Ethicist Peter Singer makes a compelling argument that we need to create a stronger Culture of Giving and suggests a specific standard for what people in wealthy countries could do to help those in impoverished ones.
He references Charlotte Perkins Gilman's story "The Unnatural Mother" in talking about the "radical" utopian ideal of having a larger sense of family, mentioning how some utopian communities have tried (and failed) to instill a sense of community versus parental responsibility, and asking the question, "Are there times when our obligation to others is equal to or greater than that to our family?"
This book pairs well with Mountains Beyond Mountains, a biography by Tracy Kidder about the work of Harvard-trained medical anthropologist, Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health. The organization, mentioned frequently in Singer's book, provides health care in some of the poorest nations.
He references Charlotte Perkins Gilman's story "The Unnatural Mother" in talking about the "radical" utopian ideal of having a larger sense of family, mentioning how some utopian communities have tried (and failed) to instill a sense of community versus parental responsibility, and asking the question, "Are there times when our obligation to others is equal to or greater than that to our family?"
This book pairs well with Mountains Beyond Mountains, a biography by Tracy Kidder about the work of Harvard-trained medical anthropologist, Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health. The organization, mentioned frequently in Singer's book, provides health care in some of the poorest nations.
Comments
Post a Comment