The Psychology of Speciesism

Abstract

Despite being animals, humans distance themselves physically and mentally from (most) other animals and prioritize human interests. We exploit other animals to feed, clothe, and entertain ourselves, to name just a few animal exploitation practices. Such discrimination against other species, or speciesism, is the central focus of the present chapter. Drawing on recent scientific findings, we reveal the psychological connections between speciesism and prejudices such as racism and sexism. Those who support animal exploitation also tend to endorse sexist and racist views and rely on the belief in group dominance and human supremacy to justify systems of inequality and oppression. The common denominator is that the interests of disadvantaged groups like animals, women, and ethnic minorities, are considered subordinate to the interests and privileges of advantaged groups like humans in general, and white men in particular. Although recognizing this intersectionality is critical to the understanding of human-animal relations, explicitly referring to such parallels in animal advocacy campaigns can be easily misunderstood, and may be ineffective or even counterproductive. We see value in experience- and behavior-based interventions where people learn to connect psychologically with animals to change their animal-relevant beliefs, and more generally, to broaden the mind and challenge exploitative societal traditions.