- Published: January 1, 2022
- Updated: January 1, 2022
- University / College: University of Victoria (UVic)
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Downloads: 23
Topic: Peter singer Rethinking Life and Death Peter singer could be regarded as a philosopher who has stirred controversies in the contemporary philosophical world. His controversial advocacy of infanticide, euthanasia had made controversial headlines. Some even say that Singer is the world’s most significant living philosopher. Singer’s advocacy of infanticide motivated vociferous protests by disabled and profile group when he spoke in Germany. I don’t want to demonize Singer but to discern where his ideas are right and where wrong. Singer in his early life itself turned his thinking to issues of life, death, artificial conception and genetic engineering. Singer as a philosopher had a distinctive perception on life and death. He believed that every person has the right to decide whether to live or not. However, I strongly disagree with his idea of infanticide where an innocent soul will be killed against the will of God. Killing a person in any stage of his life is a crime. There can be no sufficient reasons for killing a person whether he is disabled, unborn or handicapped. Singer being a philosopher failed to understand the divine essence of human of human soul. So it could be easier for him to argue towards infanticide because he consider infant as just a creature. Infanticide is a matter of moral crime on whichever ground it may be committed. The very simple logical reason against infanticide is that killing a person by another person is utter cruelty. Nature has given us this precious life and only nature has the right to take it back. A person is born because he has the right to live. A human intervention in the life of a person is strongly unrecommended. When God has decided to create a being, he wants that being to live and experience life . Life is a gift of God, hence it should be treated with respect and dignity. It is valuable for the infant that he is born as it is his destiny. Every person has a soul in him, right from the beginning of his conception. The soul is divine and should be allowed to live its life. According to Hindu philosophy, a soul could take a body with disability and limitations as per its deeds in past life. So it has to undergo all the pain and suffering of its disabled life as this is its fate. Who has given us right to take a life, just because an infant is in growing stage it does not mean that it is less of a human being. Singer is definitely unethical in suggesting infanticide as a means to avoid the existence of disabled person. If an infant were to ask whether to live or die, then definitely it will want life. Then what gives right for Singer to advocate killing of infants. He cannot separate from who may be lived or who may be killed. Infanticide is wrong because even if the biological parents don’t want the baby , other people do. Destroying a life only for one’s selfish motive is ignorance, cruelty and immoral. Infants are to be protected and not destroyed. They should be allowed to live in whatever condition they are and not be disturbed in their natural course of life. Singer has a view that new born are non –person and hence killing them in not unethical. But every human being was an infant once and if it were destroyed in budding stage how would have peopled existed. Infanticide can be categorized as more cruel some because an innocent being, who just entered earth is being destroyed for selfish motives of people. We cannot kill an infant just for the convenience of certain people. One life should respect another life as well as God and Nature. Singer even argues that all life is not same in all and this is totally wrong because the entire people have a soul of an equal divine value. To kill an infant means depriving it of all the opportunities to enjoy life and experience the growth process. Singer being a philosopher has a moral right to spread love and compassion among humanity. He should think for the welfare of people rather than destruction of it. I strongly disagree with Singer as I believe infants need all the care and attention from parents whether he is healthy or disabled. Killing a life is an atrocious deed and this thought in itself is an evil tendency. I believe that an infant should be allowed to live freely in the society and should be given all the support from their family members. Finally, I can assert that Singer is inhumane and immoral in advocating infanticide as it is a social crime.