Peter Singer and Michael Slote

Peter Singer (left) and Michael Slote (right) on the ethics of famine relief.

Singer is famous for his brand of utilitarianism, his case of the drowning child, and his radical views on famine relief. Slote has developed a version of moral sentimentalism that provides a basis for criticism of Singer’s views. In this conversation, Singer and Slote debate the nature of our obligations to those in need, the place of empathy in our moral concepts, and the proper goal of philosophical argument.

Production note: Due to technical difficulties, this episode had to be lightly edited. It was not edited for content.

Related works

by Singer:

”Famine, Affluence, and Morality” (1972)

“What Should a Billionaire Give – and What Should You?” (2006)

The Life You Can Save (2009)

by Slote:

The Ethics of Care and Empathy (2007)

“Sentimentalist Moral Education” (2010)

Moral Sentimentalism (2010)

See also:

TRE Symposium on Sentimentalist Moral Eduction (2010)

More video:

Peter Singer and Tyler Cowen (BhTV)

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