Episode #209 ... Improving our world through applied ethics. (Peter Singer, Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek)

What It Covers

Peter Singer and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek discuss how applied ethics can improve the world within capitalism through effective altruism, ethical awareness, and practical engagement rather than waiting for revolutionary systemic change.

Key Questions Answered

• •Progress metrics: Global extreme poverty dropped from 94% in 1820 to under 10% today, life expectancy increased from 30 to over 70 years, demonstrating measurable improvements under capitalism despite ongoing problems requiring continued ethical action.
• •Ethical framework selection: Different moral theories serve different purposes - deontology works best for creating societal laws and rules, while utilitarian consequentialist thinking proves most effective for individual-level decision making and personal moral choices in specific situations.
• •Effective altruism impact: The movement sparked by Singer's 2009 book has saved hundreds of thousands of lives through malaria bed nets, provided deworming treatments to millions, and influenced hundreds of food companies to adopt humane practices through targeted charitable giving.
• •Influencer authenticity strategy: Activists can reach wider audiences by becoming influencers in fields they genuinely excel at, then transparently incorporating moral messaging, rather than traditional clipboard activism which triggers skepticism due to perceived hidden agendas and transparent persuasion tactics.