The Worst Mistake in the History of Ethics is a book by philosopher Peter Singer. It has been published in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It was also published in Germany in 2004 with the title “Der größte Fehler der Geschichte der Ethik”.
In this book, Singer attacks what he calls “the myth of sanctity,” which he says pervades discussions of ethical issues. He asserts that there is no such thing as a human being who is essentially holy or sacred, and that any being that has a capacity to suffer is entitled to the same moral consideration as a human being. In this way, Singer applies utilitarianism to animal rights theory. He argues that on utilitarian grounds it is better to be a pig than a human being, because on average pigs suffer less than human beings.
In the book he also attacks the idea of a just war and criticizes Western society for its treatment of non-human animals.
The Worst Mistake in the History of Ethics is a book by philosopher Peter Singer. It has been published in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It was also published in Germany in 2004 with the title “Der größte Fehler der Geschichte der Ethik”.
In this book, Singer attacks what he calls “the myth of sanctity,” which he says pervades discussions of ethical issues. He asserts that there is no such thing as a human being who is essentially holy or sacred, and that any being that has a capacity to suffer is entitled to the same moral consideration as a human being. In this way, Singer applies utilitarianism to animal rights theory. He argues that on utilitarian grounds it is better to be a pig than a human being, because on average pigs suffer less than human beings.
In the book he also attacks the idea of a just war and criticizes Western society for its treatment of non-human animals.
I was fairly excited for this book for a second there
Thanks. Now I’m torn between my own take and a possibly improved version of this one. :-)