The Well Being of Dogs and Other Animals

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utilitarianism is about maximizing happiness and pain. How should we think of the well being or the suffering of a dog relative to that of a human? You know, it's something like 60 billion birds and mamimals that are rised and killed in factory farms each year. And if we include agriculture of fish, well, probably add another hundred million to it. So i think that really dwarfs the amount of suffering that is inflicted on dogs and other animals that we care about because they are companion animals.

Peter Singer, the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, is one of the most influential philosophers of the past fifty years. A leading exponent of utilitarianism, he has often explored how individuals can improve the lot of those in need with their own choices.

In this week’s conversation, Peter Singer and Yascha Mounk discuss what utilitarianism gets right, whether the effective altruism movement is effective, and why freedom of inquiry is crucial to improving the world.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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