Lifeboat Ethics Saving The World By Stripping Morals...

Kylan Smith EH 101 Dr. Lowe 6 November 2015 â€Å"Lifeboat Ethics:† Saving the World by Stripping Morals Doesn’t Float In Garrett Hardin’s essay â€Å"Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor,† Hardin asks readers if every person on earth has an equal share of resources and then argues why he takes the position against helping the poor. Hardin uses the metaphor of a lifeboat that is almost filled to capacity, floating in an ocean where the â€Å"poor of the world† are overboard. This metaphor appeals greatly to one of humanities greatest instincts, survival. The main focus of Hardin’s essay and metaphor is to strip all morals, take the fault from the rich nations and place the responsibilities and blame on the poor. There are a few rebels who seem to think that the blame and responsibilities are incorrectly placed. One of these rebels is Alan Durning who presents his argument in his essay â€Å"Asking How Much is Enough.† Durning argues that overpopulation does n ot threaten the world’s resources. He believes the real culprit is overconsumption by the rich. Joseph K. Skinner is another rebel who argues against Hardin in his essay â€Å"Big Mac and the Tropical Forests.† Skinner argues that wealthy nations, including the United States, are responsible for the world’s resource problem because they use poor nations as main producers of goods they expend. The arguments made in the essays’ by Durning and Skinner make readers alert of Hardin’s rhetorical strategies and how he uses his