Peter Singer, the Australian Philosopher, has been criticized for his views. Many find him over the edge, as far as being generous is concerned. However, his thoughts have been plain and straight forward, to the extent that even those on seemingly moralistic platforms have trouble digesting his views. It may be said that being a Utilitarian means that it requires much more than an ordinary human being can bear; it really does require one to be selfless to the point of denying one’s self of luxurious lifestyle.

In his article "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" published in the New York Times (September 5 th, 1999) he exposes what is required of the world to curtail rampant poverty all over. His views are not explicitly spoken out, but are narrated through a Brazilian film "Central Station," he had seen. In this film, the pivotal character Dora is a retired school teacher who makes ends meet by writing letters for the illiterate at the Railway station. She is given an opportunity to earn for herself $ 1000, and naturally she wanted to improve her life through this small earning.

Dora`s task is to convince and deliver a homeless boy to a home where he would be adopted. She manages the task and receives her pay. She then goes off right away and buys a new TV set and enjoy the rest of the $1000. However, her enjoyment is soon disturbed when a neighbor tells her that that boy she delivered was not too old for adoption, and that he will be killed and his organs used for transplantations. Disturbed by this, Dora vows to save the boy, and does succeed in doing so, fully understanding the risks of doing so. The selfless approach after realizing what she had done makes one realizes that if each of us could in the same manner and help others in distress we would create a better world to live in.

Analysis: Peter Singer`s main focus in this article " The Singer Solution to World Poverty" is about the world food shortage. The plot in the story from the movie he refers to is symbolic, and it reflects what one should do when others are in trouble. He says that sure one can choose to ignore what`s going on while most people in the richer countries get to enjoy a cozy life. However, he asserts that while people in richer countries such as the US enjoy cozy lives, unnecessary expense takes place daily while people in other parts of the world suffer tremendously. Of course, there will be many who say that it is their own hard-earned money, and it is their right whichever way they choose to spend it, and rightly so, but there is also a thing called the conscience. However, Singer does not mention this word anywhere in the article, but it is obvious what he broadly hints at. In this regard, the article has been well-written.

In addition to Singer exposing the way that an individual could make the wrong things right, his notions are clearly reinforced by what he asserts at the beginning of his article. Quoting Singer, "From when I first saw pictures in newspapers of people starving, from when people asked you to donate some of your pocket money for collections at school," he mused, "I always thought, 'Why that much — why not more?" (Singer, 1999)It is evident that the man has had these views since he was a child, his conscience has been in action since many years now. Supporting this is the fact that the “philosopher gives one-fifth of his income to famine-relief agencies” (Singer, 1999).