Animal Liberation by Peter Singer discussion

How should we treat non-human animals? In this immensely powerful and influential book, the renowned moral philosopher Peter Singer addresses this simple question with trenchant, dispassionate reasoning. Accompanied by the disturbing evidence of factory farms and laboratories, his answers triggered the birth of the animal rights movement.

Please note, there are two distinct editions of the book, the original 1975 edition and an almost fully revised edition titled Animal Liberation Now, published in 2023. I will be reading the latter but feel free to read whichever edition you can get your hands on.

For those with less time, the Peter Singer AI on his website has recommended the following key chapters:

• All Animals Are Equal
• Tools for Research
• Down on the Factory Farm
• Becoming a Vegetarian

As always, it is not a requirement to have read the assigned text to join the discussion. Below are some resources providing a general overview of the topic.

Text...

• Text – 1975 Edition (PDF) https://grupojovenfl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/peter-singer-animal-liberation-1.pdf

Video...

• Big Think: The hidden cost of cheap meat exposed by Peter Singer https://youtu.be/P449lL7Thgw?feature=shared

Podcasts...

• Within Reason: Peter Singer: Utilitarianism and Animals https://open.spotify.com/episode/567R64deDIV7zFY5wStLEj?si=WbTItNA_SuCTwo-4aokUxw
• In Our Time: Animal Experiments and Rights https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00545f8
• Panpsycast: Animal Rights
• Part I – History https://thepanpsycast.libsyn.com/episode-99-animal-rights-part-i-history
• Part 2 – Fellow Creatures https://thepanpsycast.libsyn.com/episode-99-animal-rights-part-ii-fellow-creatures
• Part 3 – Mere Instruments https://thepanpsycast.libsyn.com/episode-99-animal-rights-part-iii-mere-instruments
• Part 4 – Further Analysis and Discussion https://thepanpsycast.libsyn.com/episode-99-animal-rights-part-iv-further-analysis-and-discussion

Other Resources...

• Peter Singer Website https://www.petersinger.info/ (includes chat with Peter Singer AI)
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: The Moral Status of Animals https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-animal/