Abstract

The following comment on Peter Singer’s One World is divided into four parts. It starts with some objections agairrst Singer’s utilitarian approach (1). Then it argues for an ‚Ethics of Globalization’ which at the same time has universal validity and maintains context sensitivity (2). In part three it is shown that these two conditions are better fulfilled by an ethics based on Human Rights than by an utilitarian ethics. In this context John Rawls’ Law of Peoples is defended against Singer’s criticism (3). In the final part the role of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), which are not mentioned by Singer, is analyzed. It is argued that in a world in which the states are overcharged, the United Nations weakened and the Transnational Companies’ power is increasing, the NGOs get growing responsibility up to the point that many of them turn out to become Human Right’s advocates and Human Right’s guardians (4).