Speciesism

The term speciesism has been used to describe discrimination on the basis of species, by analogy with such terms as sexism (discrimination on the basis of sex) and racism (discrimination on the basis of race).

In practice the term is used to refer to discrimination against non-human animals by human beings - that is, to anthropomorphic speciesism. Speciesism is condemned by proponents of what is generally known as animal rights including philosophers such as Tom Regan and Peter Singer. The former rejects it as allowing for unjustified violations of animals' inherent rights; the latter, as being against the principle of equal consideration of interests.

Generally speaking, Asian cultures influnced by Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism have been somewhat less speciesist than Western ones, possibly because a belief in reincarnation effaces moral distinctions between those currently incarnated as humans and those currently incarnated as animals.

See also discussion under Physicalism