Honours for Peter Singer

[Blue Lightning]

Peter Singer has just been awarded the highest civil honour in Australia:

See page 8 of
http://www.gg.gov.au/res/file/2012/h...%20(final).pdf

Here is the citation:

COMPANION (AC) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
Professor Peter SINGER, Melbourne Vic 3000
For eminent service to philosophy and bioethics as a leader of public debate and communicator of ideas in the areas of global poverty, animal welfare and the human condition.
Ira W De Camp Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA, since 1999. Laureate Professor, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, University of Melbourne, since 2005.
Professor of Philosophy, Monash University, 1977-1999; Foundation Director, Centre for Human Bioethics, 1983-1991; Co-Director, 1992-1995.
Senior Lecturer, La Trobe University, 1975-1976.
Has written approximately 100 journal articles, 150 book contributions ad 30 book reviews in professional journals, and 40 books including:
- The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty, 2009.
- The President of Good and Evil: The Ethics of George W Bush, 2004. - Animal Liberation, 1975, revised 1990.
- The Reproduction Revolution, (1984).
President, Animal Rights International, 1999-2010.
Vice-President, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, UK, since 2001. Patron, Animal Liberation Australia, since 1978.
Co-Founder, Great Ape Project, 1993; President, 1993-2005.
President, Australia and New Zealand Federation of Animal Societies, 1994-1999; Vice-President, 1984-1994; Chairman, 1980-1983.
President, Animal Liberation Victoria, 1980-1993.
Current Member, Advisory Board, Incentives for Global Health, Health Impact Fund. Member, Advisory Board, Academics Stand Against Poverty, since 2011.
Member, Management group, Global Happiness Organization, USA, since 2011. Member, Advisory Board, GiveWell, since 2010.
President, International Association of Bioethics, 1992-1995.
Involved in establishing www.thelifeyoucansave.com (website established to promote donating a percentage of your salary to charity); the website has received donations totalling approximately $60 million since 2010.
Financial contributor to several organisations/fundings, including OXFAM, Against Malaria Fund, Village Reach and Animals Australia.
Awards/recognition include:
Animal Liberation (1975), included in TIME magazine’s recent list of 100 Best Non-fiction Books published since 1923, 2011.
Included in the list of the twenty-five most influential Australians of the last half-century published by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, November, 2009.
50th Anniversary Research Award, Monash University, 2008.
Named one of the World’s 100 most influential people, TIME magazine, 2005.
Named in the Top 100 public intellectuals, Foreign Policy/Prospect magazine, 2005.
Banjo Award

[Blue Lightning]

Media reaction:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?

A philosopher, ethicist, animal liberationist and someone once described by pro-life activists as "the most dangerous man on the planet" has received a new label - Companion of the Order of Australia.

Professor Peter Singer, who is also regarded as one of Australia's most influential intellectuals and in 2004 was named Australian Humanist of the Year, received the appointment in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

I like the 'someone once described by pro-life activists as "the most dangerous man on the planet" ' ...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/high...-1226389413463

"Obviously some of my views are controversial and that hasn't stopped me receiving this honour. That suggests we are a tolerant society that values a diversity of views," he says.

And both ABC News and ABC News 24 showed footage of him speaking at the 2010 GAC!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-1...d-2012/4057484

[owheelj]

Unfortunately I can't remember the book, but I remember reading a collection of interviews of philosophers when I was in high school, and the Peter Singer interview really made an impression on me. I think the controversy about killing retarded children (as some of the media articles I've read lately have phrased it) was really eye opening about the importance of understanding nuanced positions before reacting to them, and the stupidity of simplifying complex positions. Singer's argument in that regard was really obviously right (when babies are born with terminal illnesses so severe that the doctor makes the decision to let them die, they should actively kill them, instead of letting them die - with the proviso that he was making an assessment about what should happen *after* the doctor had made the decision that the baby couldn't survive), and the reaction, as mentioned in the recent media articles, had clearly misunderstood his position. I guess it goes to show that if you talk about issues that make people emotional (ie. killing babies) then you'll get negative reactions, regardless of what you say.

Anyway, I'm glad he's been honoured in this way, and I continue to find him an inspiration.