This book explores whether affluent people in the developed world have stringent responsibilities to help fight poverty abroad.

Christian Barry is Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, Canberra. His research focuses on closing the gap between theory and practice in international justice. He previously worked at the United Nations Development Programme and at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. His recent work includes International Trade and Labour Standards: A Proposal for Linkage (with Sanjay Reddy, 2008), and articles in Philosophy and Public Affairs, the Journal of Political Philosophy, Politics, Philosophy and Economics, the Review of International Studies, International Affairs, and the Journal of Applied Philosophy.

1. Introduction: assistance-based and contribution-based responsibilities to address global poverty; Part I. Assistance-Based Responsibilities: 2. Assistance-based responsibilities; 3. The implications of failing to assist; 4. Assistance-based responsibilities in the real world; Part II. Contribution-Based Responsibilities: 5. The doing, allowing and enabling distinction; 6. Giving rise to cost and the doing, allowing and enabling distinction; 7. The feasible alternatives thesis: Pogge on contribution-based responsibilities to the poor; 8. Contribution-based responsibilities and trade; Part III. Implications of Contribution: 9. The implications of contributing to global poverty; 10. Assuming responsibility for harm; 11. Contribution-based responsibilities and overdetermination.