Garrett Hardin Lifeboat Ethics Summary

In the article Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor, Garrett Hardin’s main argument is that we should not help the poor.

The article starts by describing the difference between the spaceship ethic, which is where we should share resources because all needs and shares are equal, and the lifeboat ethic, we should not share our resources and using this ethic we should not help the poor. He argues because of limited resources, tragedy of commons and no true world government to control reproduction and use of available resources, we should govern our actions by the ethics of lifeboat.

The main argument is as follows:
1. If we have limited resources, then we should govern our actions by ethics of lifeboat and not share our resources. 2. We have limited resources.
C3> We should govern our actions by ethics of lifeboat and not share our resources. 4. Since we should govern our actions by ethics of lifeboat and not share resources, the poor will suffer if we do not help them. 5. Lifeboat ethic advocates that we should not help the poor. C6> We should not help the poor.
The above argument looks valid. So let us examine whether the premises are sound.
It argues that: 1. The proportion of people in rich and poor countries will stabilize and less poor will suffer only if we aid the poor through the system of food sharing. 2. The growth differential between the rich and poor countries continues to increase. C3> We should not aid the poor.
In this sub-argument, it supports the main argument. The argument is valid as from the argument form. Yet, this argument does not seem sound. (1) may not be true. Even with some system of food sharing or foreign-aid programs to the poor countries, the rate of population between the rich and poor countries still continue to increase, with a worse ratio each year. So if this premise is false, then this entire sub-argument becomes