It has also been argued that A Modest Proposal was, at least in part, a response to the 1728 essay The Generous Projector or, A Friendly Proposal to Prevent Murder and Other Enormous Abuses, By Erecting an Hospital for Foundlings and Bastard Children by Swift's rival Daniel Defoe.
ɪt hɐz ˈɔːlsoʊ bˌɪn ˈɑːɹɡjuːd ðˌæɾə mˈɑːdɪst pɹəpˈoʊzəl wʌz, æt lˈiːst ɪn pˈɑːɹt, ɐ ɹᵻspˈɑːns tə ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti ˈeɪt ˈɛseɪ ðə dʒˈɛnɚɹəs pɹədʒˈɛktɚɹ ɔːɹ, ɐ fɹˈɛndli pɹəpˈoʊzəl tə pɹɪvˈɛnt mˈɜːdɚ ænd ˈʌðɚɹ ɪnˈoːɹməs ɐbjˈuːsᵻz, baɪ ɪɹˈɛktɪŋ æn hˈɑːspɪɾəl fɔːɹ fˈaʊndlɪŋz ænd bˈæstɚd tʃˈɪldɹən baɪ swˈɪfts ɹˈaɪvəl dˈænjəl dᵻfˈoʊ.