"An excellent concise statement of the arguments for going vegan."- Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, author of Animal Liberation.Magnus Vinding provides a comprehensive review of the many reasons to stop supporting the animal industry, and to instead transition toward a system that is less harmful for both human and non-human beings.
What can justify discrimination against other sentient beings? In this book, Magnus Vinding explores the issue of species discrimination. He argues that speciesism - discrimination based on species membership - is unjustifiable, and proceeds to examine the practical implications of this conclusion. This examination reveals more than a few ways in which our behavior and attitudes need to change profoundly. "Most people agree that discriminating against someone on the basis of gender, sex or skin color is morally objectionable, but what about species membership? Speciesism: Why It Is Wrong and the Implications of Rejecting It makes a compelling case that this form of discrimination has no justification either, and addresses the most significant implications. These include both the rejection of animal exploitation and the rejection of the idea that we have no reason to help nonhuman animals in need of aid, including when they are suffering in the wild for natural reasons. This book is likely to challenge many of our assumptions, and will encourage us to think deeper about the moral consideration of nonhuman animals."- Oscar Horta, professor of moral philosophy at University of Santiago de Compostela, author of Making a Stand for Animals "Humans hurt, harm and kill billions of sentient beings. We routinely treat nonhuman animals in ways that would earn the perpetrators a life sentence in prison if the victims were humans of comparable sentience. Magnus Vinding makes a compelling case for a moral revolution in human behaviour toward nonhuman individuals. Highly recommended."- David Pearce, author of The Hedonistic Imperative and Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?
What follows if we reject belief in any kind of non-physical soul and instead embrace a physicalist picture of the world? A key implication, this book argues, is a naturalization of personal identity and ethics - a radically different way of thinking about ourself. "A precondition of rational behaviour is a basic understanding of the nature of oneself and the world. Any fusion of ethical and decision-theoretic rationality into a seamless package runs counter to some of our deepest intuitions. But You Are Them makes a powerful case. Magnus Vinding's best book to date. Highly recommended."- David Pearce, author of The Hedonistic Imperative and Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?
This book is part introduction to, part reflective examination of, the idea and ideal of effective altruism. Its aim is to examine the core question of effective altruism: How can we best help others? This question in turn forces us to contemplate what helping others ultimately entails. Here the book argues that the greatest help we can provide is to reduce extreme suffering for all sentient beings, and then goes on to provide some suggestions for how this might best be done."Magnus Vinding's inquiring mind leaves few stones unturned as he explores key issues and ideas related to ethics. What starts off as a good overview of effective altruism and the concepts needed to apply it better, progresses into a deeper exploration of the basis for the underlying values and the extraordinary importance of prioritising the prevention of intense suffering of all sentient beings. A must-read for any current or aspiring effective altruist, and for social activists in general."Jonathan Leighton, founder of the Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering, author of The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe"This book provides an accessible introduction to important ideas that anyone interested in changing the world for the better should seriously consider. It explains some crucial issues often overlooked in the effective altruist literature, and examines others from a fresh perspective. It does a great job of rethinking several common assumptions, and points at biases that can make it hard to think clearly about which causes might be most worth pursuing. It can thus be a very useful tool for those who want to make a big difference."Oscar Horta, professor of moral philosophy at University of Santiago de Compostela, co-founder of Animal Ethics, author of Making a Stand for Animals"Brilliant. A clear, fair-minded and authoritative survey of Effective Altruism. Magnus Vinding makes a powerful case for suffering-focused ethics. How can each of us act most effectively to help all sentient beings? Highly recommended."David Pearce, author of The Hedonistic Imperative and Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?"Magnus Vinding's new book is a compelling and accessible guide to the rationale of Effective Altruism. It empowers readers to comprehend the unique opportunity we have to effectively help others with our limited resources. The author encourages us to expand our moral circle to include all present and future non-human sentient beings in our altruistic endeavors. The final chapters also provide a very helpful introduction to 's-risks' and suffering-focused ethics to those less familiar with these subjects."Lara Andr , University of Exeter"A great book that deals with the most important subject of all: preventing suffering. Very well-written, clear and profound."Manu Herr n, research associate at the Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering, author of Arena Sensible"There has never been a better moment in time to jump into the Effective Altruism movement or deepen your involvement. And in this journey, Vinding's book will be of invaluable aid. It is a gold mine of insights and provocative ideas for aspiring and seasoned Effective Altruists alike. I've been involved in Effective Altruism for years, but Vinding's book taught me a ton and challenged my assumptions. This book will help you be, in Vinding's words, the light that brightens the darkness of the world. Good luck "Ben Davidow, author of Uncaged: Top Activists Share Their Wisdom on Effective Farm Animal Advocacy
