This essay will consist of two section, which may contain multiple paragraphs each. Use Bolded Section Headings to separate
these sections.
Section 1: In the first section of your paper, briefly summarize Peter Singer’s “shallow pond” thought experiment from Famine,
Affluence, and Morality (Links to an external site.)in your own words. (Do not merely quote it.)
Then, in a separate paragraph, explain what Peter Singer thinks this thought experiment shows and why.
Section 2:
In this section you will evaluate Peter Singer’s “shallow pond” thought experiment using your personal, pre-theoretical commonsense moral intuitions.
A moral intuition is a moral belief or feeling that you have when you think about a moral issue. Think of moral intuitions as moral
sense data, not unlike sight, smell, or hearing. When people experience or think about moral cases, they often have the intuition
that the experience or case is morally desirable or undesirable. Sometimes moral intuitions can be difficult to explain or describe; other times they’re very easy to explain.
Singer is pretty clear about how he thinks people should behave in the “shallow pond” case; but what do your moral intuitions say? Explain whether you share the same intuitions Singer does, or whether you disagree and why. You may use your own examples,
thought experiments, and experience to support your position.
Note: If your paper includes a discussion inspired by an external source (other than our assigned readings), include a References
page that cites that source. (Quoting an external source, or borrowing from an external source without a reference will count as
plagiarism, so make sure to cite your sources!)
