Loras College

An Equal World

Andres Martinez

Quest for Ethical Development – ECO236

Biniv Maskay

April 16, 2020

 In a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life we should

reevaluate how we value human life and the dignity of a person. This is the foundation of a

moral vision for society. Is it fair for the United States to be setting $40 billion aside for foreign

aid when we have extreme poverty right here in America? According to the New York Times,

5.6 million Americans live in poverty. This is determined by the number of Americans who earn

less than $4 a day. If we apply this number to the entire world, more than 3.4 billion people live

in poverty. (Howton). That’s nearly half of the global population. I believe that foreign aid is

required to reach true equality in the world, even if it seems unfair to struggling Americans. The

government has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect

human rights, and to build the common good. An act is morally correct if the sum is toward the

greater good of the world.

Foreign aid from first world countries should be considered fair to everyone. United

Nations reported in 2019 that more than 55% of the world’s population does not have access to

social protection. This is due to undeveloped infrastructures in poor countries. Unlike the United

States, underdeveloped countries don’t have policies like unemployment or social welfare. These

countries barely have enough resources for basic education or healthcare systems. First-world aid

allows these struggling nations the resources to establish infrastructures to give their citizens a

chance to survive. Without any help from first-world countries, entire regions like sub-Saharan

Africa and Southeast Asia will struggle to keep up in a rapidly expanding world. Richard Kyte’s

Four-Way method says that when making an ethical decision; truth, consequences, fairness, and

character should all be considered. So, shouldn’t we consider them? The truth is that nearly half

of the world lives in poverty. I think it’s safe to say the consequences are that the world would be

extremely behind if aid from developed nations didn’t exist. Would it be fair to these third world
countries to not give them a fighting chance? Wouldn’t we want these countries to help us if we

were in need? These are imperative questions Kyte wants us to ask ourselves. If we didn’t ask

these questions of ourselves, it would show our true character. If we are going to help we should

help to our full capability. 40 billion dollars is no number to bat an eye at, but this is a number

that a first-world country like the United States is capable of providing.

It’s the state’s moral obligation to promote human dignity, protect human rights and build

a common good. The United States is a country built on rights. In their constitution it says that it

is the government’s role to promote the general welfare. How would it look on the U.S. if they

did not promote the general welfare of the world? The United States has struggled in its history

to remain true to itself. They were built on human rights but enslaved a whole race of people.

They say everyone is equal, but systems ingrained in their society favor the wealthy. If it is their

job to build a common good, why does it look like this in their own country? It’s not because

they allocate 40 billion dollars to world aid. If anything this is the one good they have

accomplished. There are systems in place in America that need an overhaul. This isn’t something

that can be fixed with money, but instead can be fixed with people. Reform is America’s answer

at home, not dollar signs. If the United States were to look back on catholic principles that are

heavily engrained in their country, they would see the way it should be. Catholic Social

teachings give guidelines to society that promote the basis of life. It says that human life is

sacred and that the dignity of every person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. How

we organize our world in economics, society, law and policy directly affect human dignity. This

pertains to the entire world. Sadly, the entire world isn’t capable of achieving this organization.

This is why we must give an option to the poor. Catholic teaching proclaims that the most basic
moral test is how the vulnerable members of the world are faring. With the deepening division

between the rich and the poor, we must remember these basic morals.

Foreign Aid is important because it helps lead to this equal world. According to the

world bank, since 1990 the global GDP per capita has risen over 379%. The world is richer than

it ever has been before. So it should be baffling that almost half the globe is living in poverty.

Globalization has played a vital part in the growth of the world’s economy. Since 1990, the

economy has grown exponentially. This is mainly due to the start of the digital age. The world is

more connected than ever because of the internet. Communication, world trade, media are now at

human’s fingertips. We have seen countries like China thrive off of the ability to trade

seamlessly with the entire world. China used to be considered a third-world country. It now has

an infrastructure that includes an educational and healthcare system. The adoption of the internet

in China saw an explosion in its economic growth. Infrastructure is extremely important in

getting on that first rung of the development ladder. China has an advantage because they have

resources that they can export and trade. Many countries trying to climb the ladder simply do not

have the resources to get there themselves. This is where first-world countries’ ability to give

back is imperative. If these struggling nations can develop enough to reach that first rung, they

might just have a fighting chance. When these countries do develop they can then trade and

barter with already developed countries, or countries like the U.S. who currently are struggling

with unemployment due to offshore factories. Eventually countries can then afford to buy

American goods. For the people who are struggling to see the reason for foreign aid the point is

simple, what goes around comes around.

So it is clear that foreign aid is fair to everyone. I believe that foreign aid is important to

reach a truly equal world for two main reasons. First, the government has a positive moral
function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the

common good. But most importantly, an act is morally correct if the sum is toward the greater

good of all. If we decide as humans to turn our back on human dignity, then we won’t value life

at all. If this what we truly believe we have failed as a species. The answer should not be to

cross our arms but rather to open them. Our brothers and sisters are struggling to live. If

everyone truly should be equal, shouldn’t we all have an equal chance to live? That’s the most

basic human right of all.

 Bibliography

“Catholic Social Teaching - Catholic Charities.” Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis,

www.cctwincities.org/education-advocacy/catholic-social-teaching/.

Deaton, Angus. “The U.S. Can No Longer Hide From Its Deep Poverty Problem.” The New York

Times, The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/opinion/poverty-

united-states.html.

Howton, Elizabeth. “Nearly Half the World Lives on Less than $5.50 a Day.” World Bank, 17 Oct.

2018, www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/10/17/nearly-half-the-world-lives-on-

less-than-550-a-day.

Kyte, Richard. An Ethical Life: a Practical Guide to Ethical Reasoning. Anselm Academic, 2012.

United Nations. “The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019.” United Nations, United

Nations, 2019, unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2019/.

US Census Bureau. “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2018.” The United States Census

Bureau, 17 Sept. 2019, www.census.gov/library/publications/2019/demo/p60-266.html.