Michael Plant in iai:
Most of us like to see ourselves as good, morally decent individuals. What’s more, we largely agree on what it means to be a decent person. You don’t just have to pay your taxes and not harm others. You have to go beyond that by, for instance, being kind, treating others with respect, and supporting your friends, family and neighbours. What our modern secular society lacks, however, is a clear idea of how a decent person should give to charity. We live in a world of staggering inequality and extreme need. There will always be more we could do. When have we given enough – not to be a saint, but to clear the bar of decency?
One extreme view comes from the philosopher Peter Singer. In his famous thought experiment, you’re walking past a shallow pond and see a child drowning. You could save the child—but it would ruin your expensive new shoes. Most people agree that it would be wrong not to wade in. Singer proposes the principle that if we can prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought to do so.
More here.
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