Octopus Is a Mollusk, but It's Far Closer to Us Than to Oysters

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i agree that the moral problem that poses is dwarfed by that of the suffering or factory animals. But you can well ask, where are the boundaries? I mentioned fish in what i said, for i do believe that fish are also capable of feeling pain. When we get beyond vertebrates, it does get more difficult. That you mentiond a fly once we talk about insects, then i think it's really hard to know whether insects are conscious beings. It's certainly possible that they are, but their behaviour, in some ways, is more pre programmed, not always.

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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