Which statement best defines speciesism?

Which statement best defines speciesism?

• A. Human intolerance and discrimination of animals.
• B. The belief that animals should be kept as pets.
• C. A scientific discipline about animal behavior.
• D. The process of breeding animals for experiments.

Answer: (A)

Speciesism is a bias that assigns greater moral worth to beings of one species (usually humans) and treats others as lesser or as mere resources because of their species. The statement describing human intolerance and discrimination of animals best captures that moral stance, because it points to judging and treating animals unfavorably simply due to being animals. The other options describe ways humans use or study animals (keeping them as pets, examining their behavior scientifically, or breeding them for experiments) but they don’t address the prejudice or moral status aspect that defines speciesism.

Speciesism is a bias that assigns greater moral worth to beings of one species (usually humans) and treats others as lesser or as mere resources because of their species. The statement describing human intolerance and discrimination of animals best captures that moral stance, because it points to judging and treating animals unfavorably simply due to being animals. The other options describe ways humans use or study animals (keeping them as pets, examining their behavior scientifically, or breeding them for experiments) but they don’t address the prejudice or moral status aspect that defines speciesism.