People I (Mostly) Admire 90. Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt
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Oct 15, 2022 
Peter Singer, a highly influential philosopher renowned for his groundbreaking work on ethics and animal rights, joins the discussion. He critiques Steve Levitt's moral inconsistencies and explores the ethical implications of speciesism, drawing parallels to racism and sexism. The conversation dives into the ethics of pain, the complexities of economic self-interest, and the responsibilities we bear towards suffering beings. Singer also addresses the rising costs of college tuition, shedding light on the economic pressures affecting higher education.
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Ethical View on Pain
- Pain is intrinsically bad, but acceptable when it prevents greater harm.
- We naturally empathize more with those close to us, but ethically, all pain should matter equally.
Life's Value
- The value of a life depends on individual characteristics, not species.
- A severely brain-damaged human's life may be less precious than a healthy animal's.
Anencephalic Infant Case
- A Florida woman's anencephalic baby's organs couldn't be donated due to its living human status.
- The baby died, and the organs were wasted, highlighting the flawed logic of prioritizing species over individual characteristics.