the mother is awarded guardianship, even if the father wants to be involved. Now, I’m not talking about the deadbeat dads that don’t want to pay child support or pick their kid up from a soccer game. I’m talking about the honest, caring, hardworking fathers who genuinely care about being a participating parent. Judges in the family court system have confused the majority of the males in custody battles with irresponsible father figures. Susan Dominus goes in depth of the constant battle between fathers and custody law in â€Å"The Fathers Crusade† in the New York Times. She elaborates greatly on the strides Fathers 4 Justice, a father’s rights movement group, has made in order to spread awareness on equal custody rights. The article was published in May of 2005, just approaching Mother’s Day. We will write a custom essay sample on Dads Against Discrimination or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The subtitle reads: â€Å"Sure Happy Mother’s day. But†¦ I Want to See My Kids†. The title itself establishes its stance on the subject of the father’s custody movement. There are very few females who are backing up the movement, especially since it’s unsupportive of their own holiday. However, Dianna Thompson is an ally to the father’s rights’ movement who believes that the law is penalizing men in child-support decisions. Bonnie Miller Rubin confirms that seldom are women actually in support of the movement in her Chicago Tribune article, â€Å"Child Support Laws Get New Foes: Women†. She indicates that men aren’t the only ones that have a problem with the unequal distribution of rights. Women are supporting the fathers that are trying to connect with their child. Not to mention, the author of â€Å"The Father’s Crusade† is female. In previous articles, Dominus writes about issues and controversies that people talk about a lot, but from a different perspective. She adds color to her writing which makes it so much easier to follow along and actually become interested in the topic. By having a dynamic writing style, Dominus can pull just about any reader in and see her side of the spectrum. Again in â€Å"Child Support Laws Get New Foes: Women†, Rubin says that â€Å"the system took a good man who, for 15 years, never missed a payment, and turned him into a deadbeat†. In response to this movement, a number of lawyers and law firms hold themselves out as fathers rights firms, appealing to represent only men, and to have special expertise in litigating custody cases on only the behalf of fathers. Dominus describes Fathers 4 Justice, a European father’s rights movement, as a group that has staged colorful protests and stunts to gain awareness on the injustices being made in the court room. Jason Hatch is a member of this advocacy group who has scaled the top of Buckingham Palace in a batman costume with a sign reading â€Å"Access Denied† in order to gain media attention. According to Dominus, Hatch first contacted Fathers 4 Justice when his access to his children was denied in 2003. Why might you ask? In 40 different states, constitutional rights guarantee a father less than 50 percent of time with his child. It’s hatch’s mission, along with the other supporters of the group, to change these statistics. Before the movement was apparent to Hatch he seemed to be lost in hopelessness that he would never have a valuable relationship with his kids because the odds aren’t in his favor. However, two years later and an article in the New York Times Magazine, Hatch is now stopping traffic on bridges because of the attention his superhero costume has attracted and his revolutionary banner. Risking imprisonment, Hatch says that he won’t stop until there is a change in the system. Groups like: Fathers and Families, American Coalition for Fathers and Children and the Alliances for Noncustodial Parents Rights, are just a couple of groups that have been pushing for the change in custody laws. When a man first walks into a custody battle there is a 70% chance that child custody will be handed over to the mother. These groups have argued that this is discriminatory under the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment is due process and equal protection under the law. They argue that different burdens are being placed on parents undergoing the same situations. The Tender Years Doctrine says that younger children need to be with their parents. According to Dominus, many father’s rights advocates would like to usher in a new model in custody laws that value parental rights as highly as it values the best interest of the child, which is the current legal standard. When choosing the best interest of the child, why aren’t judges considering that the father’s involvement is a huge contributing factor? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, â€Å"children’s whose fathers are absent are 75% more likely than others to develop emotional problems and are twice as likely to repeat a grade in school.† The best interest standard is obviously not being used effectively. Not to mention, the best interest of the child is only considered after parents get separated. When the parents are still together this standard isn’t used in any court case. The legal system makes it seem like it’s the woman’s job to always be the one to take care of her children. They portray the female as the one who should have the child’s welfare their main priority, when in fact it could be the father’s. Traditionally fathers were seen as just financial providers, especially in the 50’s. However, â€Å"The Fathers Crusade† was written in 2005 and times have changed. A Chicago Attorney in favor of the movement says â€Å"In 25 years, I have never once had a father say, ‘Find me loopholes . . . get me out of paying child support’†. The role of fatherhood needs to be seen as a nurturer rather than being a bread maker. Policy changes are showing acknowledgements for dads who are taking on greater parenting responsibilities. The National Fatherhood Initiative is a nonprofit group that has 100 million dollars in free advertising to promote the message â€Å"It takes a man to be a dad!† on billboards and the importance of fathers, not just as an economic role. The same way women feel about gender issues in employment, men will feel there’s a gender issue in custody. Dominus makes it clear that since the father’s rights movement the number of single fathers is on the rise, and not all dads are deadbeats. Women request 75% of divorces which leaves a baseline of anger for these father activist groups. Typically the cases have to do with the mother’s faking domestic abuse. If she’s mad because he cheated, or even if he didn’t, these problems are between the parents, not the kid. Lying about abuse because they were upset about marital problems is a huge cause to fathers losing custody/visitation rights of their children. In one situation, a mother hit the father while he was holding his daughter and then she proceeded to call the cops and he had his kids taken away from him. This is proof that the family court system is flawed. Ofer, a separated father from Israel, was once told to pick up his son after school by his wife. Only after a couple of hours of waiting, he was informed that his son was never even registered at the school. He didn’t even know where he could find his son after trying to get into contact with his mother. This is just an example of the many flaws in our legal system. Unfair law practices will keep father’s apart from their children. In times of cultural transition, the law struggles. Kate Zernike also discusses the mother’s ability to move to a new area after separation in â€Å"Mistreated Divorced Fathers are Gaining Political Clout†. Mother’s legally being allowed to move after separation takes away the little visitation rights that a father has. Activists want proof that mothers are moving away because of economic necessity, not just to keep dads from their kids. A parent’s decision to leave would interfere with the best interest of the child because they would have limited access to the other parent. Regular contact with both parents promotes stability for the child. However, the law doesn’t restrict the father’s right to move away but as soon as he misses a scheduled visit he can lose contact with his child, but must continue to pay child support. Deadbeat or not, child Support payments have increased over the years making it harder for divorced fathers to be financially stable themselves. 30% of their checks have been taken out to go to child support, after taxes. 85% of the time single-parent families are headed by women, meaning that 85% of the time the man is the one paying child support. Current child support policies serve to criminalize and alienate fathers when they should be trying to incorporate fathers into their children’s lives. If legislators concentrated on promoting responsible fatherhood rather than enforcing strict child support laws, this wouldn’t be as huge of an issue. Sometimes the fathers don’t even know if the child support checks are actually going to the kid’s needs. However, the CSE, Child Support Enforcement Program, tries to keep track of all the child support orders, establish paternity, locate parents who owe money, and enforce child support orders in court. The part that catches me the most is the establishing paternity. The process of determining paternity is believed to be drawn out and viewed as demoralizing and disrespectful to a father. Imagine losing your kids in a custody battle, and then having to take a paternity test to establish that they are in fact your kids. Some believe that the father’s right’s movement is motivated by anger and revenge. Well if you ask me, it should be. I would be pretty upset if my chances of winning a custody battle for my kids were slim to none. 82% of children from divorced families have barely more than a visitation relationship with their father. 37.9% of divorced fathers have NO access to their kids at all. Employment action centers in Minneapolis serve 300 men a year to keep men stable and connected to their kids. It doesn’t help that judges who preside over domestic cases have almost unlimited authority. This makes it nearly impossible for a father to gain equal opportunity. The difference in cases being awarded is huge. Courts and legislatures need to modernize custody arrangements so that fathers can gain more access to their children. A revolution because of these statistics is continuing to happen and will just become stronger until it’s changed. According to Dominus, Robert Chase in â€Å"The Fathers Crusade† when talking about quality time with his children said, â€Å"Spending only two or four days a month with your kids, you can’t really teach them values, or the difference between right and wrong. All you can do is love them, provide a positive example, and hope they’re getting what they need when they’re outside your influence.† Not having enough visitation rights doesn’t help maintain connection with their kids. Handing over a child support check every month doesn’t constitute as a beneficial relationship. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University show that boys that come from fatherless families are more likely to spend time in jail, rather than boys from two parent families. Also, the Education Department found that students are 40% more likely to receive A’s in the classroom if both parents are at least somewhat present. The fathers’ groups’ complaints are old, but their impact is new. Not everyone is going to agree with them, but their message is at least being considered. It has been almost seven years since the beginning of the crusade and a lot has been done. These young dads are becoming more political by holding protests at courthouses, local county board meetings and state child support offices. The National Fatherhood Initiative, a non-profit group, has received $100 million in free advertising to run a public service campaign on fatherhood. The message says: â€Å"It takes a man to be a dad†. By 2030, the number of single families is expected to increase from 6-55 percent. A new bill called the â€Å"Richard Bill† tries to prevent situations where not only married fathers but Fatherhood Initiative, another non-profit group, has received unmarried fathers can establish their parental rights with the Department of Children and Family Services. It takes two to make a child; don’t you think two should take part in raising it? Overall, the fathers participating in the movement give great reasoning as to why they’re angry. When I originally picked up the magazine, â€Å"The Fathers Crusade† was just another article to read about someone complaining. However, Dominus pulled me in a battle that is still going on to this day. By the time I finished the article I was angry, intrigued, and curious: angry about the discrimination, intrigued by the power and curious about what’s going to happen to these men. Being so interested on the topic, I continued to research and even gave a speech in my Communications class on the movement. After learning about the unequal rights for men during custody battles, I am a supporter of the crusade as well. I believe that that was what Dominus’s main point, to convince her readers. The timing of the article was impeccable itself. Why else would you put an article about Father’s rights during the time where we should be thanking and appreciating our mother’s? To get the message out. The father’s crusade is going to change the odds of a father losing custody, whether the courts are ready for it or not. Dominus pinpointed one specific audience: the angry separated fathers. Her article could in fact bring together more underprivileged fathers to fight the cause. Judges are going to have to understand why fathers contribute to the best interest of a child; until then children are going to continue growing up without one.