CONTROVERSIAL philosopher Dr Peter Singer is bringing his views to York when he speaks at the university on Monday.

The lecture, Brain Death and the Sanctity of Life, looks at the issues surrounding life and death.

It concentrates particularly on the case of Tony Shand, the Hillsborough victim who spent years on a life support machine with no serious chance of recovery. His parents were faced with making the decision of whether the machine should be turned off.

Dr Singer is director of the Centre for Human Bioethics at Monash University, Australia.

He is one of the most distinguished moral philosophers of the time, whose work includes launching the animal rights movement and influential work on the cause of world hunger.

Professor Tom Baldwin, of the University of York's philosophy department, said: "He is known as the founder of the movement of animal liberation, but he was in no way a supporter of violence.

"He was the person who first said that the fight against racism and sexism could be applied to the cruel, inhumane and disgusting treatment of animals by some people."

Recently Dr Singer appeared on BBC Radio Four giving his views on the termination of life for seriously disabled children.

"His view in certain extreme cases, with the emphasis on extreme, when everybody involved agrees that the life of the child is wretched, then instead of hastening this child to an early death, it would be better that this is done more openly," said Prof Baldwin.Dr Singer will be speaking in Physics P/X001 at 5pm on Monday. The talk is open to the public.

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