Peter Singer b. 1946
Peter Singer (born 1946) is an Australian philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Utilitarianism and Analytic Philosophy.
Peter Singer is an Australian moral philosopher and the most widely read utilitarian writer of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His Animal Liberation became the founding manifesto of the modern animal rights movement, arguing that the capacity to suffer, not membership of a species, is the morally relevant fact. Practical Ethics defended a preference utilitarianism applied across animal welfare, abortion, euthanasia, and global poverty, while The Life You Can Save and his work with the effective altruism movement have argued that the affluent are morally bound to give a substantial share of their income to combat extreme poverty.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Australian
- Era
- Contemporary
- Movements
- Utilitarianism, Analytic Philosophy
Selected quotes
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“All animals are equal: the principle of equality requires that suffering be considered equally with the like suffering of any other being.”
Speciesism —the word is not an attractive one, but I can think of no better term—is a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of the interests of members of one's own species and against those of members of other species. -
“If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it.”
Famine, Affluence, and Morality -
“Speciesism is a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of the interests of members of one's own species.”
Ch. 1: All Animals Are Equal -
Attributed to Peter Singer:
“An ethical life is one in which we identify ourselves with other, larger goals.”
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Attributed to Peter Singer:
“The capacity for suffering and enjoyment is a prerequisite for having interests at all.”
Frequently asked about Peter Singer
- When was Peter Singer born?
- Peter Singer was born in 1946.
- Where was Peter Singer from?
- Peter Singer is an Australian philosopher of the Contemporary era.
- What philosophical movements is Peter Singer associated with?
- Peter Singer is associated with Utilitarianism and Analytic Philosophy.
- What is Peter Singer known for?
- Peter Singer is an Australian moral philosopher and the most widely read utilitarian writer of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
- How many quotes are attributed to Peter Singer?
- There are 15 attributed quotations from Peter Singer in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.