Monday, 27 April 2015

Peter Singer's comments offend - again

Australian utilitarian philosopher, Peter Singer has again expressed views about the value of the lives of babies with disabilities that are bound to offend many. The US National Council on Disability has responded quickly:

NCD Response to Controversial Peter Singer Interview Advocating The Killing of Disabled Infants: "Professor, Do Your Homework"National (US) Council on Disability), April 23, 2015
On Sunday April 16, contentious Princeton Professor Peter Singer, once again argued that it is “reasonable” for the government or private insurance companies to deny treatment to infants with disabilities. Singer’s remarks were made on “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio,” which is broadcast on New York’s AM 970 and Philadelphia 990 AM. 
In the interview, which was perhaps ironically conducted as part of a press tour Singer is currently on promoting his new book about charities, “The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically,” the professor advocated the shocking claim that health care laws like the Affordable Care Act should be more overt about rationing and that we should acknowledge the necessity of “intentionally ending the lives of severely disabled infants” ... read the full statement here.
  • The late Harriet Johnson's response to Peter Singer's views are encapsulated in her well-known New York Times article, written in 2003, Unspeakable Conversations, which Christine Rosen described in her 2008 memorial article on Johnson, as "Thankfully free of the ponderous cant that infects so much of bioethics ..."

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