Peter Singer

Peter Albert David Singer (born 1946 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian philosopher. As of 2005, he holds two part-time positions: the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, and laureate professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, University of Melbourne.

Related Topics:
1946 - Melbourne - Victoria - Australia - Philosopher - Princeton University - University of Melbourne

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Singer's parents were Viennese Jews who escaped to Australia before World War II in 1938. His father imported tea and coffee, while his mother practiced medicine. Singer studied law, history and philosophy at the University of Melbourne, gaining his degree in 1967. He then received an MA for a thesis entitled Why should I be moral? in 1969. He was awarded a scholarship to study at University College, Oxford, achieving a BPhil in 1971. From then till 1972 he was a Radcliffe lecturer at University College and worked on a thesis on civil disobedience, supervised by R. M. Hare. This resulted in his first book (Democracy and Disobedience, 1973).

Related Topics:
Viennese - Jews - Australia - World War II - 1938 - Law - History - Philosophy - 1967 - MA - 1969 - University College, Oxford - BPhil - 1971 - 1972 - Radcliffe - 1973

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After Oxford, Singer taught at New York University for 16 months. During this time he produced his second book (Animal Liberation, 1975). He returned to Melbourne where he has spent most of his career, apart from many visiting positions internationally. Initially he was a senior lecturer at La Trobe University. Then, since 1977, he has served as chair of philosophy at Monash University in Melbourne, and founded its Centre for Human Bioethics. In 1996, he ran unsuccessfully as a Green candidate for the Australian Senate.

Related Topics:
Oxford - New York University - Animal Liberation - 1975 - La Trobe University - 1977 - Monash University - 1996 - Green

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Singer specializes in practical ethics, approaching ethical issues from a utilitarian, and specifically a preference utilitarian, perspective.

Related Topics:
Ethics - Utilitarian - Preference utilitarian

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Outside academic circles, he is best known for his book Animal Liberation, widely regarded as the bible of the animal liberation movement. He is a founding member of the Great Ape Project, which seeks to persuade the United Nations to adopt its Declaration on Great Apes awarding personhood to non-human great apes.

Related Topics:
Animal Liberation - Animal liberation movement - Great Ape Project - United Nations - Declaration on Great Apes - Great ape

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