Deck 3: Nicole Hassoun and Jason Brennan, “Foreign Aid”

Question 1

Toward the end of her essay, Nicole Hassoun writes:
Billions lack access to clean water in their homes and access to essential health services. Millions lack access to adequate sanitation, food, and shelter. Foreign aid alone will not completely solve these problems, but it can help many people live minimally good lives. We should not neglect the water for the sea. Saving even one life is a good thing. A great thing.
In your essay, develop a possible challenge to what Hassoun says. Why might someone doubt that arguments like this-that focus on the goodness of saving "even one life"-should guide countries' aid giving activity abroad?

Answer 1

Explain this claim of Hassoun's
Provide a reasonable criticism of Hassoun's position

Question 2

Throughout Jason Brennan's essay, he raises a number of concerns with the way that philosophers tend to think about the foreign aid question. In your essay, explain one or more of these concerns. To what extent do Nicole Hassoun's arguments have one or more of the problems that Brennan describes?

Answer 2

Identify and explain one or more of the passages where Brennan takes issue with philosophers' arguments on aid in his essay (i.e- "This is a topic where normative reasoning and moral philosophy, in isolation, tend to lead us astray;" "Philosophy might uncover what our obligations are in light of the facts, but it does not help us discover what the facts are;" "But economics, surprisingly, tells us that philosophers are bad at philosophy. The problem is that these three thought experiments, and all the variations on them, are irrelevant;" "Philosophers tend to advocate the policies economists know don't work, and tend to reject the institutions economists know work;" "Philosophers think the actual world is analogous to thought experiments like these. This makes foreign aid seem morally mandatory;" etc.)
Develop an argument, drawing from specific elements in Hassoun's essay, to show how her essay either is or is not an instance of the problems that Brennan describes
An excellent essay will not make the part to whole fallacy, suggesting that just because Hassoun's essay does/does not fit the pattern Brennan points to, her work proves/disproves Brennan's point

Question 3

In their replies, Jason Brennan and Nicole Hassoun dig into the issue of whether or not aid is effective in building "good institutions" in the countries where aid is received. This is an area where Brennan and Hassoun disagree. In your essay, explain their disagreement, drawing from both of their works. Then, briefly describe the extent to which you take this issue to be a central one in the aid debate. In other words, how much rides on whether aid builds good institutions? Could it usually be justified even if aid doesn't accomplish this?

Answer 3

Provide textual support for each author's claim(s) on aid's efficacy in the construction of "good institutions"
Then, the essay will either:
Provide a plausible argument for the centrality of institution building in the foreign aid project; or
Provide a plausible argument against the centrality of institution building

Question 4

Hassoun's essay affirms that a "minimally good life" is one where _____:

A) One is better off than (s)he would be not having existed at all
B) One can secure what (s)he needs without aid
C) One lives well enough
D) One is reasonable, caring, and free

Question 5

In her essay, Hassoun outlines two moral arguments for aid. Identify one of those arguments:

A) Redistributive justice demands aid
B) Reasonable, caring, and free persons have strong reason to aid
C) We have an obligation to help everyone live a minimally good life
D) Aid is always effective and productive, so we have a strong reason to aid

Question 6

In her conclusion, Hassoun affirms that foreign aid should stem from _____:

A) A recognition of the injustices that created inequalities in the first place
B) A desire to increase pleasure and reduce pain
C) An organized effort to end corruption and ineffective global institutions
D) A desire to help others live minimally good lives

Question 7

Throughout his essay, Brennan relies on tools from which discipline to build his case?

A) Economics
B) Sociology
C) Psychology
D) Geography

Question 8

In his essay, Brennan affirms that there are two wrong answers when it comes to answering the question of why some countries are richer than others. What are they?

A) Institutions and imperialism
B) Natural resources and imperialism
C) Isolation and under-development
D) Institutions and open borders

Question 9

In his essay, Brennan argues that if we could get wealthy adults to donate 15 cents a day, we could end world poverty, but people don't have an obligation to aid.

Question 10

Which of the authors affirms the following in their conclusion: "An obligation to help the poor is an obligation to actually help them. Good intentions don't matter"?

A) Nicole Hassoun
B) Jason Brennan

Question 11

In his reply, Brennan suggests that there is a basic problem that philosophers ignore. What is it?

A) No forms of aid do good
B) Providing help for others, while admirable, is never obligatory
C) Aid doesn't cause development
D) There's no such thing as a right to a decent life

Question 12

In her reply, Hassoun suggests that she and Brennan agree about many things. Which of the following is one of those things?

A) Aid can do some good
B) It is possible for foreigners to build good institutions
C) Developed countries harmed people in developing countries
D) Causes of poverty are complex

Question 13

In her reply, Hassoun disagrees with which of Brennan's guiding ideas?

A) Access to natural resources inhibits a country's growth
B) Aid should do good for individuals
C) Poor countries stay poor because of their institutions
D) Aid should increase economic growth