Peter Unger
Our intuitions mislead us when they excuse letting distant strangers die whom a small donation would save.
Life
Peter Unger, born in 1942, is an American philosopher and professor at New York University. He first defended a radical scepticism, then argued that well-off people have a moral duty to give a great deal to save distant strangers, our usual intuitions wrongly excusing us. He has also written on metaphysics and consciousness, and later criticised the philosophy of his time.
Main works
Argues that almost nothing we think we know is really known.
Argues that letting distant children die whom a small donation could save is far worse morally than we usually think.
Argues that most recent analytic philosophy says nothing concrete about the world.
Positions
click a row to see the evidenceIn his early work he argued that almost no one knows anything, since certainty is nearly impossible. He later moved away from this view.
Unger, Ignorance: A Case for Scepticism (1975)
He argues that we are non-physical souls, not merely bodies or brains.
Unger, All the Power in the World (2006)
He defends real free will, with a non-physical self that can start actions.
Unger, All the Power in the World (2006)
He argues we must give much of our wealth to save lives, since what matters is the harm we can prevent.
Unger, Living High and Letting Die (1996)