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The moral circle : who matters, what matters, and why  Cover Image Book Book

The moral circle : who matters, what matters, and why / Jeff Sebo.

Sebo, Jeff, (author.). W.W. Norton & Company, (publisher.).

Summary:

"A philosopher calls for a revolution in ethics, suggesting we expand our 'moral circle' to include insects, AI systems, and even microbes. Today, human exceptionalism is the norm. Despite occasional nods to animal welfare, we prioritize humanity, often neglecting the welfare of a vast number of beings. As a result, we use hundreds of billions of vertebrates and trillions of invertebrates every year for a variety of purposes, often unnecessarily. We also plan to use animals, AI systems, and other nonhumans at even higher levels in the future. Yet as the dominant species, humanity has a responsibility to ask: Which nonhumans matter, how much do they matter, and what do we owe them in a world reshaped by human activity and technology? In The Moral Circle, philosopher Jeff Sebo challenges us to include all potentially significant beings in our moral community, with transformative implications for our lives and societies. He explores provocative case studies such as lawsuits over captive elephants and debates over factory-farmed insects, and compels us to consider future ethical quandaries such as whether to send microbes to new planets and whether to create virtual worlds filled with digital minds. Taking an expansive view of human responsibility, Sebo argues that building a positive future requires the shedding of human exceptionalism and radically rethinking our place in the world." -- Book Jacket.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781324064800 (hardcover)
  • ISBN: 1324064803 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: 179 pages ; 22 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, [2025]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages [147]-165) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction : The elephant and the chatbot -- Moral status -- Moral theory -- If you might matter, we should assume you do -- Many beings might matter -- If we might be affecting you, we should assume we are -- We might be affecting many beings -- Against human exceptionalism -- Conclusion : Think cosmically, act globally.
Subject: Ethics.
Humanistic ethics.
Animal welfare.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Kenton County.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Independence Branch 170 S443m 2025 (Text) 33126026015754 New Adult Nonfiction Available -


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