I have recently returned from the Animal Liberation: Forty Years On conference, hosted by the University of Rennes 2. This was my first time in France and I really enjoyed the experience. The conference was partly in French and partly in English. Unfortunately, I do not speak any French, but I still attended every paper. Even the ones in French often had bilingual slides that allowed me to get some of the gist of the talks.
Since the conference was commemorating the 40th anniversary of the publication of Peter Singer’s seminal book Animal Liberation, I decided to give a talk discussing some of the points of agreement between Kantian and utilitarian animal ethics, and arguing that they can be allies in the animal protection movement.
When I was 11 years old, I picked up the copy of Animal Liberation that was lying around my parents’ house. They were not vegetarians, but frequently gave to animal welfare and rights organizations and had apparently given something to PETA, since the book was a contributor gift. I was convinced immediately by the logic of the arguments. It was the first real philosophy that I had read, and I was gripped by how carefully it proceeded from common assumptions to a conclusion that demanded change. For years afterward, I was a fervent utilitarian. I look back on this episode as the beginning of my career as a philosopher.
It was painful for me to realize, during my college years, that I had fundamental disagreements with utilitarianism. By the time I had my B.A. in hand, I had left the fold and moved toward Kantianism. To this day, however, I continue to admire the clear thinking and the demand for true moral impartiality contained in Animal Liberation.