Where philosophy meets the real world (with Peter Singer)
Jun 7, 2023
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Peter Singer, a renowned philosopher and professor at Princeton, discusses the evolution of animal rights and the complexities of ethical consumption. He addresses the psychological disconnect many experience regarding animal suffering while consuming meat. Singer emphasizes the urgent need to broaden our moral considerations and talks about practical steps for those transitioning to vegetarian or vegan diets. He also explores the philosophical underpinnings of utilitarianism and the relevance of consciousness in ethical decision-making.
Animal rights movement has evolved to address changing conditions of animal suffering and treatment.
Increase in population leads to higher meat consumption, contributing to the expansion of factory farming and animal suffering.
Expanding the moral circle to include all sentient beings is necessary to recognize and respect animal interests and well-being.
Societal norms and cognitive dissonance can lead individuals to avoid acknowledging the suffering caused by their dietary choices.
Redistributing wealth can significantly improve the well-being of those living in extreme poverty without causing substantial harm to higher-income individuals.
Deep dives
Animal Liberation: Updating the Book
The podcast episode features an interview with Peter Singer, a prominent philosopher, discussing the updated edition of his book Animal Liberation. Singer explains that the new edition was necessary due to major changes in animal suffering and treatment since the last revision. He highlights the outdated information regarding animal research and factory farming, as well as the global expansion of factory farming, particularly in China. Singer also emphasizes the growing impact of climate change on our dietary choices and the rise of the animal movement. While progress has been made, Singer acknowledges the ongoing need for societal changes in animal welfare.
The Impact of Population Growth on Animal Treatment
Singer discusses the correlation between population growth and the treatment of animals. He points out that as populations increase, so does the demand for meat consumption, especially in developing countries like China, where increased prosperity has led to higher meat consumption. Singer notes that this overall increase in meat consumption contributes to the expansion of factory farming and the significant suffering experienced by animals in these facilities. While population growth is a contributing factor, Singer suggests that it is important to address the ethical implications of our dietary choices and strive for more compassionate treatment of animals.
The Morality of Animal Suffering
Singer takes a philosophical perspective and likens the treatment of animals to historical atrocities like racism and sexism. He argues that humans have unjustly dominated and exploited animals, justifying their actions through ideologies that downplay animal suffering. Singer challenges the idea that humans have inherent superiority over animals and calls for expanding the moral circle to include all sentient beings capable of experiencing pleasure and pain. He highlights that inflicting suffering on animals is morally wrong and advocates for recognizing and respecting their interests and well-being.
Psychological Factors in Eating Animals
Singer delves into the psychology of eating animals and the cognitive dissonance that many people experience. He discusses how societal norms and the desire to maintain existing habits can lead individuals to avoid acknowledging the suffering caused by their dietary choices. Singer also highlights an experiment that revealed individuals' discomfort when faced with the realities of factory farming and how they might consciously or subconsciously rationalize their actions. He challenges people to confront the psychological barriers and make more informed choices about their diets.
Importance of Global Wealth Distribution
The podcast highlights the importance of global wealth distribution, emphasizing the vast disparity between the 700 million people living in extreme poverty and those earning over $100,000. The speaker argues that redistributing wealth can significantly improve the well-being of those living in poverty without causing substantial harm to those with higher incomes.
Debunking Intuitions and Moral Truths
The episode explores the idea of objective moral truth and how moral intuitions may not always align with what is objectively true. The speakers discuss examples like the moral intuition against sibling incest, which lacks logical justification but evolved due to reproductive risks. They argue that debunking certain intuitions can help us challenge and promote universal benevolence, considering ethical theories like utilitarianism.
The Challenge of Moral Uncertainty
The speakers address the dilemma of moral uncertainty and the importance of considering different moral theories and their implications. While they lean towards utilitarianism, they acknowledge the need for uncertainty and the possibility of being wrong. They also discuss the difficulty in quantifying and measuring utility, especially in fields like AI, where uncertainties and hypothetical scenarios arise.
Effective Altruism and AI Risks
The podcast briefly touches on the effective altruism movement and its concerns about risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI). While acknowledging the potential risks, they assert the need to evaluate the probabilities of reducing extinction risks associated with AI compared to other practical issues like global health and animal welfare.
Challenging the Bystander Effect
In response to a listener's question, the podcast discusses the bystander effect and ways to combat it. They emphasize the importance of taking action and not relying solely on social cues. They also highlight the role of power in numbers and community coordination to overcome social rejection or retaliation when confronting issues like abuse or injustice.
How have animal rights and the animal rights movement changed in the last few decades? How has the scale of animal product consumption grown relative to human population growth? On what principles ought animal ethics to be grounded? What features of human psychology enable humans to empathize with and dislike animal suffering and yet also eat animal products regularly? How does the agribusiness industry convince people to make choices that go against their own values? What are some simple changes people can make to their diets if they're not ready yet to go completely vegetarian or vegan but still want to be less responsible for animal suffering? What attitudes should vegetarians and vegans hold towards meat-eaters? When, if ever, is it possible to have done "enough", morally speaking? What are the things that matter intrinsically to humans and other sentient beings? What is the most complex organism that is apparently not conscious? Will we ever have the technology to scan someone's brain and measure how much pleasure or suffering they're experiencing? How uncertain should we be about moral uncertainty? What should we eat if it's eventually discovered that plants can suffer?
Peter Singer is a philosopher and the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. His work focuses on the ethics of human treatment of animals; he is often credited with starting the modern animal rights movement; and his writings have significantly influenced the development of the Effective Altruism movement. In 1971, Peter co-founded the Australian Federation of Animal Societies, now called Animals Australia, the country's largest and most effective animal organization; and in 2013, he founded The Life You Can Save, an organization named after his 2009 book, which aims to spread his ideas about why we should be doing much more to improve the lives of people living in extreme poverty and how we can best do this. In 2021, he received the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture for his "widely influential and intellectually rigorous work in reinvigorating utilitarianism as part of academic philosophy and as a force for change in the world". He has written, co-authored, edited, or co-edited more than 50 books, including Animal Liberation, The Life You Can Save, Practical Ethics, The Expanding Circle, Rethinking Life and Death, One World, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), and The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek); and his writings have been translated into more than 25 languages. Find out more about him at his website, petersinger.info, or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
