Peter Singer on being provocative, EA, how his moral views have changed, & rescuing children drowning in ponds

Abstract

In 1979, philosopher Peter Singer’s controversial views on abortion (later in his book “Practical Ethics”) gained widespread attention in 1989, sparking protests and media scrutiny. Despite initially not intending to provoke controversy, the backlash ultimately increased sales of the book and led to an opinion column in The New York Times. Singer remains unapologetic about his views, recognizing that they may gain attention for other, more important topics discussed in his work, such as global poverty and animal ethics. While he acknowledges the potential for controversy to drive attention, he also emphasizes the importance of considering the potential consequences. For example, he opposes open borders due to the risk of fueling the election of leaders like Trump, and advocates for a broader focus in effective altruism to include more conventional concerns of smaller donors.