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  • Ethics in the Real World

  • 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter
  • By: Peter Singer
  • Narrated by: James Saunders
  • Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (214 ratings)

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Ethics in the Real World cover art

Ethics in the Real World

By: Peter Singer
Narrated by: James Saunders
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Publisher's Summary

Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. The author of important books such as Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, Rethinking Life and Death, and The Life You Can Save, he helped launch the animal rights and effective altruism movements and contributed to the development of bioethics.

Now, in Ethics in the Real World, Singer shows that he is also a master at dissecting important current events in a few hundred words.

In this book of brief essays, he applies his controversial ways of thinking to issues like climate change, extreme poverty, animals, abortion, euthanasia, human genetic selection, sports doping, the sale of kidneys, the ethics of high-priced art, and ways of increasing happiness. Singer asks whether chimpanzees are people, smoking should be outlawed, or consensual sex between adult siblings should be decriminalized, and he reiterates his case against the idea that all human life is sacred, applying his arguments to some recent cases in the news.

In addition, he explores, in an easily accessible form, some of the deepest philosophical questions, such as whether anything really matters and what is the value of the pale blue dot that is our planet. The collection also includes some more personal reflections, like Singer's thoughts on one of his favourite activities, surfing, and an unusual suggestion for starting a family conversation over a holiday feast.

Provocative and original, these essays will challenge - and possibly change - your beliefs about a wide range of real-world ethical questions.

©2016 Peter Singer (P)2017 Audible Studios

Critic Reviews

"Peter Singer might well be the most important philosopher alive. He is certainly one of the most enjoyable to read, and it's a joy to browse through this collection of his smart short essays. This is public philosophy at its best - clear, controversial, and deeply rational." (Paul Bloom, author of Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil)
"An accessible introduction to the work of a philosopher who would not regard being described as 'accessible' as an insult.... Despite their brevity, the essays do not shirk the big moral questions." ( Economist)

What listeners say about Ethics in the Real World

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Ethic-snacks for further reflections

Singer is a polished and effective communicator with a prodigious talent for bringing big issues down to bite-size dimensions.
The 82 essay format is because these are all re-prints of short (1000 word?) articles that have appeared in the various channels that publish Singer as a "columnist".
I found these to be great introductions to big issues...plenty to think about and a seduction to think more deeply!

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3 people found this helpful

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  • 10k
  • 26-02-2018

Interesting but a tad dry

What about James Saunders’s performance did you like?

The performance was not particularly enthralling, but with all the repeated themes and the slightly predictable writing style, it's no wonder why.

Any additional comments?

This was wonderful to consume, in terms of the ideas involved, but the nature of collected articles made it a bit repetitive at times (no matter the importance of the ideas). Mosquito Nets are something I am going to have top of mind for a very long time (and I think that's a good thing).

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, more effort needed

Loved the topics covered and the articulate and structured way in which singer puts his point across. However as an audiobook, it could be far more enjoyable to listen to and re listen to if the chapters were divided thematically, as many essays are on similar issues, and if they were labelled rather than as ‘chapter 71’ etc

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    5 out of 5 stars
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thinking outside of yourself-a shared world

Really enjoyed the variety of critical thinking topics allowing me to consider my views along the way. listening in 2023 and to an older book was interesting to appreciate ideas that were perhaps new at time of publishing are now progressed and some have come to fruition. Peter Singer is a fabulous example that progressive thinking such as not eating animals, ethical consideration, religion does not equal morality, is not age/generationally based, we all have capacity to think outside of ourselves, after all this planet is shared and kindness matters. Well worth the read or listen.

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    4 out of 5 stars

10 yr old publication but ethics are timeless

I found this easier than other content to digest as really a series of short stories on discrete topics. Few questions in the mix that have you challenging yourself. Which is the whole point. Recommended

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So Much To Consider on So Many Issues

I’ve read other of Singer’s works and loved this audiobook. Rationale and evidence-based, I’m impressed at Singer’s ability to be persuasive by encouraging the reader (listener) to shift their thinking through intellectual leverage, not pushy dogmatism. It won’t be long before this climbs back up my ‘To Listen’ list so that I can reflect on these topics again.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Overall enjoyable

I have found it overall enjoyable. Small bits of 5 to 10 minutes on defined topics. I didn’t find it challenging enough. A few interesting facts and references. Most of it seems to have been written prior to 2010. A lot has changed since: these ideas were probably novel back then but most of them are considered common sense now, in my opinion.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

In my top 5 books of all time

As my first foray into educating myself on ethics this book was unbelievably well put together, written and read. It covers a sweeping range of topics each contained within short essays meaning it can be digested very easily. I recommend this book to absolutely anyone, no book I have read has had me thinking quite this much. I look forward to reading and listening to more Peter Singer books in the near future.

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Brilliant book

Peter Singer's work is spectacular. This book has given me many things to reflect upon.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Peter Singer’s opinion on most things

This is a collection of opinion pieces argued by Singer based on his definition of what is ethical and various supporting facts. To get the most out of this book, I suggest pausing throughout and thinking what is your opinion on these matters or strike up a conversation with friends or family about these issues.
It’s a great prompt to think about issues and explore your own compas of right and wrong in doing so.

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