Ethics

Oxford Readers

by Peter Singer (editor)

What is ethics? Where does it come from? Can we really hope to find any rational way of deciding how we ought to live? If we can, what would it be like, and how are we going to know when we have found it? To capture the essentials of what we know about the origins and nature of ethics, Peter Singer has drawn on anthropology, evolution, game theory, and works of fiction, in addition to the classic moral philosophy of such thinkers as Nietzsche, Kant, and Confucius. By choosing some of the finest pieces of writing, old and new, in and about ethics, he conveys the intellectual excitement of the search for answers to basic questions about how we ought to live. From the debates of Socrates and the profound writing of Rousseau to Jane Goodall's reflections on the ethics of chimpanzee kinship and Luther's commentary on the Sixth Commandment (thou shalt not kill), this engaging reader offers a complete and thorough introduction to the fascinating world of ethical debate.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Reference, School

432 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 1994

About the author

Peter Singer is sometimes called "the world’s most influential living philosopher" although he thinks that if that is true, it doesn't say much for all the other living philosophers around today. He has also been called the father (or grandfather?) of the modern animal rights movement, even though he doesn't base his philosophical views on rights, either for humans or for animals.


In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him 3rd among Global Thought Leaders for 2013. (He has since slipped to 36th.) He is known especially for his work on the ethics of our treatment of animals, for his controversial critique of the sanctity of life doctrine in bioethics, and for his writings on the obligations of the affluent to aid those living in extreme poverty. 


Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2011 Time included Animal Liberation on its “All-TIME” list of the 100 best nonfiction books published in English since the magazine began, in 1923. Singer has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 50 books, including Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; How Are We to Live?, Rethinking Life and Death, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek), The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. His works have appeared in more than 30 languages.

Singer’s book The Life You Can Save, first published in 2009, led him to found a non-profit organization of the same name. In 2019, Singer got back the rights to the book and granted them to the organization, enabling it to make the eBook and audiobook versions available free from its website, www.thelifeyoucansave.org.



Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. After teaching in England, the United States and Australia, he has, since 1999, been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is married, with three daughters and four grandchildren. His recreations include hiking and surfing. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civic honour.

Reviews

[Richard Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good anthology of papers and excerpts on Ethics. Singer is an interesting philosopher and I have a number of anthologies he has edited, to which this is a worthy companion. This book treats ethics in a broad sense, and many of the papers would not normally be included in a philosophy text book - but it is all stronger for this. I have been dipping into this book and reading the contents gradually over a couple of months and have mostly enjoyed it, and found most of the contents very stimulating. If you like anthologies and are interested in ethics, you should find this a worthy addition to your library.

[Galena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep it handy; you can pick this book up anytime and read on. A fascinating insight into the thinking of philosophers over centuries. I've found favourites amongst them. A great book if you want to have a basic understanding of the many famous philosophers.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent selection of excerpts and essays on ethics.

It covers a lot of divergent ideas and theories on ethics, and the reading was very thought provoking. The quintessential philosophers and schools of thought are represented, some old some modern.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great eclectic collection of writings on ethics (which include the classics). I especially like the section on "What things are good?".

[Ilias Bartolini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only half way reading this book but can't wait to share my thoughts on it. There are some books that change your mind and the way you think. There are some other books that change your life and the way you carry on your actions. This book belongs to both of these categories. How to discern between what is right or wrong? How to transform this thought in the correct actions? Is ethics subjective or objective? Does an ultimate value exists? How to reconcile alternative ethical views? How our moral virtue grows and evolve? This anthology collects the thoughts of our ancestors in the last two and half millennia on ethics. Each passage is a real pearl of moral value and beauty. Despite the book is quite thick and requires a lot of concentration to read, every article in this selection can be red independently without strictly following the book order. I will definitely recommend this book to each of my friends.