“Acceptance Speech” Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2023 in Humanities and Social Sciences

Acceptance speech by Peter Singer, winner of the 2023 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Humanities and Social Sciences, who was honored alongside Steven Pinker for their contributions to ethics and rationality, respectively, and their influence on public debate. His research in moral philosophy has extended ethical consideration to non-human animals, providing a foundation for animal welfare movements and contributing to moral and legislative progress.

Singer defends the role of reason and open debate in advancing knowledge and recalls how his book Animal Liberation, published in 1975, helped challenge speciesism and discrimination against animals based on their species. He acknowledges legislative progress in animal welfare, particularly in Europe, while warning of the problems that persist in industrial animal farming. He also highlights philosophy’s ability to transform individual decisions and encourage more responsible behavior towards animals and people living in poverty.