Ethics in the Real World

82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter

Peter Singer

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781400888733
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

Provocative essays on real-world ethical questions from the world's most influential philosopher Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. The author of important books such as Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, Rethinking Life and Death, and The Life You Can Save, he helped launch the animal rights and effective altruism movements and contributed to the development of bioethics. Now, in Ethics in the Real World, Singer shows that he is also a master at dissecting important current events in a few hundred words.In this book of brief essays, he applies his controversial ways of thinking to issues like climate change, extreme poverty, animals, abortion, euthanasia, human genetic selection, sports doping, the sale of kidneys, the ethics of high-priced art, and ways of increasing happiness. Singer asks whether chimpanzees are people, smoking should be outlawed, or consensual sex between adult siblings should be decriminalized, and he reiterates his case against the idea that all human life is sacred, applying his arguments to some recent cases in the news. In addition, he explores, in an easily accessible form, some of the deepest philosophical questions, such as whether anything really matters and what is the value of the pale blue dot that is our planet. The collection also includes some more personal reflections, like Singer's thoughts on one of his favorite activities, surfing, and an unusual suggestion for starting a family conversation over a holiday feast.Now with a new afterword by the author, this provocative and original book will challenge—and possibly change—your beliefs about many real-world ethical questions.

• • • INDEX • • •

abortion, 73–76

Act of Union, 213–14

Adkins, Janet, 95

Adler, Alfred, 27

administrative expenses, of charitable organizations, 163

adoption, 152

Affordable Care Act: contraceptive coverage in, 225–28; difficulty of passage, 114

Afghanistan: refugees from, 250; WikiLeaks on, 255

Africa: abortion in, 73–74; effectiveness of charities in, 163, 165; future effects of climate change in, 271; refugees from, 250. See also specific countries

African Americans: discrimination against (see racism); police killings of unarmed, 243; progress toward racial equality for, 246, 295; segregation of, 244, 246; Woodrow Wilson’s policies for, 244

African National Congress (South Africa), 303–4

African Queen, The (film), 15

Against Malaria Foundation, 174, 175, 178

Age, The (newspaper), 142

aggression, and violent video games, 144

aging, medical research on prevention of, 125–28

agnostics: in Iran, 155; moral principles of, 15

agriculture: and climate change, 258–59, 271, 275; GMOs in, 283–86; workers’ wages in, 258

Agriculture, US Department of, 56

AIDS. See HIV/AIDS

air travel, obesity in, 122–23

algae, 289

ALS. See amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

altruism, 163–78; and human extinction, 182–87; and kidney donation, xi, 37, 111–12; as public act, 167–70. See also effective altruism

Alzheimer’s disease, 86, 95

American Academy of Pediatrics, 79

American Red Cross, 159

ammonia, in factory farming, 51, 56

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 97

Anarchy-preacher’s fallacy, 212–13

Anderson, Craig, Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adults, 144

Andrews, Gavin, 199

Anhang, Jeff, 270

animal(s), 39–69; consciousness in, 13; dominion over, 50; empathy in, 20; as individuals, 67–68; in vitro meat produced from, 60–62; patents on, 288–89; penalties for cruelty to, 23; personhood of, 63–65; as property, 68; rights of, vs. people with severe intellectual disabilities, 207; use of term “who” for, 66–69. See also specific types of animals

animal liberation movement, 41–42

animal pain and suffering: in case for...