The Moral Demands of Affluence

How much are we morally required to do to help people who are much worse off than us? Any plausible moral outlook should recognize requirements of beneficence - requirements grounded directly in other people's need for assistance. Given this, there is a forceful case for thinking that we are morally required to devote a substantial proportion of what we have to helping the poor. Garrett Cullity examines, refines, and defends an argument of this form. He then identifies its limits. We stand under requirements of beneficence to help the needy, but these requirements only make sense if a fulfilling life is one that it is not wrong for us to live.