Peter Singer

Here's the ideal appetizer for the family Thanksgiving dinner... Get everyone a copy (it's only $9.95), ask them to read the first few pages of Chapter 3, and wait for the conversation to begin. @PrincetonUPress press.princeton.edu/books/ha…

On "Lives Well Lived," the podcast I host with @KasiaLazari, we spoke with Daniel Kahneman. Kasia de Lazari-Radek: “What does it make to have a good life?” Daniel Kahneman: “Well, in terms of the well-being of people, when you compare experienced well-being with evaluative well-being, with what people think about their lives, the most striking difference is that evaluative well-being is quite conventional. That is, success, education, having income are much more important to evaluative utility than to experienced utility. The experienced well-being depends primarily on how much time you spend with people you love. I mean, you know, if you had to choose one major determinant of happiness, that would be it. And if you were a full utilitarian, the less people spend with people they dislike, like their boss, for example, the better. For some working people, working closely with the boss they dislike, is torture, many hours a day.” Read the extract on Substack: boldreasoningwithpetersinger… Listen on Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3NPxmjD Listen on Spotify: bit.ly/4edwzDU

In my new @ProSyn column, I ask whether Kamala Harris would have won the US presidential election she had pushed back hard against the Trump campaign's storm of advertising portraying her as a radical on transgender issues. I argue that, even if her policy on the treatment of trans people was fully justified, she should have taken a position more in line with the views of American working class voters. project-syndicate.org/commen…

On "Lives Well Lived," the podcast I host with @KasiaLazari, we spoke with Daniel Kahneman. In this episode, Danny reflects on the collaborative nature of his career. He emphasizes the importance of choosing the right collaborators and how these relationships have contributed to his success and to making his life rewarding. Listen on Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3NPxmjD Listen on Spotify: bit.ly/4edwzDU

Is it ever justified to sacrifice one life to save many? Ask Peter Singer AI, a chatbot trained on my writings that aims to provide my views on questions you ask, including about the ethics of difficult moral decisions. Ask: "Is it ethical to sacrifice one to save many?" petersinger.ai/

Today marks the launch of The Rationales for Giving, a series exploring reasons to support the fight against extreme poverty. My article introduces the moral imperative to help those in severe need, , followed by insights from other thought leaders on why we should give. Read more here: thelifeyoucansave.org/ration…

Hi Americans! If you are doing Thanksgiving, please read my new, and very short book, Consider the Turkey. Here the spoiler, though: I hope it will persuade you to ditch the animal centrepiece and keep all the trimmings, which for many people are the best parts of the meal anyway. During my years at Princeton, I would always share Thanksgiving with a group of friends who do not eat meat. Each of us contributed something to the feast. Karen Bennett, a philosophy professor at Rutgers, would bring a substitute for turkey made from seitan, and the recipe is included in Consider the Turkey. Yesterday, the @WSJ published an extract from the book including an abbreviated version of the recipe. Here’s the article (but it’s behind a paywall, and you would do better to buy the book and get the full recipe, plus the rest of the book, than to contribute to the Murdoch empire’s profits): wsj.com/arts-culture/food-co…

We’ve launched a Patreon for the “Lives Well Lived” podcast. If you’re finding value in the conversations we’re having about ethics, philosophy, and what makes a life meaningful, consider supporting the show. Our podcast conversation with thinkers who challenge us to rethink our perspectives has been stimulating for us, and we know that many listeners are enjoying it. Every bit of support helps to keep these discussions going, and your contribution will go directly into sustaining the podcast. If you’re interested in joining us, visit our Patreon page here: patreon.com/LivesWellLivedPo… Thank you for helping make these conversations possible.

Before the election, several American friends told me that if Trump won, they would like to join me in Australia.  But the worst impact of Trump's victory will occur if he acts on his pledge to take the US out of international agreements on climate change.  If the US, the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, pulls out, it is unlikely that countries with much lower per capita emissions - like China, the world's largest emitter - will cut their emissions.  So there will be no escape from even more severe heatwaves, droughts and floods, and Australia, the world's driest continent, is more vulnerable than most other places.