Peter Singer
Credit - Courtesy Alletta Vaandering
Through clear-eyed arguments and ceaseless advocacy, Australian philosopher Peter Singer has revolutionized modern philanthropy—twice.
His 1972 essay 'Famine, Affluence, and Morality' argued that people ought to prevent suffering from death and poverty when they can do so without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance. It has long influenced giving strategies for wealthy donors and laid the foundation for the effective altruism movement. Meanwhile, his 1975 book Animal Liberation, which argued that the interests of non-human animals deserve equal moral consideration, helped launch the modern animal welfare movement.
Last year, Singer's charity, The Life You Can Save, which makes research-based recommendations of nonprofits fighting extreme poverty, passed the $100 million mark in donations to organizations it recommends, a decade after its founding. And in recognition of his impact, Singer, a professor emeritus of bioethics at Princeton, won the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture in 2021, donating the $1 million that came with it to high-impact charities tackling extreme poverty and animal suffering.
While broadly celebrated, Singer's utilitarian views have also attracted controversy: for example, he's faced significant criticism from some disability advocates, religious groups, and fellow bioethicists for arguing that, in certain cases, euthanasia of newborns with severe disabilities is morally permissible.
At the same time, Singer, 78, continues to argue that all sentient beings deserve moral consideration. 'I'm happy that I'm still around, having some influence, and I hope to have some years to expand that influence,' says Singer, whose 2024 book Consider the Turkey was the latest in an extensive body of work that includes 50 books and hundreds of essays. 'That seems to me to be the best thing I can do with the remaining time that I have.'
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