Articles by Peter Singer



The Immorality of Conspicuous Consumption

When Polish Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski went to Ukraine for talks last month, his Ukrainian counterparts reportedly laughed at him because he was wearing a Japanese quartz watch that cost only $165.

Do We Really Want to Live to Be 1,000 Years?

Instead of targeting diseases linked to aging, we should focus on extending our healthy lives.

What Is Between Your Legs Shouldn't Matter

Jenna Talackova reached the finals of Miss Universe Canada last month before being disqualified because she was not a "natural born" female. The tall, beautiful blonde told the media that she had considered herself a female since she was four years old, had begun hormone treatment at 14 and had sex reassignment surgery at 19. Her disqualification raises the question of what it really means to be a "miss."

Fat People Should Pay More

We are getting fatter.
In Australia, the United States and many other countries, it has become common to see people so fat that they waddle rather than walk. The rise in obesity is steepest in the developed world, but it is occurring in middle-income and poor countries as well.

Is It OK to Cheat in Football?

Sports today are highly competitive, with huge amounts of money at stake, and honesty seems to be a second-class consideration. Manuel Neuer's fraud during the World Cup elimination match between England and Germany is just one example of “win at all costs.”

A Cloud Over Airplane Safety

The cost of safety cannot be unlimited. While it is distasteful to put a price on human life, there is less money for achieving other goals as more is spent on eliminating risk.

Trivially Honest, Morally False

Bush's excessively literal interpretation of the requirements of honesty conceals a deeper dishonesty.


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