Sunday 8 July 2012

Philosophy Video: Peter Singer - Ethics Without Religion


Today I'm posting another Peter Singer guest lecture this time the lecture by Singer was given at the 2010 Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne. This video features Singer preaching pretty much to the choir though he put and developed his points in a very articulate way. Many religious believers believe that morality or ethics cannot exist without the existence of a supreme being. This sentiment has been expressed not only by hard-line fundamentalists but by some of history's better authors. The belief that morality cannot exist without a God can be best expressed in the words Dostoevsky who famously said 'If God does not exist, everything is permitted'. Here Peter Singer attempts to show that this simply not the case and does a pretty good job at showing that religion cannot be the source of morality. As usual Singer is his insightful and thought provoking self, though it should be noted that he doesn't delve into his particular moral beliefs. Worth a watch for those interested in this particular topic.