Sentience is the capacity to have experiences, that is, conscious states. This introduction to sentience explains what this means in more detail. Read more
Sentience is the capacity to be affected positively or negatively. It is nearly synonymous with consciousness. Read more
Animal sentience is widespread among both vertebrates and many invertebrates. Animal sentience is what grants all these animals moral consideration. Read more
The relevance of sentience can be argued by claiming that being sentient is what matters to be positively or negatively affected, rather than simply being alive or species membership. Read more