A bit of philosophy:
- There is not a person on earth who chose his genome, or the country of his birth, or the political and economic conditions that prevailed at moments crucial to his progress. (Sam Harris – neuroscientist / philosopher)
- Given that we are equipped with the capacity to sympathize with others, nothing can prevent the circle of sympathy from expanding from the family and tribe to embrace all of humankind, particularly as reason goads us into realizing that there can be nothing uniquely deserving about ourselves or any of the groups to which we belong. We are forced into cosmopolitanism: accepting our citizenship in the world. ( Steven Pinker- cognitive psychologist)
- Thought experiment: You walk past a lake and see a child drowning. Do you jump in and save her life even though it will cost $500 to replace your ruined suit? (Peter Singer-philosopher)
A bit of reality:
Here is an analysis of the good that doctors likely do. You may find it quite interesting and a bit sobering.
Interview with Greg Lewis
https://80000hours.org/2015/08/how-can-doctors-do-the-most-good-an-interview-with-dr-gregory-lewis/
A bit of economics:
- Successive Australian governments have severely cut back foreign aid.
- You can almost certainly double your impact as a medical care provider on a global basis for a few hundred dollars. (If in doubt, read the article above)
- Your donations are fully tax deductible…..and it’s nearly June 30th.