Sentientist

You believe every being that can feel pleasure and pain deserves moral consideration, including animals and potentially AI.

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Sentientism is a political and ethical ideology that centers moral consideration on sentient beings—those capable of experiencing positive or negative states such as pleasure or suffering. The core principle of Sentientism is that the capacity for sentience, rather than species membership, intelligence, or other characteristics, is what grants an individual moral status. This means that humans, non-human animals, and potentially even artificial intelligences or extraterrestrial life forms, if they are sentient, all deserve moral consideration and protection from unnecessary harm.

The roots of Sentientism can be traced back to philosophical discussions about the moral relevance of suffering and well-being. In the 18th and 19th centuries, philosophers like Jeremy Bentham argued that the ability to suffer, not the ability to reason or communicate, should be the basis for moral concern. Bentham famously wrote, "The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?" This line of thinking laid the groundwork for later developments in animal rights and utilitarian ethics.

In the 20th century, philosophers such as Peter Singer and Richard Ryder further developed the idea that sentience should be the criterion for moral consideration. Singer's influential book "Animal Liberation" (1975) popularized the concept of "speciesism," the unjustified bias in favor of one's own species, and argued for the extension of moral concern to all sentient beings. Ryder coined the term "speciesism" and advocated for the recognition of animal suffering as morally significant.

Sentientism as a distinct political ideology emerged more recently, building on these philosophical foundations. It advocates for policies and social systems that protect the interests of all sentient beings, not just humans. This includes promoting human rights, animal welfare, and, potentially, the rights of future sentient artificial intelligences. Sentientists often support veganism or vegetarianism, oppose practices that cause unnecessary suffering to animals, and encourage the development of technologies and institutions that minimize harm to all sentient life.

While Sentientism is not yet a mainstream political movement, it has gained traction among ethicists, activists, and some policymakers, particularly in discussions about animal rights, environmental ethics, and the future of artificial intelligence. Its history is thus one of evolving moral philosophy, gradually expanding the circle of moral concern from humans to all beings capable of experiencing suffering and well-being.