Famine Ethics

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

This paper revitalizes the debate of an ethics of contemporary famine. Famine constitutes a distinct development challenge that has only received moderate public and academic attention. Singer’s Famine Relief Argument from 1972 emphasizing a strong obligation of charitable benevolence towards victims of famine, for example, continues to constitute the dominant ethical principle of famine. The paper argues this revisionary principle still constitutes a strong and convincing ethical argument. However, the dynamics of contemporary famine makes it necessary to expand this ethical obligation outside the realm of pure philanthropy. Concretely, the paper argues for the obligation of criminalizing famine and prosecuting the perpetrators of famine that have either callously allowed famine to unfold or have intentionally created and exacerbated the conditions for famine. While such an obligation is not void of ethical dilemmas, a famine ethics relying on obligations of charity as well as obligations of criminal prosecution constitutes a superior ethical principle for the alleviation of famine.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftFood Ethics
Vol/bind4
Udgave nummer2
Sider (fra-til)123–138
Antal sider16
ISSN2364-6853
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 3 dec. 2019

Bibliografisk note

Important note from the Publisher regarding the attached version of this article: “This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Food Ethics. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41055-019-00047-3”

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