Comments on: Congratulations, Peter Singer

By: Richard Hain

Richard Hain — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 04:26:00 +0000

As a Christian ethicist, I am not necessarily the person you might expect to leap to Singer’s defence here. But I do feel that what appears to be inconsistency or self-contradiction in Singer is often in reality a highly principled determination to remain rational as well as compassionate. If it becomes clear that one’s argument is flawed, the rational thing has to be to change it and, if necessary, its conclusions. Any other approach is surely a matter of blind faith.

By: Iain Brassington

Iain Brassington — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:51:00 +0000

I’m not sure that anyone who knows anything about philosophy would think him to be the voice of “utilitarianism”, though. And as for being self-contradictory: well, maybe. But maybe that’s a matter of changing and refining one’s views, and maybe it’s hard to avoid if and when moral questions and claims turn out to be more slippery than one thought when one made them first. If the alternative is sticking to a party line, then self-contradiction seems to me to be desirable…

By: Julian Kelly

Julian Kelly — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:32:00 +0000

There are also a lot of left wingers who aren’t happy. Singer doesn’t polarize people into left right camps. He has been so self-contradictory over the years that many regardless of political persuasion are left dismayed. He is not the voice of utilitarianism that is often portrayed.

By: Jomal96

Jomal96 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:38:00 +0000

Certainly well deserved and it shows a courage sadly lacking in the UK where distinguished scientists are refused awards in case we upset the anti animal research brigade.