Episode 17: Musings with Peter Singer

When  the book The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty was first published in 2009, it completely changed (and re-ignited) the conversation around poverty, ethics, and philanthropy. Clearly it affected Musings host Charlie Bresler, who, after reading the book, ultimately approached its author about starting a non-profit based around philanthropy. According to its author, Peter Singer, those with money are behaving unethically — even immorally — if they don’t take steps to end the poverty and suffering of others. Singer’s parents were Austrian Jews who immigrated to Australian to escape the Nazis. Tragically, three of his four grandparents died at the hands of the Nazi regime, and in this episode, Peter and Charlie discuss how this history may or may not have impacted his world view.  It’s a fascinating conversation around why we give or don’t. As you might imagine, the reasons are complex, rooted in human psychology, tinged with fear and cognitive dissonance, and seasoned with a lack of cultural pressure, thanks to an idea called the “diffusion of responsibility.” We hope you’ll enjoy this episode and share it widely. And remember, you can request a free copy of The Life You Can Save from our website: www.thelifeyoucansave.org/the-book. More about Peter Singer: Raised in Australia, Peter Singer was awarded a scholarship to attend Oxford, where he received a Bachelor of Philosophy and later a Master’s. He was a Radcliffe lecturer at Oxford, a visiting professor at NYU, and spent most of his career as a professor in Melbourne. In 1999 he moved to Princeton to teach, and in 2011 to London to lecture at the New College of the Humanities.  Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save, and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world.

Om Podcasten

We are excited to launch a new season for “Musings….” This season we have changed the title to reflect a shift in our focus. The new title is “Musings on Wellbeing.” Why the change? At a time of increased polarization in the United States and Europe, as well as threats to peace in the Middle East and Africa, the time is right to dive deeply into the concept of wellbeing. After all, isn’t that what we all seek for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet? Together with host Charlie Bresler, guests will explore a variety of perspectives on the theme of wellbeing. Hopefully, these interviews will provoke listeners to do their own exploration: What is your pathway to personal wellbeing? How, as a society, can we create a pathway that promotes the wellbeing of all our citizens? In a world that too often makes us feel powerless, Charlie and guests are helping us identify steps (quite literally) to take to increase personal and societal wellbeing. Charlie Bresler, Ph.D. is a clinical and social psychologist who, after a career as a graduate professor of psychology, ventured into the world of business and philanthropy. He is the former president of a large international retail company and co-founder of The Life You Can Save.