About this episode

Björn Ólafsson discusses the moral implications of sentience and the challenges of changing perceptions about nonhuman animals.

What actually convinces a politician, a farmer, or a sceptical friend to change how they think about nonhuman animals? Researcher and advocate Björn Ólafsson joins The Sentientism Podcast to talk about leaving Catholicism behind, why social norms get mistaken for morals, and why sentience; not ecosystems, species or familiarity, should be the foundation of who counts morally. Björn works in research and research communication for the animal protection movement, bridging the gap between academic researchers and on-the-ground advocates. He writes the Substack "More Than Meats The Eye," (https://morethanmeatstheeye.substack.com/) has worked with Sentient Media, the Better Food Foundation, and Spain's Animal Welfare Observatory, and has spoken at VARC and the AVA Summit in Nairobi.We cover:- Growing up religious, asking unanswered questions, and quietly leaving faith behind- Why most people confuse social norms with morality- Going vegetarian at 10 after reading a magazine in a dentist's waiting room- Expanding moral concern from mammals to chickens, insects, and shrimp- Why ecocentrism can be "another form of human-centricity" if it excludes farmed and wild…

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