The Buddhist and the Ethicist, by Peter Singer and Shih Chao-Hwei

Two accomplished thinkers consider a range of controversial subjects.

Australian philosopher Peter Singer met Shih Chao-Hwei, a Buddhist monk based in Taiwan, while visiting Taiwan in 2002. A Chinese edition of his book, Animal Liberation, had just been published with an introduction by Shih, and the two found they had much in common, despite coming from different philosophical and theological backgrounds. Singer suggested they participate in dialogues together to further flesh out their differences and similarities. The resulting book is the work of five years of on-again, off-again discussions.
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The Buddhist and the Ethicist ranges over all the big topics of interest to a Western audience: women and equality; sexuality; animal welfare; embryo research; abortion; the death penalty; euthanasia; the death penalty and war. An early chapter also discusses ethics and key Buddhist concepts such as karma and nirvana.

The tone of these dialogues is respectful and, as you'd imagine, quite serious. Most readers of Singer's work will be already familiar with his often controversial views on euthanasia and embryo research. What gives the book a special interest are Shih's views on tricky ethical questions, as interpreted through a Buddhist lens. While both Singer and Shih are on the same page for a lot of subjects (Shih has championed many progressive causes in Taiwan, notably same-sex marriage), their subtle differences make for thought provoking reading. As such, the book provides an education in the subtleties of Buddhist thought, especially the importance of karma.

Big questions are considered thoughtfully in this fascinating philosophical exchange.

The Buddhist and the Ethicist, by Peter Singer and Shih Chao-Hwei. Published by Text Publishing. $36.99

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