The 10th Anniversary Edition The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty is an updated version of the landmark book by the world-renowned philosopher Peter Singer. In it, Singer argues that living an ethical life should include devoting some of our resources to helping those less fortunate than ourselves, and it presents practical ways to help.
In The Life You Can Save, Singer makes the compelling case for the fact that our donations to effective charities make a dramatic difference in the lives of others without diminishing the quality of our own. “Most of us are absolutely certain that we wouldn’t hesitate to save a drowning child, and that we would do so at considerable cost to ourselves. Yet while thousands of children die each day, we spend money on things we take for granted and would hardly notice if they were not there. Is that wrong? If so, how far does our obligation to the poor go?” Together, these two questions are the driving force of The Life You Can Save.
Using ethical arguments, provocative thought experiments, illuminating examples, and case studies of charitable giving, Singer shows that our current response to world poverty is not only insufficient but ethically indefensible. He dissects and refutes perceived impediments to giving and provides a number of practical guidelines for making charitable contributions.
This book furthers Peter Singer’s urgent call to action and serves as a hopeful primer on the power of compassion, when mixed with rigorous investigation and careful reasoning, to lift others out of despair.
Learn how you can be part of the solution, doing good for others while adding fulfillment to your own life.