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Quote by Peter Singer

“Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person. Sometimes it is not wrong at all.”

Quote by Peter Singer

Author

Peter Singer (born July 6, 1946) is an Australian moral philosopher renowned for his work in applied ethics, particularly animal liberation, effective altruism, and global poverty. He is a professor of bioethics at Princeton University and author of 'Animal Liberation,' a foundational text of the animal rights movement. Singer argues for extending moral consideration to all sentient beings based on utilitarian principles. His controversial views have sparked global debates but profoundly influenced contemporary ethics, charity practices, and animal welfare policies. more

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“If we compare a severely defective human infant with a nonhuman animal, a dog or a pig, for example, we will often find the nonhuman to have superior capacities, both actual and potential, for rationality, self-consciousness, communication and anything else that can plausibly be considered morally significant.”

Ifs Humans Self Animal Consciousness Dog Example Communication Capacity Significant Superiors Compare Pigs Rationality Infant Self Consciousness Defective

Author:Peter Singer

“Any time you stop looking at evil as a black and white thing, it's helpful. So the fact that there won't be any obligatory Islamic terrorist stereotypes in movies any more, that'd be helpful.”

Facts Evil Black White Terrorist Islamic Helpful Black And White Stereotype

Author:John Cusack

“As we realize that more and more things have global impact, I think we're going to get people increasingly wanting to get away from a purely national interest.”

People Thinking Interest Realizing Impact Get Away National Interests

Author:Peter Singer

“Ancient recipients of instant news probably couldn't do very much about it, for instance. Xerxes would still need three months to get his army together, and he might not get home for years.”

Needs Years Stills Home Might Together Three Months News Army Ancient Instance Instant Three Months

Author:Peter Singer

“Christianity is our foe. If animal rights is to succeed, we must destroy the Judeo-Christian religious tradition.”

Ifs Christian Religious Animal Christianity Rights Succeed Tradition Animal Rights Foe Religious Traditions

Author:Peter Singer

“Surely there will be some nonhuman animals whose lives, by any standards, are more valuable than the lives of some humans.”

Humans Animal Standards Valuable Live By Animal Rights Animal Rights Activists Animal Activist

Book:Animal liberation: a new ethics for our treatment of animals

Source: Animal liberation: a new ethics for our treatment of animals

“My view is different from this, only to the extent that if a decision is taken, by the parents and doctors, that it is better that a baby should die, I believe it should be possible to carry out that decision, not only by withholding or withdrawing life-support - which can lead to the baby dying slowly from dehydration or from an infection - but also by taking active steps to end the baby's life swiftly and humanely.”

Ifs Should Believe Different Ends Dies I Believe Parent Decision Views Steps Support Taken Dying Baby Doctors Active Infection Withholding Withdrawing Dehydration Dying Slowly

Author:Peter Singer

“Becoming a vegan is a sure way of completely avoiding participation in the abuse of farmed animals. Vegans are a living demonstration of the fact that we do not need to exploit animals for food.”

Way Needs Facts Animal Becoming Abuse Vegetarian Vegan Participation Avoiding Exploits Demonstration

Book:The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter

Source: The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter

“Suppose I grant that pigs and dogs are self-aware to some degree, and do have thoughts about things in the future. That would provide some reason for thinking it intrinsically wrong to kill them - not absolutely wrong, but perhaps quite a serious wrong. Still, there are other animals - chickens maybe, or fish - who can feel pain but don't have any self-awareness or capacity for thinking about the future. For those animals, you haven't given me any reason why painless killing would be wrong, if other animals take their place and lead an equally good life.”

“When the death of a disabled infant will lead to the birth of another infant with better prospects of a happy life, the total amount of happiness will be greater if the disabled infant is killed. The loss of happy life for the first infant is outweighed by the gain of happier life for the second. Therefore, if killing the hemophiliac infant has no adverse effect on others, it would, according to the total view, be right to kill him.”

Ifs Firsts Loss Views Greater Effects Amount Birth Gains Killing Happy Life Infant Disabled Prospects Adverse Happier Life Infanticide Adverse Effects

Book:Practical Ethics

Source: Practical Ethics