Resumen de Ought we prevent preventable evils?

Charles B. Daniels

• In Practical Ethics Peter Singer argues for an �obligation to assist�:

  First premise: If we can prevent something bad without sacrificing anything of comparable significance, we ought to do it.

  Second premise: Absolute poverty is bad.

  Third premise: There is some absolute poverty we can prevent without sacrificing anything of comparable moral significance.

  Conclusion: We ought to prevent some absolute poverty.

  This paper is dedicated to a criticism of four readings of the first premise and an undesirable link the first premise has with the third. The paper ends by offering a alternative formulation of an �obligation to assist,� which suffers from none of these problems.