Peter Singer is an Australian moral philosopher. He is currently the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, and a Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne. He specialises in applied ethics and approaches ethical issues from a secular, preference utilitarian perspective. He is known in particular for his book, Animal Liberation (1975), a canonical text in animal rights/liberation theory.
Issues raised: Consumerism, Poverty, Factory Farming, Suffering of beings, Aminal Rights
On Fifth Ave.
According to Singer, applied ethics, a relatively new field of study, is an attempt to make philosophy less academic and more directly related to the concerns of everyday life. Singer himself became a vegetarian when he asked himself, after reading about factory farming, ‘am I justified in eating meat?’—the answer for him was no. For Singer, ethics is about the basic choices we make in our daily lives. In thinking about the decisions we make, Singer believes it is just as important to think about what we not do—this seems to raise the issue of values. Like Socrates, he believes that when you begin to think things through, you begin to question common sense morality. In contrast with religion, Singer thinks while ethics is more important because it comes from ourselves, this does not mean that ethics is purely subjective, in fact, ethical studies becomes interesting when we try to into account the role of others. He also believes that we have a moral obligation to help others. For Singer, life is meaningful if we help prevent the suffering of others and try to make this world a better place for all. More explicit than the speakers we have heard before, Singer sees the value in taking up a cause.
[Based on views expressed in the film The Examined Life (2008)]
--MW
Issues raised: Consumerism, Poverty, Factory Farming, Suffering of beings, Aminal Rights
On Fifth Ave.
According to Singer, applied ethics, a relatively new field of study, is an attempt to make philosophy less academic and more directly related to the concerns of everyday life. Singer himself became a vegetarian when he asked himself, after reading about factory farming, ‘am I justified in eating meat?’—the answer for him was no. For Singer, ethics is about the basic choices we make in our daily lives. In thinking about the decisions we make, Singer believes it is just as important to think about what we not do—this seems to raise the issue of values. Like Socrates, he believes that when you begin to think things through, you begin to question common sense morality. In contrast with religion, Singer thinks while ethics is more important because it comes from ourselves, this does not mean that ethics is purely subjective, in fact, ethical studies becomes interesting when we try to into account the role of others. He also believes that we have a moral obligation to help others. For Singer, life is meaningful if we help prevent the suffering of others and try to make this world a better place for all. More explicit than the speakers we have heard before, Singer sees the value in taking up a cause.
[Based on views expressed in the film The Examined Life (2008)]
--MW