Speciesism
What is speciesism?
Have you ever wondered how someone can be moved to tears by a news story about an abused dog, yet remain unaffected when eating a bucket of chicken wings—knowing that many birds suffered and died? Or why some think it’s okay to eat pigs but find eating dogs grotesque?
The reason is speciesism. Speciesism is the mistaken belief that one species is more important than another. Just as terms like racism and sexism denote discrimination based on ethnicity or gender, speciesism is discrimination based on species. Many don’t realize they are speciesist because this mindset is deeply embedded in our society—but speciesism has many harmful consequences.
How speciesism affects us
From a young age, most people are conditioned to see certain species as worthy of care and compassion, and others as unworthy—all based on arbitrary human preferences. Consciously or not, parents, teachers, the media, and other influences teach children that puppies and kittens are “friends,” cows and chickens are “food,” and rats and mice are “pests.” Most children also learn that human wants, needs, and interests always trump those of other species.
As a result, we learn to ignore our own conscience telling us that mistreatment of others is wrong. We convince ourselves that we have the "right" to lock animals in laboratories, experiment on them, and kill them because it can help humans. We tell ourselves it’s okay to eat ice cream made from cow’s milk because our craving outweighs a mother cow’s right to nurse her calf. That it’s acceptable to steal sheep’s wool for sweaters and scarves and ducks’ feathers for pillows. That it’s fine to keep orcas in barren tanks for profit and "entertainment," and the pleasure we get from hooking fish means more than the pain caused when they’re pierced through the lip and dragged into an environment where they can't breathe. Humans use speciesism to justify every imaginable form of cruelty.
In his groundbreaking book Animal Liberation philosopher Peter Singer defines speciesism as “a prejudice or bias in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species.” But it’s also speciesist to treat one animal’s life as more valuable than another’s. A disturbing example is when animal shelters fundraise to help dogs and cats by serving meat from cows, pigs, or chickens. It’s as senseless as running over a kindergarten class on the way to volunteer at a senior center.
What can we do?
All animals deserve equal attention, regardless of human opinions about them. Even though most of us have been steeped in speciesism our entire lives, we can—and must—overcome this destructive mindset.
We can begin right now by changing how we talk about other species. Animals are sentient, thinking beings—we shouldn’t refer to them like inanimate objects such as old chairs or boots. Instead of calling an animal “it,” use “he” or “she.” And we can stop using idioms that demean other species or trivialize their suffering.
Rejecting speciesism also means objectively examining our personal choices and changing those that harm animals. One of the best places to start is by opposing animal testing—only buy products not tested on animals and donate only to charities that never fund or conduct animal experiments. Removing animal foods from our plates by becoming vegan is also fundamental, and Dyrenes Alliance offers plenty of resources to help—just sign up for our 22-day vegan challenge, VeganerUdfordringen. When we start recognizing other species as fellow beings and individuals, we won’t want to exploit them for their skin, fur, feathers, or wool; we’ll choose animal-free clothing, and we’ll entertain ourselves in humane ways instead of supporting circuses and zoos.
It’s time to acknowledge that all sentient beings deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. We can reject speciesism and act with integrity and consistency toward all living beings—and the first step is recognizing every animal’s right to live free from human exploitation.
"If I could have everyone in the world watch one film, it would be EARTHLINGS."
- Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation
EARTHLINGS is a 2005 documentary about humanity’s total reliance on animals for economic purposes. The film is divided into five chapters (pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research), narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, with music by Moby, and written, produced, and directed by Shaun Monson.