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Veganism is the principle that humans should live without exploiting animals. It's a recognition that they are sentient individuals who deserve to live free from exploitation, rejection of their objectification and use, and an uncompromising demand for their emancipation from humans.

“The object of the (Vegan) Society shall be to end the exploitation of animals by man”; and “The word veganism shall mean the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals.”

The Society pledges itself, “in pursuance of its object,” to “seek to end the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and all other uses involving the exploitation of animal life by man.

The effect of this development is to make veganism unique among movements concerned with animal welfare. For it has crystallized as a whole, and not, as are all other such movements, as an abstraction. Where every other movement deals with a segment—and therefore deals directly with practices rather than principles—veganism is itself a principle, from which certain practices logically flow."

~ Veganism Defined (1951)

Exploitation: the act of using for selfish purposes. (In Search of Veganism 2, 1949)

*This definition was the consensus among several prominent members of Vegan Society
in 1951 with former vice-president Leslie J Cross as key figure in conceptualising the theoretical framework. Read the essays by Cross at tinyurl.com/lesliecross
Veganism: recognition that animals are individuals - not resources, objects or slaves.
Veganism is the principle that humans should live without exploiting animals.
Veganism by Arseni April 17, 2026
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quasi-veganism

eating like a vegan for much or parts of your life, but not ensuring that all the animals are set free and never killed
I have enjoyed quasi-veganism, but I am not trying to stop killing all of the animals, partly because I still eat a minimal amount of meat, at the least.
quasi-veganism by addake November 3, 2019