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Peter Singer

Peter Singer

Writing for PS since 2001
241 commentaries
1 videos & podcasts

Peter Singer, Emeritus Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Visiting Professor at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the National University of Singapore, is co-host of the podcast Lives Well Lived, Co-founder of the charity The Life You Can Save. His books include Consider the Turkey, Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), Rethinking Life and Death, The Point of View of the Universe, co-authored with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, The Most Good You Can Do, Famine, Affluence, and Morality, One World Now, Ethics in the Real WorldWhy Vegan?, and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction, also with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek. In April 2021, W.W. Norton published his new edition of Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. In 2013, he was named the world's third "most influential contemporary thinker" by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. He is a co-author (with Shih Chao-Hwei) of The Buddhist and the Ethicist (Shambhala Publications, 2023).

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  1. “America First” in Action
    singer239_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_americafirst Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    “America First” in Action

    Feb 6, 2025 Peter Singer assesses the damage Donald Trump has already done to long-term US interests since returning to the White House.

  2. Australia’s Great Social-Media Experiment
    singer238_Matt CardyGettyImages_teens_on_phones Matt Cardy/Getty Images

    Australia’s Great Social-Media Experiment

    Jan 6, 2025 Peter Singer assesses the merits of new legislation requiring users to be at least 16 years old.

  3. Choice in Dying Comes to the UK
    singer237_Carl CourtGettyImages_pro_euthanasia_protest_london Carl Court/Getty Images

    Choice in Dying Comes to the UK

    Dec 6, 2024 Peter Singer welcomes the approval of a bill that promises to empower terminally ill patients in England and Wales.

  4. What Progressives Must Learn from Trump’s Campaign
    singer236_ohn SenterUCGUniversal Images Group via Getty Images)_trump harris ads John Senter/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    What Progressives Must Learn from Trump’s Campaign

    Nov 14, 2024 Peter Singer thinks one of the most important lessons is to uphold open debate and address hot-button issues head-on.

  5. Protesting Ethically
    singer235_DAVID CANTINIAUXAFPTVAFP via Getty Images_mona lisa DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images

    Protesting Ethically

    Sep 3, 2024 Peter Singer & Martin Skladany apply four tests of proportionality to nonviolent demonstrations in democratic societies.

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  1. benami222_Dia ImagesGettyImages_al-sharaa_erdogan Dia Images/Getty Images

    The Fight for Syria

    Shlomo Ben-Ami worries that Israel and Turkey, with their clashing ambitions, could undermine the country’s stability.
  2. wei68_EITAN ABRAMOVICHAFP via Getty Image_mercosureudeal Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images

    How to Counter Trump's Tariffs Productively?

    Shang-Jin Wei proposes steps that allies and rivals alike can take to mitigate the effects of American trade policies.
  3. ghosh85_NOAH SEELAMAFP via Getty Images_indiaaadhaar Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images

    Weaponizing Data Against Democracy

    Jayati Ghosh explains why and how authoritarian leaders like Narendra Modi hide or manipulate official figures.
  4. james227_Central PressGettyImages_neville_chamberlain_munich_pact Central Press/Getty Images

    Alternatives to Trump’s Russia Appeasement

    Harold James explains how France and Britain can guarantee Ukraine’s security now that America has effectively surrendered.
  5. op_malmendier1_ INA FASSBENDERAFP via Getty Images_germanyrailway Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

    Germany at a Crossroads

    Ulrike Malmendier, et al.

    Despite its ongoing economic stagnation and aging population, Germany’s outlook is far from hopeless. But to restore its growth momentum, it must embrace the realities of the twenty-first century, invest in high-potential emerging sectors, and adapt to an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.

    urge policymakers to pursue bold structural reforms, rather than clinging to an outdated growth model.
  6. cnobre2_CARL DE SOUZAAFP via Getty Images_amazonfire Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images

    The Amazon’s Future Will Be Decided in 2025

    Carlos Nobre & Marielos Peña-Claros warn that the world's largest rainforest is reaching a tipping point, beyond which it will largely disappear.
  7. zizek42_Andrej IsakovicGettyImages_serbia_student_protests Andrej Isakovic/Getty Images

    The New Face of Protest

    Slavoj Žižek contrasts the pioneering mass student demonstrations in Serbia with widespread private resignation in China.
  8. lee54_Ed JonesGettyImages_korea_elderly_worker Ed Jones/Getty Images

    Reaping Asia’s Silver Demographic Dividend

    Lee Jong-Wha urges governments to develop integrated policies that encourage older adults to stay in the workforce.
  9. ekue1_Peter DazeleyGettyImages_green_jar_coins Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

    Getting Green Investment Where It’s Needed Most

    Serge Ekué & Javier Díaz Fajardo propose a strategy to redirect all financial flows toward the climate transition.

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