Provocative essays on real-world ethical questions from the world's most influential
philosopher Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is
also one of its most controversial. The author of important books such as Animal Liberation
Practical Ethics Rethinking Life and Death and The Life You Can Save he helped launch the
animal rights and effective altruism movements and contributed to the development of bioethics.
Now in Ethics in the Real World Singer shows that he is also a master at dissecting important
current events in a few hundred words. In this book of brief essays he applies his
controversial ways of thinking to issues like climate change extreme poverty animals
abortion euthanasia human genetic selection sports doping the sale of kidneys the ethics
of high-priced art and ways of increasing happiness. Singer asks whether chimpanzees are
people smoking should be outlawed or consensual sex between adult siblings should be
decriminalized and he reiterates his case against the idea that all human life is sacred
applying his arguments to some recent cases in the news. In addition he explores in an easily
accessible form some of the deepest philosophical questions such as whether anything really
matters and what is the value of the pale blue dot that is our planet. The collection also
includes some more personal reflections like Singer's thoughts on one of his favorite
activities surfing and an unusual suggestion for starting a family conversation over a
holiday feast. Provocative and original these essays will challenge-and possibly change-your
beliefs about a wide range of real-world ethical questions.
