Sentientism

By Jamie WoodhouseSociety & Culture Philosophy

Sentientism episodes

January 21, 202124: "Breeding into suffering is the root of the problem." - Sentient Media founder Mikko Järvenpää - Sentientist Conversations
Mikko is a tech start-up founder and CEO (now https://candle.to/). He founded & is now board chair of Sentient Media - an organisation dedicated to making the world a better place for all sentient beings through journalism.
Full show notes are here: https://sentientism.info/breeding-into-suffering-is-the-root-of-the-problem-sentient-media-founder-mikko-jarvenpaa-new-sentientist-conversation
In these Sentientist Conversations, we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is "evidence, commitment & compassion for all sentient beings."
The video of our conversation is here on YouTube.
We discuss:
Growing up in a political family (father a Finnish Member of Parliament)

Early experiences with animals on the family hobby farm

Founding Sentient Media & how farmed animal perspectives are neglected in normal media

Studying philosophy of social change at the LSE

The default state Lutheran religion in Finland, including religious education

Learning science, evolution, astronomy as a child

Finding religions fascinating & getting perfect marks in religious classes (great stories!)

Learning to read from Dungeons & Dragons manuals

The relief of formally resigning from the church as a teenager (w/ cooling off period)

Evidence & ethics as triggers for challenging religion

Reading Nietzsche at 16

Trying on different religions. What would it feel like to believe?

Is picking a religion arbitrary, like picking a sports team?

Being overwhelmed by the idea of solipsism at ~10 yrs old

Morality as something fundamentally social

Utilitarianism. Measurement, probability, individualism, rationalism as “western”?

Sentientism’s neutrality re: moral systems

Early utilitarians often did consider non-human sentience

Utility grounded in sentience

“My best friends, as a kid, were the sheep.” Making assumptions about sheep. Then being accepted as part of the herd. Deepening understanding of “sheepness”

And much more.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at sentientism.info. Join our “wall” using this simple form.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our groups. Our biggest is here on FaceBook.
Thanks to Graham Bessellieu for his post-prod work on this video. Follow him at @cgbessellieu.
1 hr 7 min
January 18, 2021 23: Two for Tea - Sentientism cross-post bonus episode (me being grilled by a Zoroastrian, unabashedly speciesist meat-eater...)
This is a bonus cross-post episode from the Two for Tea podcast where I (Jamie) was interviewed about Sentientism. Two for Tea is a podcast about politics, culture and society by Iona Italia and Helen Pluckrose. Make sure you subscribe to their podcast as well as mine! They host thoughtful conversations with a fascinating range of guests.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” You can find out more at Sentientism.info. Why not join our “wall” using our simple “I’m a Sentientist” form?
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our community groups. Our main group is here on FaceBook. We have a fascinating range of compassionate, rational people there from around 90 countries so far!
1 hr 43 min
January 18, 202122: "A Fabulous Vegan Future!" - Jasmin Singer, Author & Activist - Sentientist Conversations
Jasmin Singer is the author of “The VegNews Guide to Being a Fabulous Vegan” and the memoir “Always Too Much and Never Enough“. She’s the co-founder & co-host of the award-winning Our Hen House podcast & nonprofit (now in its eleventh year), the Director of Editorial for Kinder Beauty, & the editor of the Encompass Essays: “Pursuing Racial Equity in Animal Advocacy”. Jasmin was named a “40 Under 40” by The Advocate Magazine, a top “Eco-Preneur” by Go Magazine & can be seen in documentaries including “Vegucated” & “The Ghosts In Our Machine”.
Full show notes are here: https://sentientism.info/a-fabulous-vegan-future-jasmin-singer-new-sentientist-conversation
The video version of our conversation is here on YouTube.
In these Sentientist Conversations (subscribe!), we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is “evidence, commitment & compassion for all sentient beings.”
We discuss:
Jasmin’s activist journey & roles (& books)

Gaslighting re: animal agriculture

1980’s milk & meat marketing

Atheism, naturalism, comparative religion

Compassion in religion, but also serious ethical problems

Growing up as a reform Jew, celebrating Christmas & Hannukah

The mental gymnastics more “moderate” religions (like reform Judaism) have to do to move away from the harmful ethics at the core of many religions

Humanism’s focus on the human species

Do kids start out naturalistic and then get taught fabrications?

And much more...
You can find Jasmin at @jasmin_singer & jasminsinger.com. Subscribe to Our Hen House as well as to the Sentientism podcast!
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at sentientism.info. Join our “wall” using this simple form.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our groups. Our main one is here on FaceBook.
Thanks to @cgbessellieu for his post-prod work.
54 min
January 14, 202121: "How can I have been morally asleep for so long?" - Prof Randall Abate - Sentientist Conversation
Randall is an author and environmental, animal, climate and constitutional law professor at Monmouth University in New Jersey. His books include “What Can Animal Law Learn From Environmental Law?” and “Climate Change and the Voiceless: Protecting Future Generations, Wildlife, and Natural Resources”.
In these Sentientist Conversations (subscribe!), we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is “evidence, commitment & compassion for all sentient beings.”
Full show notes here: https://sentientism.info/how-can-i-have-been-morally-asleep-for-so-long-prof-randall-abate-new-sentientist-conversation
Watch the video here.
We discuss:
Academic silos between animal/environmental/constitutional law and between law, philosophy and advocacy

The disconnect between environmental and animal ethics and law

Growing up in a Catholic household, more social than spiritual

Appreciating religion as a topic of study, not as something to practice

Exploring Eastern religions and spirituality

Feeling deeply spiritual without religion

Compassion as a theme in many religions

Remaining open-minded about religious ideas

Agnosticism and atheism

Awe, wonder and connectedness within a naturalistic worldview and their commonality with supernatural/spiritual emotions

Freedom of belief, but not freedom to use supernatural beliefs to harm others

Compassion for all living things & respect for nature, but not realising the link to animal product consumption (even as an environmental law professor) until teaching animal law “How can I have been morally asleep for so long?”

The brain-washing of animal product consumption: health, normality

Not knowing any v*gans

The difficult social process of giving up animal products

How much easier going v*gan is now

Is the ethical argument re: animal farming over?

Anthropocentrism & human supremacy

Biocentrism & ecocentrism. Does Sentientism go far enough?

Instrumental vs. intrinsic value

Christian dominion & stewardship

And more... (see here)
You can find Randall here at Monmouth.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at sentientism.info. Join our “wall” using this simple form.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our groups. Our main one is here on FaceBook.
Thanks to Graham Bessellieu for his post-prod work on this video. Follow him at @cgbessellieu.
1 hr 7 min
January 11, 202120: “De-centring the human” – Robot (and other non-human) Rights author Josh Gellers - Sentientist Conversation
Josh Gellers is an associate professor at the University of North Florida. His work spans animal, environmental and artificial intelligence ethics and law. He is a research fellow with the Earth System Governance Project and is a Fulbright scholar. He is Author of “Rights for Robots: Artificial Intelligence, Animal and Environmental Law” (open access!).
Full show notes are here: https://sentientism.info/de-centring-the-human-new-sentientist-conversation-with-josh-gellers-also-happy-new-year
In these Sentientist Conversations (subscribe!), we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is “evidence, commitment & compassion for all sentient beings.”
Our conversation is also here on YouTube.
We discuss:
Seeing the impact of climate first hand in South Florida

Spanning “hard” and social sciences, rights, ethics and law, animal, environmental and artificial intelligence… inter-disciplinary

Sophia the robot and non-human entity rights

Growing up in a culturally Jewish household, with a mix of conservative religious and more secular liberal perspectives

Doubting religion from an early age

How could there be an omnipotent, omniscient, all-loving god when there is so much suffering?

Seeing examples of sexism and societal shaming within orthodox religion

Kosher laws as historic public health recommendations

Exposure to Buddhist animal ethics in Sri Lanka (living with spiders)

“Other ways of knowing and worlding” and pluralism

Wanting to say there are certain universals, but hesitating to say “I have the right way”

Guilt and consciousness about how to be in the world

Learning, respecting, humility, open-mindedness, compassion

Doing the above without slipping into a relativism that allows the powerful to oppress others

Critical environmental ethic with underlying pillars: Compassionate, resilience, sensitivity to the needs of others – ground rules as a safety net vs. relativism

Needlessly causing harm isn’t compassionate, whatever your cultural norms

People who care about people they know and people who care about people they don’t know

And more... Full show notes are here: https://sentientism.info/de-centring-the-human-new-sentientist-conversation-with-josh-gellers-also-happy-new-year
Josh is @JoshGellers and his home page is at joshgellers.com.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at sentientism.info. Join our “wall” using this simple form.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our groups. Our main one is here on FaceBook.
1 hr 17 min
January 08, 202119: "Diverse sentients could live in mutual symbiosis" - Artist Graham Bessellieu - Sentientist Conversations
Full show notes at: https://sentientism.info/diverse-sentients-could-live-in-mutual-symbiosis-graham-bessellieu-new-sentientist-conversation. The video is here on the Sentientism YouTube channel.
Graham is an artist, a photographer and a video/audio content producer.
In these Sentientist Conversations, we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is “evidence, commitment & compassion for all sentient beings.”
We discuss:
Being raised Christian

Going from a soprano to a bass during a church choir tour

Love and compassion as central to Christian ethics

Eternal torture in hell maybe isn’t ethical – a trigger for re-thinking

Comparative religion, logical contradictions

The weakness of theodicies (explanations for evil)

New Atheism, Dennett, Harris and naturalism

Are most religious people more moral than their religions?

A naturalistic grounding for ethics

Peter Singer’s “Animal Liberation”. Developing ethics through evidence and reason

Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” and factory farming

Earthlings, the documentary

How ethical conviction helped Graham work through the practical and social challenges of giving up animal products

How some of the most fundamental philosophical challenges have the simplest answers, but social norms get in the way

Is animal farming a “necessary evil”?

Our non-human animal friends make a cameo appearance

The amazing ethical gymnastics people do to try and justify continuing to consume animal products (toddler farming anyone?)

Normalising rationality and sentiocentrism. Getting them to be mainstream

Why people should adopt Sentientism quickly while it’s still edgy and cool

Clean meat and plant-based meats

Ending animal farming and exploitation and using sanctuaries as part of transition

Zoonotic disease risks

The common ground, even a political majority, re: ending factory farming: Sentience Politics, Cory Bookers’ farm bill

Extending legal personhood to non-humans

Mitigating wild animal suffering (see Animal Ethics and Wild Animal Initiative orgs)

Difficult problems and uncertain solutions don’t justify excluding sentient beings from moral consideration

Effective Altruism – how to do the most good

David Deutsch & “The Beginning of Infinity”… Getting to better problems

Steven Pinker & “Enlightenment Now”

...and more... Full show notes here
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” You can find out more at Sentientism.info. Join hundreds of others on our “wall” using this simple form.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our community groups. Our main group is here on FaceBook.
Thanks to Graham Bessellieu for his post-prod work on this video. Follow him at @cgbessellieu.
37 min
January 04, 2021 18: "Being in balance with ourselves and the rest of the living world" - Author Gill Coombs - Sentientist Conversation
Gill is an author, coach & counsellor. She was a UK parliamentary candidate for the Green Party. She focuses on helping people live in balance with themselves & the rest of the living world. Her books include “The Trembling Warrior”, “Hearing our Calling” & “The Game”.
In these Sentientist Conversations, we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is “evidence, commitment & compassion for all sentient beings.”
Full show notes are at https://sentientism.info/being-in-balance-with-ourselves-and-the-biosphere-author-gill-coombs-new-sentientist-conversation.
The video of our conversation is here on the Sentientism YouTube.
You can find Gill at gillcoombs.co.uk and on Twitter at @CoombsGill.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” You can find out more at Sentientism.info. Join hundreds of others on our “wall” using this simple form.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our community groups. Our main group is here on FaceBook.
Thanks to Graham Bessellieu for his post-prod work on this video. Follow him at @cgbessellieu.
1 hr 9 min
December 30, 2020 17: "The only moral discrimination?" - Future Based - Sentientism cross-post bonus episode
This episode is a cross-post from the Future Based Podcast where Annika van den Born interviewed me (Jamie) about Sentientism.
The podcast is part of the Future Based initiative that aims to facilitate inter-disciplinary discussions and collaborations about our collective future.
Annika and I discuss how naturalism and sentiocentrism come together in Sentientism. We talk about the risks of environmental movements extending their moral circles too far (biocentrism, ecocentrism or holism) while ignoring sentient non-human animals. We also talk about what a Sentientist utopia might look and how we might move towards it.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” You can find out more at Sentientism.info. Why not join our “wall” using our simple “I’m a Sentientist” form?
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our community groups. Our main group is here on FaceBook. We have a fascinating range of compassionate, rational people there from around 90 countries so far!
48 min
December 28, 2020 16: “How can we do the most good for non-human animals?” - Jamie Harris – Animal Advocacy Careers co-founder & Sentience Institute Researcher - Sentientist Conversations
Full show notes are here: https://sentientism.info/how-can-we-do-the-most-good-for-non-human-animals-jamie-harris-animal-advocacy-careers-co-founder-sentience-institute-researcher-new-sentientist-conversation
You can find the video of our conversation here https://youtu.be/ea_v6kWCGZQ
Jamie is co-founder of and researcher at the non-profit Animal Advocacy Careers, a researcher at the Sentience Institute and host of the Sentience Institute Podcast (subscribe!)
In these Sentientist Conversations, we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is “evidence, commitment and compassion for all sentient beings.”
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” You can find out more at Sentientism.info. Help normalise compassion and rationality by joining our “wall” using this simple form https://sentientism.info/im-a-sentientist.
Everyone interested, Sentientist or not, is welcome to join our community groups. Our main group is here on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/groups/sentientism.
Thanks to Graham Bessellieu for his post-prod work on this video. Follow him @cgbessellieu.
1 hr 9 min
December 24, 2020 15: "Let's end humanity's war on the rest of the planet" - Better Meat CEO & Hall of Famer Paul Shapiro - Sentientist Conversations
Paul Shapiro https://twitter.com/PaulHShapiro is the author of the national bestseller "Clean Meat": https://cleanmeat.com/. He's also the CEO of The Better Meat Co. https://www.bettermeat.co/, a four-time TEDx speaker, host of the Business for Good Podcast https://www.businessforgoodpodcast.com/ & inductee in the Animal Rights Hall of Fame.
In these Sentientist Conversations, we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”. Sentientism is "evidence, commitment and compassion for all sentient beings." https://sentientism.info/
Our conversation is also on our YouTube channel - subscribe there too! https://youtu.be/8oupdUTrS18
We discuss:
- Being fellow "sents" (thanks AJ Jacobs!)
- Advocating Sentientism before hearing the term
- Vegetarian then vegan at 13 in 1993 (despite thinking it would lead to death...)
- Carl Lewis as an inspirational vegan
- Volunteering in animal protection as a teenager
- "Trying to end humanity's war on the rest of the planet"
- Founding Compassion over Killing at high-school & taking it national
- https://www.humanesociety.org/
- Paul's "Clean Meat" book - how food tech might do the most good
- Easier to act our way into a new way of thinking than to think our way into a new way of acting. Making unethical practices obselete
- Ending slavery as a lesson in social change
- Founding The Better Meat Co
- Jewish upbringing & identity
- "Even if you question the supernatural they don't kick you out"
- An animal conscious family. Rescue dogs as family members (now Eddie https://www.instagram.com/eddiethepittie.)
- Switching to take the perspective of non-humans + standing up to "frog baseball"
- Compassion as a moral foundation
- Being kicked out of Hebrew class for asking why god would ask for sacrifices
- The rich tradition of animal compassion/veg*nism within Judaism
- Israel as the #2 most vegan country
- Utilitarianism & Peter Singer - "anti suffering & pro happiness"
- Loving kindness meditation
- Aspiring to The Paradoxical Commandments
- Evolution isn't perfectly driven towards truth or rationality
- Groups can socially reward individual faith in fictions. Some delusions can be useful
- Humility at the heart of naturalism & science. Being OK not knowing
- The confidence that can come with ignorance
- Leaving the world a better place
- Not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good
- The ethical inertia of social norms & traditions
- The Honour Code http://appiah.net/books/the-honor-code/
- Animal farming will be condemned by future generations
- Consistent US voting against poor farming practices. Need that codified into law & corporate policy
- Cost reduction pressure worsens farm conditions
- Tech can render exploitative practices obselete (like cars re: horses, kerosene re: whales, pens vs. quills)
- Fast, cheap, easy alternatives likely to reduce more suffering than ethics
- It's hard to condemn a system you're still part of
- The moral argument has already been won re: ending animal farming
- People buy food mainly because of price, taste, convenience (not ethics or env.)
- Business for Good vs. ending capitalism? Purpose and/or profit?
56 min

About Sentientism

From the publisher's feed

We discuss the biggest questions: "what's real?", "who matters?" and "how to make a better world?" with scientists, celebrities, activists, writers and philosophers.