Confirming that philosophical instruction can influence students’ real- world behavior was a recent conclusion in a study co-investigated by Peter Singer, Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values. The findings of the study were published on November 6 by The Review of Philosophy and Psychology in the paper “Students Eat Less Meat After Studying Meat Ethics.” The paper summarizes the results of a 2021 study that sought to extend and conceptually replicate the findings of an earlier study looking at students’ meat-eating behavior after exposing them to material they learned in ethics classes. Both studies concluded that a class on the ethics of eating meat reduced meat consumption.  

Read the paper here.

On a related note, a panel discussion “The Future of ‘Meat’: Two recent alums discuss their experience working in the alt-meat space” will feature speakers, Alice Wistar and Sophie Moscovici-Troyka. Details can be found here.