peter singer book animal liberation According to activist Ingrid Newkirk, the book was a “philosophical bombshell” when it was released in 1975. He says the book “made people, including myself, change the way they view what they eat, what they wear, and what animals do.”
Now a professor of bioethics at Princeton University, Singer condemns practices such as animal testing and meat-eating, arguing that animals, like humans, have the same right to live free from pain and suffering. It provided a philosophical argument for overhauling the treatment.
Though it helped inspire the modern animal rights movement, Singer’s views on animal ethics have long been far from the mainstream. For decades, vegetarians and vegans have been treated with equal parts bewilderment and resentment by many others. Factory farms prospered.
We now have a better understanding of the intelligence of many animals, from pigs to octopuses, as well as evidence that the ever-popular veganism is good for our health and the environment. But global meat and fish consumption is still on the rise, the world’s first octopus farming program is underway, and increasing climate change is driving many animals to extinction. Against this background, Singer revised as follows: animal liberation For a 21st century audience.
he says new scientist He explains how his ideas about animal rights have changed, why beef should be taxed to help people affected by climate change, and what ethical living looks like. of
Madeleine Cuffe: For those unfamiliar with your argument, what do you think of mankind’s treatment of animals?
Peter Singer: The core argument I made in 1975 was…
