speciesism
Noun
Meaning
speciesism (uncountable)
(philosophy, ethics) An ethical stance that assigns different worth or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership, such as assigning greater rights to human beings than to other animals. [from 1970]
Examples
Just as we reject racism, sexism, ageism, and heterosexism, we reject speciesism. The species of a sentient being is no more reason to deny the protection of this basic right than race, sex, age, or sexual orientation is a reason to deny membership in the human moral community to other humans.
The fact that no one has come up with a really convincing reason for giving greater moral weight to members of our own species, simply because they are members of our species, strongly suggests that there is no such reason. Like racism and sexism, speciesism is wrong.
Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst said many people around the world recognise ''speciesism'' as a form of discrimination and believe it should be outlawed.
"In defense of speciesism," Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 13(1).
Ryder (1971), p. 81 Those who claim that speciesism is unfair to non-human species have often argued their case by invoking mammals and chickens in the context of research or farming.
Ryder (2005) Arguments in favor Philosophical A common theme in defending speciesism is the argument that humans have the right to exploit other species to defend their own.