Speists

Speists are adherents of Speism, an ethical framework that seeks to ground moral considerability in the capacity for experience rather than in species membership. The term appears in contemporary philosophy and ethics discussions and is sometimes used in speculative fiction to illustrate debates about moral status across humans, animals, and artificial beings.

Core principles include the idea that beings with subjective experience can suffer or flourish, and therefore deserve moral consideration commensurate with their capacity for welfare. Speism treats the avoidance of unnecessary suffering as a primary obligation and treats human and nonhuman interests as morally relevant based on comparable experiences, not identity.

Practices associated with Speism focus on argument, education, and advocacy aimed at reducing harm to sentient beings. Proponents argue for policy reforms in animal welfare, environmental protection, and the responsible development of technology, with particular attention to how actions affect the welfare of nonhuman sentience.

Reception and critique: Scholars debate how to define experiential capacity, where to draw the moral line, and how to balance competing interests in crowded moral economies. Critics worry about practical implementation, potential conflicts with human-centric policy, and the risk of overextending moral obligation.

See also: speciesism, sentientism, animal welfare, environmental ethics.