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Peter Singer's Arguments On Examined Life

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Description of the Essay Process I chose to respond to Peter Singer’s arguments from Examined Life: Excursions with Contemporary Thinkers (Taylor, (ed.) 2009), regarding ethics and consumerism. I found his argument to be thought-provoking and relevant in America’s generally consumeristic standard of living. I can relate to his idea that a certain degree of our morality is tied to our choices in spending, and how if we are conscious of others who need aid, we should use the means we have available to help them. Doing so would offer us purpose and fulfillment in ways that frivolous spending does not. I would need to reflect on my personal beliefs, knowledge, and experiences with this subject as well, to identify my biases, and see if I have any credibility on the subject to offer to the discussion. …show more content…
I can select particular quotes from Examined Life where he articulates his points in ways that are very strong, or would be difficult to paraphrase without direct quotation. I could take it a step further and research beyond Examined Life, for scholarly essays or viewpoints on the same arguments that Singer makes. I would also need to examine potential opposing arguments: a) ethical spending habits goes against basic human nature of selfishness, b) people are entitled to spend their earned money as they see fit without moral judgment, and c) how can we determine what is our fair share, without putting ourselves at risk for falling into the same position as those we are

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