Definitions
Glossary and definitions (E.g. veganism, plant based, vegetarian).
INDEX des définitions
- Abolitionism
- Animal
- Animalism
- Animalist
- Anthropocentrism
- Antispeciesism
- Carnism
- Cognitive bias
- Cognitive dissonance
- Consciousness
- Consequentialism
- Deontology
- Dystopia
- Ethics
- Exploitation
- Human
- Intelligence
- Moral
- Moral agent
- Moral consideration
- Moral consistency
- Moral patient
- Morality
- Objective morality
- Pathocentrism
- Plant-based
- Sapience
- Sentience
- Speciesism
- Subjective morality
- Theistopia
- Utilitarianism
- Vegan
- Veganism
- Vegetarian
- Vystopia
- Welfarism
Abolitionism
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An ethical and political approach demanding the complete and unconditional end to all forms of animal use and exploitation by humans, rejecting any measures aimed merely at regulating or reforming that exploitation.
Animal
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A multicellular, eukaryotic organism of the kingdom Animalia (or Metazoa), characterized by:
Motility (the ability to move spontaneously and independently at some point in its life cycle, typically utilizing specialized muscle or locomotory cellular structures).
Heterotrophic nutrition by ingestion (obtaining energy and organic molecules by consuming other living or dead organisms, rather than by photosynthesis).
Embryonic development that typically progresses through a blastula stage (derived from a zygote formed by sexual reproduction).
Differentiated tissue types organized into complex organ systems (such as nervous, muscular, and digestive systems), with the exception of basal groups like sponges (Porifera).
A lack of rigid cell walls surrounding their cell membranes, distinguishing them from plants, fungi, and algae. Animalism
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Animalism is a political and philosophical movement considering that non-human animals must possess fundamental rights, that their interests must be taken into account equally to those of humans, and that all forms of exploitation, domination, or killing of animals by humans must be abolished.
Animalist
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An animalist is a person who adheres to animalism.
Anthropocentrism
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A philosophical conception that places the human being at the center of the universe and at the pinnacle of moral value, evaluating the rest of the living world solely in relation to human needs or interests.
Antispeciesism
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Philosophical and political movement that considers there is no moral justification for discriminating against living beings based on their species. Antispeciesism opposes the idea that the human species is superior to other species.
Carnism
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An invisible belief system and dominant ideology that conditions people to consume certain animal products by viewing the practice as normal, natural, and necessary.
Cognitive bias
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Systematic deviation in information processing leading to a judgment error, distorted perception, or illogical conclusion.
Example: Believing that a vegan person is constantly in poor health and only remembering the moment they catch a cold, while ignoring all the athletes and vegan people who are in perfect health. Cognitive dissonance
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An uncomfortable state of tension felt by a person who simultaneously holds two or more cognitions (ideas, beliefs, values, emotions) that contradict one another. To reduce this tension, the individual will generally modify one of their cognitions (change an attitude or belief), add new cognitions to justify the conflict, or minimize the importance of the contradiction.
Consciousness
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Consciousness is the mental faculty of having an immediate perception of oneself, one's thoughts, actions, and environment.
In philosophy and psychology, it is generally divided into several dimensions:
Phenomenal consciousness: The capacity to experience subjective sensations (sentience).
Self-consciousness: The capacity to perceive oneself as an individual distinct from the rest of the world and to reflect on one's own existence.
Moral consciousness: The capacity to make a normative judgment on the moral value of one's own actions or those of others. Consequentialism
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An ethical theory holding that the moral worth of an action depends exclusively on its consequences. An action is judged right if its overall outcomes are positive or superior to those of potential alternatives.
Deontology
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An ethical theory holding that the moral worth of an action relies on adherence to absolute moral duties, obligations, or rules, regardless of the consequences.
Dystopia
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An imaginary society ruled by an authoritarian power or extreme living conditions, where individual freedom is suppressed and happiness is unattainable.
Ethics
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A branch of philosophy that studies, evaluates, and rationalizes principles governing human conduct, aiming to determine what is morally right, good, or acceptable.
Exploitation
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The action of using a resource or, in the case of sentient beings, of treating individuals as objects or means to our service, taking advantage of them for personal purposes to the detriment of their well-being or interests.
Human
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A bipedal primate mammal belonging to the species Homo sapiens, characterized by:
A highly developed brain yielding advanced cognitive capabilities (abstract thought, complex articulated language, logical reasoning, and self-awareness).
Strict and habitual bipedalism, freeing the upper limbs for tool manipulation and complex crafting.
Highly organized social structures based on culture, institutions, knowledge transmission, and symbolic systems.
Markedly reduced body hair compared to other great apes. Intelligence
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Mental faculty enabling the acquisition of knowledge, reasoning, planning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, comprehension of complex ideas, rapid learning, and adaptation to one's environment.
Moral
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Relating to principles of conduct accepted by a group or individual, distinguishing right from wrong and guiding ethical choices.
Moral agent
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A moral agent is a being capable of making moral judgments based on notions of right and wrong, and of bearing ethical responsibility for them. They have the capacity to act intentionally according to moral principles.
Moral consideration
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The act of granting direct ethical value to a being and taking its interests or suffering into account when making decisions.
Moral consistency
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A principle of ethical logic requiring the uniform application of the same moral standards and values to similar situations, without arbitrary exceptions.
Moral patient
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A moral patient is a being that deserves moral consideration (e.g., humans, sentient animals). They are the target or object of moral actions, but are not necessarily capable of being responsible for them.
Morality
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A system of rules, principles, values, and standards that guide the behavior of an individual or group to distinguish between right and wrong.
Objective morality
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The concept that certain actions are fundamentally right or wrong in themselves, independent of human beliefs, desires, cultures, or individual opinions.
Pathocentrism
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An ethical position placing the capacity to feel suffering and pain at the center of moral consideration, granting ethical value to any being capable of suffering.
Plant-based
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A person who practices a plant-based diet, which is a diet that excludes the consumption of all animal-derived products (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, etc.).
Sapience
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The advanced mental capacity to think abstractly, reason logically, manipulate complex concepts, and demonstrate high wisdom or superior intelligence.
Examples:
Solving an abstract mathematical problem or conceiving a scientific theory.
Planning very long-term actions by anticipating complex consequences.
Reflecting on abstract philosophical concepts such as justice, morality, or existence. Sentience
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Capable of experiencing subjective experiences and sensations (such as pain, pleasure, hunger, or fear) from one's own point of view, implying a form of perceptual consciousness (the capacity to consciously perceive and interpret one's environment).
Speciesism
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Discrimination practiced by humans against animals, consisting of attributing an inferior moral value to them and justifying their exploitation on the grounds that they belong to another species.
It is compared to racism: just as a racist discriminates based on race, a speciesist discriminates on the basis of species. Subjective morality
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The concept that moral judgments derive from individual or cultural feelings, perspectives, social conventions, or preferences.
Theistopia
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A concept referring to a society or environment dominated by strict theocratic or religious control, imposing mandatory dogmas and moral rules on the entire population.
Utilitarianism
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A form of consequentialism holding that an action is morally right if it maximizes overall well-being or pleasure, and minimizes suffering for the greatest number of sentient beings.
Vegan
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A vegan is a person who practices veganism.
Veganism
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Veganism is a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, entertainment, or any other purpose.
Veganism is also defined as a social justice movement, alongside the fight against racism, sexism, or any other oppression. Vegetarian
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A person who practices a vegetarian diet, which is a diet that excludes all animal flesh (meat, poultry, fish, and seafood), but generally allows the consumption of animal-derived products such as eggs and dairy.
Vystopia
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Psychological distress and existential suffering experienced by vegans due to the awareness of systemic animal exploitation and society's resistance to ending it.
Welfarism
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A school of thought that accepts or tolerates the use of animals by humans, provided that farming or housing conditions are regulated to reduce unnecessary suffering and improve animal welfare.