Q1 On fairness:
Zayn Malik has called on the prime minister to “give all children living in poverty” a free
school meal. In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the ex-One Direction star says he relied on free school
lunches as a child in Bradford. He writes that children are stealing food from canteens
“because they are so hungry but can’t afford to buy lunch”. He is backing a Food Foundation
campaign calling for all children in households on Universal Credit to be eligible for free
school meals.
The charity estimates 800,000 children in England live in poverty but do not qualify for free
school meals. Although Malik, now known simply as Zayn, is not an ambassador for the
charity, he said he felt compelled to write to the prime minister and to share his own
experiences. He wrote: “These children are suffering from lack of concentration, some even
resorting to stealing food from school canteens because they are so hungry but can’t afford
to buy lunch. “They are also feeling shame which is directly impacting their physical and
mental health. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63550144
Question: in many cases, help is given to alleviate symptoms of a deeper crisis, such as a
skewed distribution of benefits and increased class differences.
a) Describe and discuss different views on charity and aid in the light of two theories in
ethics. (50%)
b) According to UN’s SDGs the gap between rich and poor is increasing, discuss this very
serious problem from different political/economic positions. (50%)
Q2 On greenwashing:
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is a PR tactic used to make a company or product appear environmentally
friendly, without meaningfully reducing its environmental impact.
Think: bold claims, nature-inspired imagery or green buzzwords that rarely hold up when
looked at in more depth. Or vague claims and ‘green’ solutions that misdirect you and take
you away from the real issues. Greenwashing aims to boost a company’s public image or
make more sales by convincing us that buying from them aligns with our values.
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/what-is-greenwashing/
Question:
a) Describe, explain and discuss negative and (possible) positive effects of greenwashing
based on the objective of sustainable development (national/global). (30%)
b) We know what causes the problems, we know what should be done, but so far little
has been done. According to the UN’s environmental reports, problems related to
poverty, climate change and the extinction of plant and animal species are
increasing. Give an account of some reasons that explain why it is so difficult to
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implement the necessary measures. In your answer it is expected that you relate to
relevant philosophic ideas, i.e. existentialism, ethics, political philosophy etc. (70%)