S1E2: Dinesh Devaraj: Existentialism is No Humanism (Animals: Free Will to Rights, to Justice)

As Dinesh argues, existentialism is no Humanism; that is, no forms of Humanism can be properly existentialist. Sartre’s idea of free will cannot be denied to non-human animals (henceforth simply labelled animals), because like humans, animals undertake projects and make choices throughout their lives. And it cannot be logically or empirically argued, without uncertainty, that animals are only mechanical automata; if humans can be argued, with certainty, to be free via the experienced structures of our consciousness. Consciousness is common to all living beings that undertake projects throughout their lives. Therefore, the freedom of consciousness must also be common to all living beings: not just humans, but all animals including insects. 

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