The Moral Circle - Who Matters, What Matters, and Why

Today, human exceptionalism is the norm. Despite occasional nods to animal welfare, we prioritise 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. Yet as the dominant species, humanity has a responsibility to ask: Which non-humans 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.
This book 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.

• A Norton Short

About the author

Jeff Sebo is associate professor of environmental studies; affiliated professor of bioethics, medical ethics, philosophy, and law; director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection; and director of the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy at New York University.

Product details

• Authors: Jeff Sebo, Sebo Jeff
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 27.01.2026
• EAN: 9781324123569
• ISBN: 978-1-324-12356-9
• Series: A Norton Short
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works; PHILOSOPHY / General, PHILOSOPHY / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Philosophy, SCIENCE / Ethics, Ethics & moral philosophy, Environmentalist thought & ideology, Ethics and moral philosophy, Impact of science & technology on society, Ethical issues: scientific & technological developments, Topics in philosophy, Impact of science and technology on society, Environmentalist thought and ideology, PHILOSOPHY / Environmental