Assignment 21: Theodore

I liked AP Seminar. Considering that Henry Clay was offering the class for the first time, Mr. Behler calmly guided us through all the performance tasks. But even if I had detested the class, I would still appreciate Mr. Behler for introducing me to the philosopher Peter Singer. In fall 2016, the class read an article by Singer in which he claimed that most Americans are using their money unethically. His basic argument was this: If you spend $200 on a Persian rug instead of donating the money, you value the rug above the life of the child whom the donation would save. Thus, people should donate the vast majority of their wealth to charity. This claim challenged my worldview, forcing me to respond in several different ways. 

A. Dismiss the argument as unrealistic. I tried to ignore the argument, but Singer was too logical. If I accepted the principle that “the most good” means maximizing the well-being of all people, then Singer’s conclusions could be deduced. I had never before encountered this style of practical philosophy, which has real-world applications. Before reading this article, I had believed that all philosophy was just idle speculation. For example, philosophers spent thousands of years debating if atoms really existed. Once physicists began investigating, they found proof of atoms’ existence within a century. But Singer’s philosophy was direct and concrete. 

B. Look for a flaw in the argument. Within a few days, I had developed a counterargument: “If Bill Gates had donated all of his profits to charity 30 years ago, he would never have acquired the billions of dollars that he is now donating today.” A few weeks later, I read a book by Singer that shot down my counterargument. The problem is that I have a minuscule chance of earning as much as Bill Gates; moreover, my argument doesn’t apply to the vast majority of people. Since humanitarian crises tend to explode exponentially, a donation now actually does more good than the same donation in a few years. 

C. Delay a decision. Have I accepted Singer’s argument? No. Rejected it? No. Instead, I am postponing my decision until I know more. For instance, I should invest time and money in my education so that I have more power to enact change as an adult. Besides, the most pressing crisis in the world may not be a humanitarian crisis abroad, but a political one in the USA. We, as citizens of a republic, can preserve the global well-being by not starting a trade war — or a real one.