Utilitarianism may well be the most influential secular ethical theory in the world today. It is also one of the most controversial. It clashes, or is widely thought to clash, with many conventional moral views, and with human rights when they are seen as inviolable. Would it, for example, be right to torture a suspected terrorist in order to prevent an attack that could kill and injure a large number of innocent people? In this Very Short Introduction Peter Singer and Katarzyna d...

The definitive case for radically rethinking humanity's relationship with other animals - for the good of us all.'The book that had the most impact on me' JANE GOODALL'Probably the single most influential document in the history of ... animal welfare' GUARDIANIn 1975, Animal Liberation started a global movement when it uncovered the abuse of animals in factory farms and laboratories and showed thes...

The 10th Anniversary Edition The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty is an updated version of the landmark book by the world-renowned philosopher Peter Singer. In it, Singer argues that living an ethical life should include devoting some of our resources to helping those less fortunate than ourselves, and it presents practical ways to help.In The Life You Can Save, Singer makes the compelling case for the fact that our donations to effective charities make a...

'Is there still anything to live for? Is anything worth pursuing, apart from money, love and caring for one's own family? . . . In this book I give one answer. It is as ancient as the dawn of philosophy, but as much needed in our circumstances today as it ever was before. The answer is that we can live an ethical life.'In How Are We to Live? Peter Singer suggests that people who take an ethical approach to life often escape from the trap of meaninglessness, finding a deepe...

How should we treat non-human animals? In this immensely powerful and influential book (now with a new introduction by Sapiens author Yuval Noah Harari), the renowned moral philosopher Peter Singer addresses this simple question with trenchant, dispassionate reasoning. Accompanied by the disturbing evidence of factory farms and laboratories, his answers triggered the birth of the animal rights movement.'An extraordinary book which has had extraordi...

What is ethics? Where do moral standards come from? Are they based on emotions, reason, or some innate sense of right and wrong? For many scientists, the key lies entirely in biology--especially in Darwinian theories of evolution and self-preservation. But if evolution is a struggle for survival, why are we still capable of altruism?In his classic study The Expanding Circle, Peter Singer argues that altruism began as a genetically based drive to protect one's kin and commu...

In this ground-breaking book, a renowned bioethicist argues that the political left must radically revise its outdated view of human nature. He shows how the insights of modern evolutionary theory, particularly on the evolution of cooperation, can help the left attain its social and political goals.Singer explains why the left originally rejected Darwinian thought and why these reasons are no longer viable. He discusses how twentieth-century thinking has transformed our understandi...

Many people regard Hegel's work as obscure and extremely difficult, yet his importance and influence are universally acknowledged. Professor Singer eliminates any excuse for remaining ignorant of the outlines of Hegel's philosophy by providing a broad discussion of his ideas and an account of his major works. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect w...

For thirty years, Peter Singer's Practical Ethics has been the classic introduction to applied ethics. For this third edition, the author has revised and updated all the chapters and added a new chapter addressing climate change, one of the most important ethical challenges of our generation. Some of the questions discussed in this book concern our daily lives. Is it ethical to buy luxuries when others do not have enough to eat? Should we buy meat from intensively reared animals? Am I doin...

Karl Marx is one of the most influential philosophers of all time, whose theories have shaped and directed political, economic, and social thought for 150 years. Considering Marx's life and impact, renowned philosopher Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole. Presenting Marx as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist, Singer explains Marx's key ideas ...

Peter Singer and Jim Mason take a meal enjoyed by three different families and trace its ingredients back through the production process to see what ethical issues arise. The Hillard-Nierstheimer family exemplifies the standard meat-and-potatoes diet: they shop at the local supermarket, occasionally eat fast food, and enjoy their meat, Coke and beer. The Masarech-Motavalli family is concerned about its health and generally buys fresh, locally grown vegetables. They call themselves 'caring ...

Eastern spirituality and utilitarian philosophy meet in these unique dialogues between a Buddhist monastic and a moral philosopher on such issues as animal welfare, gender equality, the death penalty and more. An unlikely duo, preeminent Australian philosopher and professor of bioethics Peter Singer and Taiwanese Buddhist monastic and social activist Shih Chao-Hwei, discuss ethics in lively conversations that cross oceans, overcome language and cultural barriers and bridge philosophies.