Note about glossary definitions:
Many of the terms in this glossary are defined differently in different contexts. The definitions given here are the ones that are used in ethics and/or in animal rights.
anthropocentrism
the attitude that human interests are more important than those of other sentient beings
arbitrary
based on a characteristic or relationship that is not relevant to (does not affect) the matter at hand
A reason or decision that is arbitrary is one that is based on a random circumstance or a decision that is whimsical, biased, or unjust
claim
a position or assertion that can be backed up with arguments
conscious
having experiences; the state of being aware of what is happening to oneself
The term conscious is often used interchangeably with sentience. Sentience refers to the capacity to have experiences. The main difference is that sentience emphasizes the capacity, whereas consciousness emphasizes the experiences themselves. For most practical purposes, they are synonymous.
discrimination
treating (or wanting to treat) someone worse than others for a reason that is unjustified
Discrimination refers not only to treating others in a way that harms them. It includes helping some more than others for unfair reasons.
enjoy
When an individual has a right, they are sometimes said to enjoy that right. The word enjoy is being used here in the sense of “to benefit from” rather than “to get pleasure from.”
interest
what is beneficial for someone, or what promotes what is good for anyone whose life can go well or ill
moral consideration
taking into account how someone will be affected by our actions and decisions
relevance
being related to an issue in an important and significant way
sentient
the capacity to have positive and negative experiences, such as feeling pleasure and pain
Humans and most other animals are sentient. Things like rocks and rivers are not sentient. Neither are abstract ideas, or entities that are merely classifications or groupings, such as species. Sentience is a very basic capacity, and is related to the functioning of a nervous system (or something similar). Whether or not a being is sentient is not related to how intelligent they are. Beings with greater intelligence may be able to feel more forms of suffering, such as psychological suffering, but complex intelligence is not required for sentience.
speciesism
discrimination against those who don’t belong to a particular species
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