Starving in a World of Plenty

¶ … People Starve in a World of Plenty

The title of this Note is derived from a statue that is positioned at the more prestigious universities in the world. The statue is meant to highlight the position of inequality that exists in the world among different classes -- a problem that is growing significantly worse to this day. The distribution of resources in any society, and how these are allocated, can usher in a discussion about morality and justice. The author of the Note first defines these terms and then gives examples of different scenarios to highlight different positions that people may take. Some positions are quite obvious, such as saving the drowning child or sacrificing your Ferrari for another child who is bound to be hit by a train. However, others are not quite as clear -- such as sacrificing your coffee budget to help a sick child. Furthermore, justice can be an equally vague concept that is completely relative to the situation. Justice is also dependent upon inequality because of its relevant nature. The Note makes a case that law students should consider more than just their salaries with the companies that they may work for, they should also consider the moral implications of the work that they will be doing and if they can actually promote justice.

The argument that is presented in this Note is compelling on some levels but I believe that it is too focused on the role of the individual as opposed to the institutional level. If one person is choses to act morally in their careers, then this can have positive implications for society. However, the efforts of individual will often fall short of curing all of society's ills. The level of deprivation and inequality that is present in the world today will likely take more than the effort of one person and their personal decisions to address. For example, it seems obvious that Kate should help the child who is drowning. However, it is also relevant to consider why the child is drowning in the first place. Where are the parents? Is there affordable daycare programs available? Although Kate can make a personal choice to act ethically and save the child, the entire scenario likely goes deeper. Many of these problems will require collective actions to solve and are not merely the culmination of personal choices. Although I did find this Note compelling on a level, it seems there is a broader scale to morality and justice that should also be considered that goes beyond personal choices.