Editorial Review:

Peter Singer's remarkably clear and comprehensive Practical Ethics has become a classic introduction to applied ethics since its publication in 1979 and has been translated into many languages. For this second edition the author has revised all the existing chapters, added two new ones, and updated the bibliography. He has also added an appendix describing some of the deep misunderstanding of and consequent violent reaction to the book in Germany, Austria and Switzerland where the book has tested the limits of freedom of speech. The focus of the book is the application of ethics to difficult and controversial social questions.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

Some Reviewers Are Not Smart:

I am amazed at the number of people who criticize Peter Singer's work, Practical Ethics, by somehow pointing to his contradictions. I need to remind some of you that if there is one thing professional philosophers know something or two about is contradictions, and if any of you have spent a little time in a philosophy class, you might understand the importance of Singer's work.
When I read some of these self-assured reviewers, who, for the most part, lack any training in logic and rigorous... more info

Controversial and Compelling:

Those who come to Singer's book expecting to be applauded for their preconceived notions of right and wrong may be disappointed. Singer's book is actually one long argument for his particular brand of consequentialist ethics, and it leaves aside any mollifying lip-service to contract ethics, deontological ethics, or relativist thinking. It refuses to traffic in over-simplified religious notions of morality, or in ethical systems based upon sheer self-interest. Singer is interested in a reasoned approach to... more info

Not only unethical but impractical, too!:

On 4/9/02, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Princeton's Peter Singer in Lawrenceville, NJ. I posed a question, citing two quotations from his "Practical Ethics, 2nd ed.":
1.) "That there is a huge gulf between humans and animals was unquestioned for most of the course of Western civilization....The use of language was another boundary line - but now chimpanzees, gorillas, and an orangutan have learnt Ameslan, the sign language of the deaf" (p.72);
2.) "Are animals... more info

Perfect, at least most of it...:

This book is definitely worth reading for its incredibly convincing arguments regarding moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, bestiality and infanticide.
However, in the last few chapters where Singer attempts to apply simple utilitarian principles to complex world issues, his conclusions become very flawed. For example, he concludes that the most ethical thing for people living in rich countries to do would be to donate 100% of their income beyond what they need for basic survival to help reduce... more info

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