The endless question: why (should I) act morally?: analysis of chapter 12 of Practical Ethics by Peter Singer

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5072/0101-3173.2024.v47.n.pe02400197

Keywords:

Peter Singer, Ethics, Intuitionism, moral action, Duty

Abstract

This essay seeks to provide a detailed analysis of chapter 12 of Peter Singer's Practical Ethics. Fundamental chapter not only for understanding the author's ethical and moral thought, but also for understanding the author's cultural and civilizational thought. It is in this sense that the question posed in the title - why act morally - is not limited to the horizon of the redundant discussion of personal interest or educational factors but becomes the philosophical-ethical exercise of inquiry into human action in the world, and therefore, It is a question that is rooted within ethics itself (as the author states), that is, as the foundation of human action. The essay ends with a reflection on the validity of the author’s ethical thinking in this specific chapter and some considerations on the philosopher’s general ethical thought.

Author Biography

  • Paulo Alexandre e Castro, Universidade de Coimbra/UCS

    Membro/Investigador do Instituto de Estudos Filosóficos da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra – Portugal; Colaborador do CIAC da Universidade do Algarve, Faro – Portugal. Professor visitante na Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS – Brasil . ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8256-1343.

References

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Recebido: 07/02/2024 – Aprovado: 11/03/2024 – Publicado: 15/06/2024

Published

2024-06-18

How to Cite

The endless question: why (should I) act morally?: analysis of chapter 12 of Practical Ethics by Peter Singer. (2024). Trans/Form/Ação, 47, e02400197. https://doi.org/10.5072/0101-3173.2024.v47.n.pe02400197