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What is Sentientism?

Sentientism is a simple, potentially unifying, philosophy or worldview. It commits to using evidence and applying reason and grants moral consideration to all sentient beings.

The commitment to evidence and reason means that Sentientism, like secular humanism, rejects supernatural beliefs. Granting moral consideration to all sentient beings (sentients) means sentientists see causing harm or death to a sentient as morally negative.

Sentient beings are those that can experience – both suffering and flourishing.  Sentient beings today include humans and non-human animals – the clear priority. However, sentient beings could potentially include artificial and alien intelligences should we create or encounter them.

If you’d like to dig deeper into what Sentientism is you can read this introductory piece or some published magazine articles on Sentientism here , listen to some the podcasts that have interviews about Sentientism here, watch video interviews here and find some relevant books here.

Please let me know what you think – in comments below or on one of our community groups.

Here’s another piece that compares sentientism to some related philosophies and movements.  Hopefully this helps to clarify why I think it is distinctive and valuable.

This is a short read covering my thoughts re: “Is Humanism good enough” and pointing out where sentientism is an improvement.

There’s a Sentientism Wikipedia page, a Simple English Wikipedia page and an Animawiki one – feel free to help improve them.

Latest work

Picture of John Sanbonmatsu wearing glasses looking down at a document he is reading.

"We've made a civilizational error" - Philosopher John Sanbonmatsu - Sentientism Ep:171

John Sanbonmatsu is a writer, philosopher, cultural critic and magician. A conversation about what's real, who matters and how to make a better world.
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"We've made a civilizational error" - Philosopher John Sanbonmatsu - Sentientism Ep:171

John Sanbonmatsu is a writer, philosopher, cultural critic and magician. A conversation about what's real, who matters and how to make a better world.
More

"Think more like six year olds!" - Psychologist Luke McGuire - Sentientism Ep:170

Luke is a lecturer working in the Department of Psychology at the University of Exeter. A podcast and YouTube conversation about Sentientism, what's real, who matters and how we can make a better world.
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"Our beliefs are playing all sorts of roles... social, moral, epistemic…" - Psychologist Tania Lombrozo - Sentientism Ep:168

Tania is the Arthur W. Marks Professor of Psychology at Princeton University. A conversation about Sentientism, "what's real?", "who matters?" and "how to make a better world?"
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Sentientism

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