Imagine you’re walking past a shallow pond and spot a toddler in obvious danger of drowning… 

You’re the only person who can save them and you must act immediately. But you remember that you’re wearing your most expensive shoes and wading into the water will ruin them. Should you let the child drown? 

In 1972 philosopher Peter Singer proposed this thought experiment to argue that allowing people in the developing world to die, when we could easily help them by giving money to charity, is as morally reprehensible as saving our shoes instead of the drowning child. Can this possibly be true? 

Join David Edmonds as he discusses his new book, Death in a Shallow Pond, and argues that it still retains the power to shape how we live in a world in which terrible and unnecessary suffering persists.

David traces the remarkable story of Singer and his controversial idea; how it radically changed the way we think about poverty, the establishment of the Effective Altruism movement, and also how it provoked scathing criticisms for being unrealistic and counterproductive.

AUTHOR BIO

David Edmonds is a philosopher and Distinguished Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. He is a columnist for the New Statesman and produces the popular podcast series Philosophy Bites with Nigel Warburton, and also presents Social Science Bites.

David is the author of many books, including The Murder of Professor Schlick, Would You Kill the Fat Man?, Parfit and the international best-seller Wittgenstein’s Poker, with John Eidinow.

David will also be signing copies of his lastest book, Death in a Shallow Pond, which will be available to purchase on the night. This event will take place upstairs in The Nightingale Room at The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access available at this venue.

• DOORS OPEN : 19:00

• TALK STARTS : 19:30

• AUDIENCE Q&A : 20:30

• BOOK SIGNING : 21:00