Garrett Hardin, a human ecologist, proposed and illustrated a lifeboat ethics against helping the poor by comparing with the spaceship ethics. He emphasized the limited capacity of the lifeboat and concluded that complete justice is complete catastrophe because once the boat swamps everyone drowns. The lifeboat ethics is enriched and developed by three aspects: the spaceship ethics causes “the tragedy of commons”; a world food bank is a commons in disguise; and the modern approaches to foreign aid that stress the export of technology and advice will inspire mistrust and antagonism and hasten the destruction of environment.

Although the author expounded his points clearly, I quite disagree with this contention and some relevant grounds asserted by the author.

A lifeboat or a passenger liner?

Garrett Hardin alleged that the safety factor was very important as every lifeboat had its limited capacity. However, in reality, do rich nations truly help poor nations beyond their capacities? The answer is definitely negative. It is through the surplus capital that the donor nations give their foreign aids. According to the “Report on Human Development in 2005” made by the UN, America’s foreign aids only account for 0.17% of its GNI (Gross National Income), even though the total amount of foreign aids reaches 20 billion dollars. Actually, it is more like a passenger liner which has a larger capacity that is large enough to hold the people who need help. The original passengers only occupy some part of the liner.  

Unilateral sacrifice or mutual benefits?

The author showed his concern about the consequence of foreign aids. He considered that raising productivity by importing technology and advice will hasten the destruction of environment. Till the end, the donor nations will do everything in vain, obtaining condemnation rather than gratitude. Is it true? In fact, the donor nations and recipient nations are an entia of mutual benefiting. Rich nations can make good use of their surplus capitals to help poor nations. With the development of economy, the poor nation begins to enter the international economic system and become the trade partner of the rich nation, providing a new market for the rich nation. Both parties can benefit from it and the aids will become the bridge of communication between two parties.

Nowadays, the donor nations give aids to the recipient nations through direct money aids without being paid back, preferential loan, technology and advice, establishment of equal trade relationship and other approaches. Through these approaches, both parties benefit from each other. For instance, many countries and world organizations, including America, Japan, Denmark and other countries give aids to Nepal on basic facilities, technologies and management mechanism. Nepal improves the productivity and also changes their productive ways, focusing on the connection between producing and environmental protection, and thus people’s life was improved. Nepal really achieved progress from foreign aids. The most important point is that not only the recipient nations and the donor nations achieve economic benefits from each other, but also make contribution to the peace and stability of the world, from which they can also benefit and guarantee their own development.

When rich nations have surplus capitals and abilities to give aids to poor nations, why don’t they do it? Be afraid to diminish the life quality of their nationals? Be concerned about the hastening of destruction of human ecology? Actually, giving foreign aids is a policy of mutual benefits. In addition to bring economic benefits to the donor countries, through foreign aids, the recipient countries are able to learn the productive technology, change the governmental functions and improve people’s life. Both parties can achieve progress together. Further, giving foreign aids is also a way to conveying active values, including freedom, equality, and democracy and so on. To some extent, the donor nations influence the course and direction of the development of the recipient nations.

All of nations exist in the same place——the earth. The boundaries can not separate human beings as the whole entia. Even though people from different areas have conflicts and different interests, human beings have common interests because different segments of the whole society of human beings will influence each other. The connection between rich nations and poor nations can not be separated. Thus, foreign aids should be encouraged because it benefits the recipient nations, the donor nations and the whole world.