Equality has been the subject of debate among many scholars and philosophers. During the 20th century, the concept was met with ridicule in regards to defending women’s rights and anti-racism. One of those cases was Thomas Taylor’s satirical piece called A Vindication of the Rights of Brutes, where the philosopher attempted to contradict Mary Wollstonecraft’s feminist arguments. The following essay reviews Peter Singer’s perception of equality and its consequences.
Throughout the work, Singer examines how equality should be identified while acknowledging the flaws in some definitions. According to him, it does not depict actual equality among human beings. Instead, it explains how they should be treated (Singer 127). The philosopher mentions his perception of this concept related to humans and non-humans as well, referring to Bentham’s passage, which accentuated the capability to suffer as a suitable definition (Singer 129). This description of equality and the rational gaps used to excuse discrimination paint a rather comprehensive picture of what Singer views as a somewhat equal society.
If the philosopher’s argument is valid, society will be required to make drastic changes. For example, people would have had to review their diet, farming, and experimental methods (Singer 132). While valuing a person’s rights would be easier, there may be a risk of bigoted individuals attempting to derail the progress that would have been made. While these individuals would easily be identified as self-centered, the fragility of an egalitarian society may still persist, or it will simply be a utopia.
In conclusion, Singer’s perception of equality encapsulates the capability to suffer and defines this concept as an explanation of how people should be treated. If his perception is accurate, there are some consequences that may follow. While understanding the selfishness of bigots would be helpful, there would be flaws as well. People would have had to change their diets, farming and experimental methods while fearing for the state of such a society being ruptured by maleficent individuals. Thus, such a community will be quite hard to build and it may be at risk of either becoming flawed or remaining an unrealistic portrait of humanity’s future.
Work Cited
Singer, Peter. “All Animals Are Equal.” The right thing to do: Basic readings in moral philosophy, McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages, pp. 123-132.