The Analysis for Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Help the Poor Essay Example
The Analysis for Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Help the Poor Essay Example

The Analysis for Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Help the Poor Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 3 (820 words)
  • Published: January 15, 2017
  • Type: Review
View Entire Sample
Text preview

The Analysis for “Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Help the Poor” In the article “Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor”, the author Garrett Hardin raised the question that whether the rich countries should help people suffer from poverty. He claimed that the supporting strategies for the developing countries, including the World Food Bank could result in more severe recourse inadequate issue and other disasters. In addition, a large number of immigrants flood in the US could ruin the natural environment and social balance. In that case, the author argued that regardless of the current situation, privileged nations should not provide aid to people trapped within difficulties of the underdeveloped nations.

Even though, his argument seems to be logic based, he failed to consider the real world. The harsh argument is oppos

...

ing the humanitarian standards. In the article, Hardin applied an analogy to appeal readers’ attention. He described the rich nation as the lifeboat with limited space, and described people from underdeveloped countries as the individuals struggling in the sea. The number of people suffered in the water goes far beyond the boat’s capacity; therefore, whether allow these people board could be a major issue. For one thing, the lifeboat would tilt or sink if the whole group of people board on it.

For another thing, it is difficult to decide which person should be saved and which person should be abandoned, since everybody should be treated equally. In a harsh conclusion, Hardin claimed that the lifeboat should not allow these people board and let them to suffer for themselves.

The author delivered the biased information to the audience

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

and misled the whole article to a wrong direction. First, not all the people in water need to board on the lifeboat. Some developing countries could boost their industries and business based on their own efforts, including to encourage the internal investment and to expand the domestic demand, thus their business recover gradually. Second, the full aid is not necessary; instead, the lifeboat could just send out some swim-rings or ladders to support these people partially. Underdeveloped countries need help from the privileged nations, but it is not mean that all of them should become rich countries’ dependents. On the other hand, the developed countries could support them with technology, quality control and new product development. Based on the aided information and technology, the developing countries could get better future development path. Third, the capacity of the
lifeboat is misestimated.

Although the poorer countries have larger population, rich nations obtain the majority of the world’s fortune and resources. In that case, rich nation’s supporting capacity is definitely much larger than that of the lifeboat, and these developed countries have the great ability to help more people in the world. The author discussed the purpose of the World Food Bank as well. He insists that the developing countries are associated with high birth rate; in that case, if the World Food Bank provides food and supplies to these countries, the rescued people might produce more people and double the population.

As a result, a larger number of people would need support and these countries would become even impecunious. Hardin overlooked the factor that the population gross is controlled by both birth rate and the death

rate. Some underdeveloped countries, such as Zambia and Zimbabwe lack of the major resources; therefore, people in these countries are extremely needy and poor. In addition, due to the reason of lack of technology and equipments, people could not receive the proper medical treatments, which result in relatively high death rate. In that case, the families must birth more children to ensure some of them could grow up. The World Food Bank provides food for these families could help them to relieve their pains and give them hopes for the future. For another factor, not all the poor countries are associated with the high birth rate. People’s opinion altered along with the social development. In the modern world, more people have the access for education, and the better education could change people’s idea towards family and birth.

Even though the economy is still underdeveloped, personal awareness has been evoked. They want to have fewer children and to pursue their better lives. In that case, these countries still need the aid and the World Food Bank could provide timely and effective assistance for these people. In conclusion, the author composed the article based on the logic statement, but he failed to consider the reality. The biased information twisted the audience’s persecutions to a wrong direction. The readers could classify the different messages while the reading process and try to eliminate the inappropriate information since the article contained some idea of racism and separatism. We should notice that in the modern society, countries in the world must communicate and cooperate with each other in order to achieve a prosperous and peaceful world.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New