Peter Singer and Preference Utilitarianism
Philosopher Peter Singer (1946–) developed preference utilitarianism, defining utility as preference satisfaction rather than pleasure. Moral agents should act to satisfy the preferences of all affected parties impartially. Singer applies this to animal ethics, arguing that animals' preferences matter morally, challenging anthropocentric ethics.
Real World
Singer's preference utilitarianism underpins the global animal rights movement — organisations like PETA use his argument from Animal Liberation (1975) to challenge factory farming by claiming that a pig's preference to avoid suffering counts as morally as a human's.
Exam Focus
Contrast Singer's preference utilitarianism with Bentham's hedonistic version in the same paragraph to show comparative analysis, which examiners reward at A02 level.
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