--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To say that a being who is sentient has…" description: "\"To say that a being who is sentient has no interest in continuing to live is like saying that a being with eyes has no interest in continuing to see. D..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/gary-l-francione-8902_continuing_to-say-that-a-being-who-is-sentient-has_2001609.jpg" --- # To say that a being who is sentient has no interest in… ![“To say that a being who is sentient has no interest in continuing to live is like saying that a being with eyes has no interest in continuing to see. Death—however “humane”—is a harm for humans and nonhumans alike.” quote by Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/gary-l-francione-8902_continuing_to-say-that-a-being-who-is-sentient-has_2001609.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/gary-l-francione-8902_continuing_to-say-that-a-being-who-is-sentient-has_2001609.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/gary-l-francione-8902_continuing_to-say-that-a-being-who-is-sentient-has_2001609.jpg) > “To say that a being who is sentient has no interest in continuing to live is like saying that a being with eyes has no interest in continuing to see. Death—however “humane”—is a harm for humans and nonhumans alike.” [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sentience implies a desire to continue living; denying this is akin to denying a seeing creature's desire to see. **In simple terms:** Living beings want to live, just like eyes want to see. Key Takeaway Recognize the intrinsic value of life for all sentient beings. Themes ethics sentience life value Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - veterinary care - conservation - legislation - education - activism Key Concepts animal rights philosophy moral psychology Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities arise from recognizing animal sentience? - How can societies balance human and nonhuman interests? A Different Perspective Human-centered perspectives may overlook nonhuman experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/francione/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) ## Related quotes > [“To say that a sentient being is not harmed by death denies that the being has the very interest that sentience serves to perpetuate.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/to-say-that-a-sentient-being-is-not-harmed-by-death-denies-that-the/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [All sentient beings should have at least one right—the right not to be treated as property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-sentient-beings-should-have-at-least-one-right-the-right-not-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We can no more justify using nonhumans as human resources than we can justify human slavery. Animal use and slavery have at least one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-can-no-more-justify-using-nonhumans-as-human-resources-than-we-can/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“I reject animal welfare reform and single-issue campaigns because they are not only inconsistent with the claims of justice that we should be making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/i-reject-animal-welfare-reform-and-single-issue-campaigns-because/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Every time you drink a glass of milk or eat a piece of cheese, you harm a mother. Please go vegan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/every-time-you-drink-a-glass-of-milk-or-eat-a-piece-of-cheese-you/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Ethical veganism results in a profound revolution within the individual; a complete rejection of the paradigm of oppression and violence that she has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/ethical-veganism-results-in-a-profound-revolution-within-the/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Veganism is not about giving anything up or losing anything; it is about gaining the peace within yourself that comes from embracing nonviolence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/veganism-is-not-about-giving-anything-up-or-losing-anything-it-is/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“Animals are property. There are laws that supposedly protect animal interests in being treated “humanely,” but that term is interpreted in large part to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animals-are-property-there-are-laws-that-supposedly-protect-animal/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“We should not be surprised that more and more people feel comfortable about consuming animal products. After all, they are being assured by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-should-not-be-surprised-that-more-and-more-people-feel-comfortable/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [If you are not vegan, please consider going vegan. It’s a matter of nonviolence. Being vegan is your statement that you reject violence to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/if-you-are-not-vegan-please-consider-going-vegan-it-s-a-matter-of/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Being vegan is easy. Are there social pressures that encourage you to continue to eat, wear, and use animal products? Of course there are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/being-vegan-is-easy-are-there-social-pressures-that-encourage-you-to/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“Sentience is a means to the end of continued existence. Sentient beings, by virtue of their being sentient, have an interest in remaining alive;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/sentience-is-a-means-to-the-end-of-continued-existence-sentient/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [The distinction between meat and other animal products is total nonsense. Vegetarianism is a morally incoherent position. If you regard animals as members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-distinction-between-meat-and-other-animal-products-is-total/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Any serious social, political, and economic change must include veganism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-serious-social-political-and-economic-change-must-include-veganism/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot live a nonviolent life as long as you are consuming violence. Please consider going vegan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-live-a-nonviolent-life-as-long-as-you-are-consuming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Gary L. Francione > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Humans treat animals as things that exist as means to human ends. That's morally wrong. Sexism promotes the idea that women are things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/humans-treat-animals-as-things-that-exist-as-means-to-human-ends-that/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“The notion that animals are not self-aware is based on nothing more than a stipulation that the only way to be self-aware is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/the-notion-that-animals-are-not-self-aware-is-based-on-nothing-more/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [There is no morally coherent difference between fur and other animal clothing, such as leather, wool, etc., just as there is no morally coherent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/there-is-no-morally-coherent-difference-between-fur-and-other-animal/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We cannot talk simultaneously about animal rights and the 'humane' slaughter of animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-cannot-talk-simultaneously-about-animal-rights-and-the-humane/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We can no more justify using nonhumans as human resources than we can justify human slavery. Animal use and slavery have at least one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-can-no-more-justify-using-nonhumans-as-human-resources-than-we-can/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Because animals are property, we consider as "humane treatment" that we would regard as torture if it were inflicted on humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/because-animals-are-property-we-consider-as-humane-treatment-that-we/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Not only are the philosophies of animal rights and animal welfare separated by irreconcilable differences... the enactment of animal welfare measures actually impedes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/not-only-are-the-philosophies-of-animal-rights-and-animal-welfare/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [There is increasing social concern about our use of nonhumans for experiments, food, clothing and entertainment. This concern about animals reflects both our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/there-is-increasing-social-concern-about-our-use-of-nonhumans-for/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Being vegan is easy. Are there social pressures that encourage you to continue to eat, wear, and use animal products? Of course there are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/being-vegan-is-easy-are-there-social-pressures-that-encourage-you-to/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“Sentience is a means to the end of continued existence. Sentient beings, by virtue of their being sentient, have an interest in remaining alive;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/sentience-is-a-means-to-the-end-of-continued-existence-sentient/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [It costs us so little to go vegan. It costs animals so much if we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/it-costs-us-so-little-to-go-vegan-it-costs-animals-so-much-if-we-don-t/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [In order to be a teacher you've got to be a student first](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/in-order-to-be-a-teacher-you-ve-got-to-be-a-student-first/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We do not need to eat animals, wear animals, or use animals for entertainment purposes, and our only defence of these uses is our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-do-not-need-to-eat-animals-wear-animals-or-use-animals-for/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [But if there were two dogs left in the universe and it were up to us as to whether they were allowed to breed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/but-if-there-were-two-dogs-left-in-the-universe-and-it-were-up-to-us/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Explore all 77 Gary L. Francione quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) ## More Continuing quotes > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Further conceive, I beg, that a stone, while continuing in motion, should be capable of thinking and knowing, that it is endeavoring, as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/further-conceive-i-beg-that-a-stone-while-continuing-in-motion-should/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I dream of continuing to dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/i-dream-of-continuing-to-dream/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [I describe family values as responsibility towards others, increase of tolerance, compromise, support, flexibility. And essentially the things I call the silent song of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-minuchin/i-describe-family-values-as-responsibility-towards-others-increase-of/) [Salvador Minuchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-minuchin/) > [You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/you-can-measure-a-programmer-s-perspective-by-noting-his-attitude-on/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [What business needs now is exactly what women are able to provide, and at the very time when women are surging into the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-helgesen/what-business-needs-now-is-exactly-what-women-are-able-to-provide-and/) [Sally Helgesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-helgesen/) > [The deepest courage we can exercise is continuing to believe in our dreams until we make them come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-deepest-courage-we-can-exercise-is-continuing-to-believe-in-our/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [It's very easy for me to say what success is. I think success is connecting with an audience who understands you and having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-s-very-easy-for-me-to-say-what-success-is-i-think-success-is/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/people-often-say-that-humans-have-always-eaten-animals-as-if-this-is/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [A child-like man is not a man whose development has been arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/a-child-like-man-is-not-a-man-whose-development-has-been-arrested-on/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Put simply, the Bush administration policy in the Middle East is continuing to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-corsi/put-simply-the-bush-administration-policy-in-the-middle-east-is/) [Jerome Corsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-corsi/) > [Faith implies a continuing search, not necessarily a final answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/faith-implies-a-continuing-search-not-necessarily-a-final-answer/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrine-taken-by-itself-in-a/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [For women who do not love us, as for the "disappeared", knowing that we no longer have any hope does not prevent us form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/for-women-who-do-not-love-us-as-for-the-disappeared-knowing-that-we/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) Browse all 782 Continuing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To say that a being who is sentient has no interest in continuing to live is like saying that a being with eyes has no interest in continuing to see. Death—however “humane”—is a harm for humans and nonhumans alike.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary L. 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