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Richard Ryder

Richard is a writer, psychologist, and animal rights advocate. He coined the term “speciesism” in 1970 and was one of the first to use the term “Sentientism” in a positive light, after it was first used in a derogatory sense by John Rodman in 1977 to criticise Peter Singer and Richard’s thinking.

Richard developed the term sentientism in a naturalistic context – using evidence and reason to infer sentience and to grant moral consideration to sentient beings. Richard still considers himself a Sentientist in this naturalistic context today. He has also developed painism, a sub-set of the sentientist worldview that focuses on the moral importance of pain over that of positive experiences and aims to resolve the tensions between rights and utilitarian approaches.

Richard on Wikipedia

Latest work

Magnus Vinding head shot

Magnus Vinding | Compassionate Purpose, Reasoned Politics, Suffering-Focused Ethics | Sentientism 252

Magnus Vinding is the co-founder of the Center For Reducing Suffering. A Sentientism conversation.
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Magnus Vinding | Compassionate Purpose, Reasoned Politics, Suffering-Focused Ethics | Sentientism 252

Magnus Vinding is the co-founder of the Center For Reducing Suffering. A Sentientism conversation.
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Denise Baden | Is Sustainable Ethical Business Just Bulls**t? | Sentientism 251

Denise Baden is a Professor of Sustainable Business at the University of Southampton. She also writes both fiction and non-fiction.
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How to Change Humanity | Björn Ólafsson | Sentientism 250

Björn Ólafsson works in research and research communication for the animal protection movement, bridging the gap between academic researchers and on-the-ground advocates.
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