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Ethics in the Real World: 86 Brief Essays on Things that Matter

Peter Singer (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · Rating details · 2,527 ratings · 269 reviews

Peter Singer is often described as the world’s most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. The author of important books such as Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, Rethinking Life and Death, and The Life You Can Save, he helped launch the animal rights and effective altruism movements and contributed to the development of bioethics. Now, in Et

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Paperback, 336 pages

Published September 19th 2016 by Text Publishing

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The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Effective Altruism Books

171 books — 91 voters

Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett

Sam Harris' Recommended Reading

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Jan 05, 2017 Kevin Kelsey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone with a few extra minutes here and there

Shelves: read-2017, read-it-again, favorites

Posted at Heradas Review

A wonderful collection of short essays, aimed toward every day people. Each designed to introduce some difficult ethical questions to those that may have never been forced to confront them in their day-to-day lives.

The only failure of this book is, in retrospect, actually a success, it being inherent to the function of what the book set out to achieve; the essays are too brief, and as a result, often too black and white. The author, a utilitarian, undoubtedly understood t ...more

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Nov 10, 2016 Tso William rated it liked it

Shelves: morality, philosophy, non-fiction

The book consists of short essays from one of the most eminent philosophers of our age. The book title Ethics in the Real World is a little misleading because there are in fact essays on a range of topics: from Godless morality to New Year's resolution. As each essay is only a few pages and written in clear and understandable prose, it gives good introductions on major topics.

The problem, however, is that sometimes the essays are so short that it gives no justice to Singer's thought. I have rea ...more

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Sep 02, 2017 Larry Bassett rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, audio

I have come to respect Peter singer in recent years because of his contributions to the field of effective altruism, doing the most good possible with your financial contributions to charities. I decided to read this book because it was by Peter Singer. I was somewhat disappointed but I think that was more because I felt somewhat overwhelmed by one short op ad piece after another. I wasn't especially interested in all of the topics and didn't feel that Peter added a great deal to my thinking abo ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Liam Bai rated it it was amazing

A collection of thought-provoking essays on ethical issues that should concern every single one of us.

How can philosophy and ethics be valuable if they only raise questions that cannot be definitively answered? This thought always steered me away from philosophy – why are you sitting here thinking about these empty ideas when, instead, you can use this time to do something useful? I found an answer in this book: just like inventing new technologies, by thinking about and discussing things that m A collection of thought-provoking essays on ethical issues that should concern every single one of us.

How can philosophy and ethics be valuable if they only raise questions that cannot be definitively answered? This thought always steered me away from philosophy – why are you sitting here thinking about these empty ideas when, instead, you can use this time to do something useful? I found an answer in this book: just like inventing new technologies, by thinking about and discussing things that matter, we can make this world a better place.

Too often do we neglect issues extremely important to humanity (animal abuse, poverty, the credibility of charities, universal internet access...) that perhaps don’t concern us directly. We acquiesce to the status quo. This book thoughtfully challenges some of these ideas and inspired me to view them in different ways. The world doesn’t have to be run this way – especially if you think it’s messed up – but it will continue to be if no one questions it.

Though categorical, Singer’s arguments are by no means abrasive. I admire his spirit of open discourse – he is assertive in his stance yet open to disagreement. His insightful essay on Harriet McBryde Johnson, a fervent and outspoken critic of his views on disability, demonstrates his respect and openness.

Singer’s simple and concise style allows the reader to understand and participate in these discussions without any background in theories of philosophy. I found this particularly enjoyable. In fact, he rarely mentions that he is utilitarian and never expounds complex theories. Instead, he just states – without pretensions – what he believes to be right, and why you should agree with him.

Indeed, discussions of these ever more important problems in our society should not be limited to the academic few that are well-versed in philosophy or the powerful few that dominate the political scene. These discussions should involve every one of us because we ALL share their consequences. It is our duty as citizens to think about these issues carefully and participate in these conversations – only this way can we bring about responsible change and steer humanity in the right direction. ...more

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May 16, 2017 Malcolm Everett rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, audiobooks, non-fiction

Australian philosopher and Stanford professor Peter Singer provides bite-sized food for thought in this collection of mini essays on various ethical issues, which was written with a general audience in mind. The essays are organized according to topic, covering everything from animal rights and euthanasia to charitable giving and politics.

As a teenager, these types of ethical questions were ones that I devoured endlessly. I lurked on online forums to discover different viewpoints and delighted ...more

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Oct 31, 2017 Fatma added it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, non-fiction, dnf

DNF at 68% - some of its arguments were engaging and thought-provoking (especially the ones on medical care), but for the most part I didn't really care for these essays. A lot of them felt obvious, and maybe that's because of the constraints of Singer's format. Personally, I thought the brevity of the essays robbed them of potential for nuance, and made them feel quite underwhelming at times. That being said, I'm deciding to DNF this because it simply isn't holding my attention right now. I'd r ...more

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Dec 21, 2017 Mehrsa rated it really liked it

I agree with Singer that the op-ed provides a great medium for scholars to advance their thoughts because it forces them to make their language less complicated and their thoughts more succinct. Having said that, there was no real coherency to this book--no connecting tissue from one thought to the other. It didn't even seem like there was any order at all to the random essays. Having said that each essay was really thought-provoking and it was great to have them all in one place and read Singer ...more

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Dec 01, 2016 Arnaud Vigouroux rated it it was amazing

Excellent book that raises a lot of important questions that we are often uncomfortable to ask ourselves.

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Dec 19, 2017 Matthew Kramer rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Dr. Singer is an instructor in bioethics at Princeton, which explains his relentlessly liberal viewpoint and thinly veiled contempt for religion, conservatives and basically everyone who does not agree with him. For an individual who supposedly has spent a lifetime developing the field of Bioethics, many of his arguments (they are in fact arguments, in support of his own opinions, not even-handed treatments of difficult questions) lack even a pretense of logical progression. As a physician who h ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 Text Publishing rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian, non-fiction, politics, philosophy

‘Peter Singer’s status as a man of principles and towering intellect—a philosopher extraordinaire, if you will—is unrivalled in Australia.’
Sydney Morning Herald

‘Peter Singer is a public intellectual par excellence.’
Monthly

‘Peter Singer may be the most controversial philosopher alive; he is certainly among the most influential.’
New Yorker

‘Lucidly conceived and written, the brief essays in Ethics in the Real World attest to Singer’s enduring facility for wise, clear-headed enquiry into some of the ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 Brooke rated it really liked it

Jake and I listened to a couple essays in the car on a road trip which started some really good conversations. I want to discuss all 86 essays with someone on a road trip. That would be awesome.

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Apr 11, 2017 Corey Wozniak rated it really liked it

This would make a great 'textbook' for a Philosophy & Ethics course at the high school level. I'd really like to teach such a class someday. The breadth is fantastic: "climate change, extreme poverty, animals, abortion, euthanasia, human genetic selection, sports doping, the sale of kidneys, the ethics of high-priced art, and ways of increasing happiness... whether chimpanzees are people, smoking should be outlawed, or consensual sex between adult siblings should be decriminalised" and more.

The ...more

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May 30, 2017 Tony rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: general-nonfiction, philosophy

Ethics in the Real World is a collection of Singer's writings on a wide range of topics, ranging from vegetarianism and charitable giving to parenting and artificial lifeforms. The essays can be interesting and thought provoking. However, if one is at all knowledgeable about the subject matter, the author's views routinely come across as shockingly naive. He also writes as if his subjective value judgments were universal truths; they are not.

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Mar 31, 2018 Tiffany rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy

This book will make you think about every single thing you do. It will also make you want to be a better person. This book will also make you want to be a deeper better thinker. Professor Singer does these things effortlessly in easy language George Orwell would approve of. He does it with humility, sincerity and brio. Everyone should have this on their bed side table ready to be absorbed nightly.

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May 30, 2017 Karine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, non-fiction

This collection of essays is thought-provoking and at times, controversial. I was inspired to try veganism and dismayed by Singer's lack of appreciation for art and culture, which he consistently values below disease-prevention. Bunched by topic, the essays can be quite repetitive and are not ideal for road-trip listening. The book is better in small doses.

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Sep 27, 2017 Teo 2050 rated it liked it

Shelves: _audio, _nonfiction, rated-3, effective-altruism, by_philosopher, genes, sustainability, enhancement, health-longevity, dissonance

2017.09.23–2017.09.26

Contents

Singer P (2016) (09:04) Ethics in the Real World - 86 Brief Essays on Things that Matter

Introduction
Acknowledgments

Big Questions

01. The Value of a Pale Blue Dot (from Project Syndicate, May 14, 2009)

02. Does Anything Matter? (from Project Syndicate, June 13, 2011)

03. Is There Moral Progress? (from Project Syndicate, April 14, 2008)

04. God and Suffering, Again (from Free Inquiry, a publication of the Council for Secular Humanism, a program of the Center for Inquiry, O ...more

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Oct 25, 2018 Michael Kich rated it liked it · review of another edition

Ummm, this title actually bored me. I didn't object to anything written within it, and I don't object in principle to the chosen format (short, 2-3 page essays on a variety of topics taken from roughly a decade-long period), but it just didn't inspire very much curiosity or new thought in me. Every conclusion he reached was what would be obviously ethical, or at least what I would already judge as the ethical position. It's not that I want to strenuously object to whatever I'm reading, but that Ummm, this title actually bored me. I didn't object to anything written within it, and I don't object in principle to the chosen format (short, 2-3 page essays on a variety of topics taken from roughly a decade-long period), but it just didn't inspire very much curiosity or new thought in me. Every conclusion he reached was what would be obviously ethical, or at least what I would already judge as the ethical position. It's not that I want to strenuously object to whatever I'm reading, but that I would like to be surprised at least some of the time. If I'm surprised, then I'm interested and I can hear myself vocalizing the "huh!" that signals genuine engagement. If I'm engaged, I'm much more likely to remember whatever it is, unlike the rows of forgettable essays I just read. Ok, that's mean...but true, in my case. It's not that Peter's writing or reasoning is bad, but that I'd hoped for something newer to me.

I'm also ambivalent about the place of works like these - works that deal in 'should', because it's a work on ethics. On the one hand, I believe that ethics is lacking in the world and we see the results of that all around us. It has real consequences, from politics to technology, and there's this frustrating myopia you see (particularly in the tech world), where individuals and businesses rush ahead to be the first to achieve an ethically dubious goal, simply because it's there. I do object to that, and Peter Singer's work is important there. On the other hand, the cynic sitting hunched on a stool inside of my head points out that humans have never seriously heeded ethics, and somehow the force behind 'should' is always primarily intellectual, which...for however much we esteem the intellect (in certain circles, anyway), we are not primarily intellectual, but rather emotional, creatures. On the other hand, like one of his essays on New Year's resolutions, just because we tend to fail at ethics, doesn't mean that we should forsake it. In the case of climate change, which he discusses most prominently throughout the book, we cannot afford to forsake ethics (though we have). I guess reading this book did leave me with the question, "is it better to be a cynic and live satisfied with low expectations for myself and the world around me, or, given that that already sounds bleak, is it better to pursue a tired mantra of what me must do in the face of what we aren't doing, and don't do?" I guess you have to be a bit of a masochist to pursue things that really matter; then again, I should know that already from the rest of life.

These reviews always turn into rambles in my case, because I can't be bothered to edit my points in order, so instead everything just tumbles out in the order it occurs to me, which is usually disjointed. Given that I'm probably the only one who reads my reviews, that's okay though. I'm kind of reminded of a number of articles on repopularizing Aristotle that I've read recently: Peter's approach to ethics must have been strongly influenced by him. I agree with the style of thinking that Peter exercises with any dilemma - that is, that every situation is highly nuanced, and although he is stridently utilitarian (the greatest good for the greatest number of people, or beings), answers to worldwide problems are rarely black-and-white. I do appreciate that. Also, similarly to Aristotle, Peter doesn't attempt to formulate a 'system', an approach which has become so popular in the last few decades. People always want a coherent framework that is entirely self-contained - like becoming a stoic, or a Buddhist, or whatever else you might think of with its own discrete philosophy and packaged view of the world. The Aristotelian approach (which is something I'm assuming, and not something Peter himself ever claims in his essays in this book) assumes that context is all-important, and as such any rigid system recommending certain responses to the world is going to be lacking.

To conclude this text-based rant, I would have liked to have been changed more by what I read, but it's also unfair to claim that it didn't make me think at all - because that's not true either. ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Marks54 rated it liked it · review of another edition

Peter Singer is a well known and influential Australian bioethicist who teaches at Princeton. This book presents a series of "80 brief essays" on things that matter. So this is a book in which a highly regarded philosopher presents some of his core insights working under a constraint of a 1000 word space constraint. I thought about this for a while before I began. Philosophy is hard to read and takes much time and attention. There is much craft involved in it, although it is often difficult enou Peter Singer is a well known and influential Australian bioethicist who teaches at Princeton. This book presents a series of "80 brief essays" on things that matter. So this is a book in which a highly regarded philosopher presents some of his core insights working under a constraint of a 1000 word space constraint. I thought about this for a while before I began. Philosophy is hard to read and takes much time and attention. There is much craft involved in it, although it is often difficult enough to just understand an argument and not why the method is or is not important. Ethics in any of its forms complicates the task of understanding even more, in that it concerns human behaviors and standards of desirable or defensible behavior. Some arguments are important on matters of principle while others depend on the outcomes of human activities - and both are often important. It strikes me that "ethics" in various applied situations substitutes general invocations or scolds for quality analysis and that ethical controversies are often situations where one is damned if one does and damned if one doesn't. This makes ethics a difficult load to teach in professional schools.

I found many of Singer's essays very engaging and even stimulating. He writes very clearly and is expert in mapping out the various dimensions involved in an argument. The essays I enjoyed the most were concerned with various bioethical topics related to illness, treatments, aging, end of life decisions, animal rights, and hard decisions about resource allocations and physician decisions. The essays later in the book were less engaging, although there were exceptions, such as his argument about rethinking blanket opposition to genetically modified organisms. I found my initial concerns justified in part, however, in that I did not get the appreciation I had hoped for about the details of the arguments and how one can best consider complex cases. Too many of these essays read more life study notes for arguments to remember something about them that a dive into the argument. I cannot really blame Singer, since he was transparent in what he was doing and provided a large number of interesting briefs.

I guess I will just have to read more of his work. That will not be much of a burden. This collection was an enjoyable introduction. ...more

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Oct 01, 2016 Lisa rated it liked it

Shelves: c21st, 16review, australia, philosophy

Australian Peter Singer is one of my favourite philosophers because he writes about everyday issues that thoughtful citizens need to think about clearly. I’ve reviewed a couple of his books about philanthropy (The Most Good You Can Do, and The Life You Can Save) but this latest title Ethics in the Real World is different because it ranges widely over a variety of topics and as the sub-title says, it’s 86 Brief Essays on Things That Matter. The 82 essays are short pieces of less than 1000 words w ...more

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Oct 21, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing

I agree

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Aug 17, 2017 Bradley Eylander rated it it was ok

Due to small length of each essay Singer is forced to state a ethical issue and give HIS solution and opinion. It's missing the well thought reasoning behind his opinion and why the contrary view is incorrect. For example, when he talks about global warming he briefly mentions that people don't view all lives as of equal value, hence why rich societies and people are not doing enough to stop their greenhouse gas effects which affects poor people more than rich ones. Well why should the reader th ...more

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Nov 14, 2017 Peter Jaimez rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Not a a philosopher a Parrot!

Putting aside the merits, or lack of them, of the arguments is very sad when you only find those ideas that a) make the author feel superior to the rest on mankind, b) Help insure his status and material well being.

Of course thinking about the issues would threaten not only his pocket but his vision of himself.

And that is what I desire from a real "lover of wisdom"

A single example: a single old badly tuned car in Caracas puts out more pollution in an hour than a thou ...more

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May 09, 2018 Abhishek Kona rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a series of essays from Peter singers newspaper columns. The essays introduce the reader to various ethical issues today and how the author reasons or thinks about them. It is an opinionated book. The book does not provide some sort of decision framework, it treats each issue case by case.

This book was mind opening. The criticism I have it some essays are too simple, may be the author wanted to make it accessible to the casual newspaper reader.

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Jul 19, 2018 Frank rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ethics

If you don't like philosophy, read this. Ethics in the real world is philosophy as it was originally meant to be: careful thinking about real world issues and how to address them. No nonsensical word games, just pragmatic, thought provoking essays about issues anybody should be concerned with, without falling back on "well, God done said in this Bronze Age book written by illiterate herdsmen that..."

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Jan 16, 2017 Aboozar rated it it was ok · review of another edition

While I find some of the arguments novel and interesting, there are major flaws in there author's provided information that is used to start each argument. I found the statistics he provided on Iran flawed. Also don't expect it to be a public policy guideline but just a thought exercise book given the impracticality of some of his arguments.

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Mar 08, 2017 John Fredrickson rated it really liked it

Shelves: philosophy, essays, ethics

In this book, Singer explores a myriad of subjects from the standpoint of ethical considerations. Often this takes unexpected turns, as when he explores our predilection for eating meat and its impact on climate change issues. Each essay is extremely short, and is quickly read, but they touch on subjects that are quite diverse.

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Dec 14, 2016 Cian Breen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Peter Singer is a joy to read. His utilitarian views are highly rational and enlightening. The essays contained in this book are indeed brief but they cover a wide range of important topics. This is an excellent introduction to Singer's work.

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Oct 31, 2017 Darnell rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

Too brief, in my opinion - this book is more a clear statement of all Singer's positions than an attempt to defend them. Singer is a concise writer, though, I'm interested in reading his thoughts at a level with more rigor.

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Mar 23, 2018 Manaal Faruqui rated it it was amazing

highly recommend for those who would like a quick grasp on different topics that touch ethics in the real world. it's a collection of essays on such topics with every essay being 2-3 pages which makes it easier to digest while not getting bored.

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May 18, 2017 Edward Sullivan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-nonfiction, philosophy, essays, ethics

A great collection of short, accessible essays that are intellectually and morally challenging. Many would be great for small group discussions.

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About Peter Singer

Peter Singer

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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 mag 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. ...more