Episode · People I (Mostly) Admire · 2023-01-06
Books mentioned on Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt | People I (Mostly) Admire | Ep 90
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Animal Liberation
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer is a foundational philosophy text that galvanized the modern animal rights movement by arguing against the moral permissibility of animal exploitation.
Discussed“I probably know at least a dozen people who became vegetarian after they read his book animal Liberation”
Where to get it
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The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith is a foundational 1776 text in economics that explores the nature and causes of the wealth of nations, famously introducing concepts like the division of labor and the invisible hand of the free market.
Discussed“and Adam Smith's book The Wealth of Nations he laid out what's called The Invisible Hand Theory”
Where to get it
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The Theory of Moral Sentiments
The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith is a foundational 1759 philosophical work examining the moral agency, empathy, and social bonds that govern human interactions.
Discussed“You're referring to the Adam Smith of The Wealth of Nations but there's also the Adam Smith of the theory of moral sentiments”
Where to get it
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Famine, affluence, and morality
Famine, Affluence, and Morality is a seminal philosophical essay by Peter Singer that argues wealthy individuals have a profound moral obligation to donate significantly more resources to alleviate global suffering and poverty.
Discussed“and my illustration of this comes from an early article that I published in 1972 called famine affluence and morality”
Where to get it
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Marriage and morals
Discussed“people objected to his appointment because of what he'd written in an essay called marriage and morals”
Where to get it
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Practical ethics
Practical ethics by Peter Singer is a prominent philosophy book that addresses applied ethical issues, including the definition of equality, the moral status of animals, and complex dilemmas surrounding life and death.
Discussed“and I can trace that because my book practical ethics in which one chapter talks about these issues had been translated into German”
Where to get it
