Peter Singer - Pratical Ethics.pdf

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racicl Eics
Second Eiion
PETER SINGER
Centre fo r Human Bioethics
Monash University
. . : ., .... CAMBRIDGE
::: UNIVERSIY PRESS
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Peter Singer's remarkably clear and comprehensive ractical Eth­
ics has become a classic introduction to applied ethics since its
publication in 1979 and has been translated into many lan­
guages. For this second edition the author has revised all the
existing chapters, added two new ones, and updated the bib­
liography. He has also added an appendix describing some of
the deep misunderstanding of, and consequent violent reaction
to, the book in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland where the
book has tested the limits of freedom of speech.
The focus of the book is the application of ethics to diicult and
controversial social questions: equality and discrimination by
race, sex, ability, or species; abortion, euthanasia, and embryo
experimentation; the Moral Status of animals; political violence
and civil disobedience; overseas aid and the obligation to assist
others; responsibility for the environment; the treatment of ref­
ugees. Singer explains and assesses relevant arguments in a
perspicuous, nondoctrinaire way. He structures the book to
show how contemporary controversies oten have deep philo­
sophical roots; and he presents an ethical theory of his own that
can be applied consistently and convincingly to all the practical
cases.
The book's primary readership remains teachers and students
of ethics whether in philosophy or some other branch of the
humanities or social sciences. However, such is the clarity of
the book's style and structure that it should interest any thinking
person concened with the most dificult social problems facing
us as we approach the twenty-irst century.
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"Singer's book is packed with admirably marshaled and detailed
information, social, medical, and economic, and has a splendid
appendix of notes and references to further reading. The utility
of this utilitarian's book to students of its subject can hardly be
exaggerated."
- H.L.A. Hart, New York Review of Books
PRACTICAL ETHICS - SECOND EDITION
"Peter Singer has provided us with a good example of the fruits
of a major and by now established extension of philosophical
interest. He succeeds in being straightforward, clear, and forceful
without oversimpliying the technical aspects of the problems
he discusses or trivializing the underlying philosophical issues."
- The Times Higher Education Supplement
"This book is concentrated fare. The masterly and lively writing,
rich with brief and telling examples, is devoted to close reason­
ing on some basic issues confronting the human community."
- The Humanist
"Excellent and highly provocative'
- Choice
PUBiSHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
CONTENTS
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK http://www.cup.cam.ac.uk
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA http://www.cup.org
10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia
0 Cambridge University Press 1993
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and
to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
refa ce
page vii
1 About Ethics
2 Equality and Its Implications
3 Equality for Animals?
4 What's Wrong with Killing?
5 Taking Life: Animals
6 Taking Life: The Embryo and the Fetus
7 Taking Life: Humans
8 Rich and Poor
9 Insiders and Outsiders
10 The Environment
11 Ends and Means
12 Why Act Morally?
Appendix: On Being Silenced in Germany
Notes, References, and Further Reading
1
First published 1993
Reprinted 1993 (twice), 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 (twice), 1998,
1999
55
83
110
135
175
218
247
264
289
314
337
360
Printed in the United States of America
Typeset n Meridien
A caal09ue reord for this book is available from the British Libray
Libray of Conaress Catal09uin9-in-Publication Daa s available
ISBN 0-521-43363-0 hardback
ISBN 0-521-43971-X paperback
Index
381
v
PREFACE
Practical ethics covers a wide area. We can ind ethical rami­
ications in most of our choices, if we look hard enough. This
book does not attempt to cover this whole area. The problems
it deals with have been selected on two grounds: their relevance,
and the extent to which philosophical reasoning can contribute
to a discussion of them.
I regard an ethical issue as relevant if it is one that any think­
ing person must face. Some of the issues discussed in this book
confront us daily: what are our personal responsibilities towards
the poor? Are we justiied in treating animals as nothing more
than machines- producing flesh for us to eat? Should we be
using paper that is not recycled? And why should we bother
about acting in accordance with moral principles anyway?
Other problems, like abortion and euthanasia, fortunately are
not everyday decisions for most of us; but they are issues that
can arise at some time in our lives. They are also issues of current
concen about which any active participant in our society's de­
cision-making process needs to reflect.
The extent to which an issue can usefully be discussed phil­
osophically depends on the kind of issue it is. Some issues are
controversial largely because there are facts in dispute. For ex­
ample, whether the release of new organisms created by the
use of recombinant DNA ought to be peritted seems to hang
largely on whether the organisms pose a serious risk to the
environment. Although philosophers may lack the expertise to
tackle this question, they may still be able to say something
useful about whether it is acceptable to run a given risk of
vii

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