Peter Singer

Life

• Born: July 6, 1946, in Melbourne, Australia
• Education: University of Melbourne (BA, 1967), University of Oxford (BPhil, 1971)
• Career:
• Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University (1999-present)
• Founder of the Centre for Human Bioethics at Monash University (1980)
• Key Appointments:
• Laureate Professor at University of Melbourne (2005)
• Founding editor of the journal "Bioethics" (1987)

People Who Influenced Their Thought

• Jeremy Bentham: Utilitarian philosophy foundation
• John Stuart Mill: Developed utilitarian principles further
• R.M. Hare: His Oxford tutor who shaped his metaethical views
• Henry Spira: Animal rights activist who influenced his practical ethics approach

Main Ideas and Publications

• Animal Liberation (1975): Seminal work launching modern animal rights movement
• Practical Ethics (1979): Systematic application of utilitarian principles
• Effective Altruism: Philosophy of using reason to determine most effective ways to help others
• The Life You Can Save (2009): Argument for charitable giving as moral obligation
• Famine, Affluence, and Morality (1971 essay): Radical claim about obligations to global poor

Controversies around His Main Work or Thought

• Animal Rights: Faced protests for comparing animal treatment to Holocaust
• Bioethics: Controversial views on infanticide and euthanasia
• Effective Altruism: Criticized for being overly calculative about human suffering
• Disability Views: Accused of ableism for quality-of-life judgments

Key People Influenced by Their Thought

• William MacAskill: Leader in Effective Altruism movement
• Toby Ord: Founder of Giving What We Can
• Paula Casal: Applied his ideas to global justice
• Jeff McMahan: Developed his ethical theories further

Legacy

Peter Singer revolutionized applied ethics through uncompromising utilitarianism, fundamentally changing debates about animal rights, global poverty, and effective philanthropy while provoking ongoing controversy.