singer famine
Singer is a utilitarian. ... But for purposes of the famine-relief argument, he doesnt need to make such an extravagant claim. ... What he is claiming is not that there is no line between justice and charity (even though, as a utilitarian, he believes that), but that famine relief belongs on the justice side of the line rather than, as most people think, on the charity side. He is trying to change our thinking about, and ultimately our behavior toward, victims of famine. How does one go about persuading people to shift an action such as famine relief from the charity side of the line to the justice side of the line? Singer could appeal, as some humanitarian groups do, to emotions such as sympathy, pity, and guilt, but to a philosopher these are disreputable (indeed, fallacious) techniques.