 First edition cover | |
| Author | Jeff Sebo |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Norton Shorts |
| Subject | Moral circle expansion |
| Genre | Philosophy |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
Publication date | January 28, 2025 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), ebook |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 978-1-324-06480-0 |
| OCLC | 1437529703 |
| Website | wwnorton.com |
The Moral Circle: Who Matters, What Matters, and Why is a 2025 book by American philosopherJeff Sebo, published byW. W. Norton & Company. The book examines how humans determine which beings merit moral consideration and argues forexpanding the moral circle beyond the human species. Sebo proposes aprecautionary approach whenmoral status is uncertain, arguing that inclusion is ethically preferable to exclusion. He challengeshuman exceptionalism while allowing that limited preference for humans may be justified for practical reasons. Drawing onconsequentialism,deontological ethics, andvirtue ethics, he applies this framework to issues such asanimal ethics,artificial intelligence, andclimate change.
Commentators described the book in varied terms.Peter Singer,Barbara J. King, andCarl Safina wrote about its relevance to current debates, while Joshua C. Gellers andMark Epstein discussed limitations in its tone and structure.Kirkus Reviews called it a "thoughtful unsettling of moral certainty", andNew Scientist noted its focus on probability in moral reasoning.
The Moral Circle explores how humans determine which beings deserve moral consideration. The book begins with two contemporary examples: theNonhuman Rights Project's unsuccessful legal case for the personhood ofHappy, an elephant at the Bronx Zoo, and Google engineerBlake Lemoine's public claim that theLaMDA chatbot possessed consciousness. Sebo uses these cases to illustrate how moral and legal boundaries are increasingly tested by developments inanimal ethics and artificial intelligence.
Early chapters examine philosophical debates aboutmoral status, including theories that link it tosentience,agency, orrationality. Sebo argues that the capacity to experience harm or benefit is a sufficient basis for moral standing. Because it is often uncertain which beings meet that condition, he advocates aprecautionary approach that favors inclusion rather than exclusion. This principle, he suggests, applies to many nonhuman animals, potential artificial intelligences, and future beings who could be affected by human actions.
Later chapters apply this reasoning to current practices. Sebo discusses research on pain perception incephalopods andinsects, such as octopuses and bees, and discusses the moral implications of industries like insect farming and aquaculture. He also examines large-scale issues including climate change, industrial agriculture, and the development of artificial intelligence, arguing that these systems may affect vast numbers of sentient or potentially sentient beings in both the present and the future.
The book challengeshuman exceptionalism as a universal moral rule, while allowing that partial concern for humans may sometimes be justified for pragmatic reasons such as proximity or social relationships. Sebo proposes a pluralistic ethical framework that combines elements ofconsequentialism,deontological ethics, andvirtue ethics to guide decisions under uncertainty.
In its conclusion, the book calls for moral humility and a broadened sense of responsibility. Sebo contends that as human influence grows, the circle of moral concern should expand to include any beings that might experience well-being or suffering, whether biological or artificial.
The Moral Circle has been noted for its examination of moral responsibility beyond the human species.Bryan Walsh, editorial director ofVox, described the book as timely givenadvances in artificial intelligence.Peter Singer called it a valuable contribution to debates on expanding moral consideration.Barbara J. King noted Sebo's use of thought experiments that invite empathy toward a wider range of beings, andCarl Safina observed that its arguments question familiar ethical boundaries and encourage reflection.[1] The book was also listed among the Next Big Idea Club's January 2025 recommended titles, selected bySusan Cain,Malcolm Gladwell,Adam Grant, andDaniel Pink.[2]
Kirkus Reviews described the book as a "thoughtful unsettling of moral certainty" and summarized Sebo's argument for extending moral concern to animals, insects, plants, microbes, and artificial intelligence, challenging assumptions of human exceptionalism.[3]
In a review forScience, Joshua C. Gellers discussedThe Moral Circle alongside Webb Keane'sAnimals, Robots, Gods. Gellers described Sebo's work as clear and careful in its treatment of agency, consciousness, and sentience as possible bases for moral status. He noted that Sebo's probabilistic framework differs from traditional moral intuitions and relational ethics, and questioned its reliance on contested philosophical ideas. Gellers also contrasted Sebo's systematic approach with Keane's more narrative style.[4]
Mark Epstein's review in theNew York Times, published alongside a discussion of Keane'sAnimals, Robots, Gods, described Sebo's book as didactic and prescriptive in tone. Epstein wrote that it sometimes presents its ideas assertively and that the frequent use of italics for emphasis may make it feel more like a lecture than a dialogue. He nevertheless recognized the importance of the book's central questions about extending moral concern to nonhuman entities.[5]
InNew Scientist, Michael Marshall describedThe Moral Circle as a clear and intellectually rigorous study of moral consideration. He praised Sebo's focus on probability rather than certainty when evaluating consciousness and found the thought experiments engaging. Marshall questioned whether the argument is timely given ongoing struggles forhuman rights, but concluded that its appeal to empathy remains valuable.[6]
The book was published in hardcover and ebook formats byW. W. Norton & Company on January 28, 2025.[7][8] An audiobook version, narrated by Joel Richards and published byTantor Media, was released on the same date.[9]
