Philosophy question
Discuss this statement: ‘I am not causally responsible for hunger, poverty, or suffering in developing countries. I work hard for my money, and I have a right to spend it on whatever I like, so I don’t have to help anyone if I don’t want to.’
Sample Answer
The statement that “I am not causally responsible for hunger, poverty, or suffering in developing countries. I work hard for my money, and I have a right to spend it on whatever I like, so I don’t have to help anyone if I don’t want to” is a complex one. It raises a number of important ethical questions about our obligations to others, the nature of responsibility, and the role of individual choice.
On the one hand, it is true that we are not directly responsible for every instance of suffering in the world. We did not cause the poverty, hunger, and disease that exists in developing countries. We did not choose the political and economic systems that contribute to these problems. And we are not able to solve these problems on our own.