Home / Weak arguments / Wrong criterion
V20
"I'm vegan out of compassion for all living beings."
Wrong criterion
They ground the defense of animals in faith, affection or hierarchy, not in sentience.
Why it is weak
Veganism's criterion isn't being alive, it's being sentient. Plants, fungi and single-celled organisms are alive, but there's no evidence they can be harmed in the sense that matters.
The phrase also hands people the "what about plants?" reply, since eating lettuce also kills a living being.
How to say it better
Say "sentient beings": those who can feel and be harmed by what we do.