What Is A Vegan?
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This isn’t the first time I’ve asked “what is a vegan?”
Last time, I listed a set of 20 terms and before that shared Grumpy Vegan’s glossary. We’ve shown a video of a vegan defining veganism. And Convenient Vegan emphasized key words in the Vegan Society definition of vegan.
But this is a common question vegans will hear often, so you might want to choose a definition and memorize it or come up with your own definition. Here are some examples of definitions of vegan…
Homemade Vegan wrote:
“veganism is not a diet! [...]
Vegan is a term used –or at least in my opinion should be used– to categorize someone who has chosen to live their life in such a way as to reduce their contribution to animal exploitation as much as possible. It is an expression of their ethical commitment to the abolishment of animal exploitation. The fact that this results in a plant based diet is clear, however it would be a gross inaccuracy to equate the term vegan with nothing more than choices made at the checkout counter or a restaurant.”
There are many definitions of vegan. Here at Vegan Soapbox we use this definition:
“person who seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.”
Wikipedia offers this definition:
“Veganism is a philosophy and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind. The most common reasons for becoming a vegan are ethical commitment or moral convictions concerning animal rights, the environment, human health, and spiritual or religious concerns.”
Vegan World Ezine defined vegan this way:
“A vegan consumes no meat, dairy or animal products of any kind whatsoever. Vegans wear no animal products, such as leather or fur, nor use products made from or tested on animals. Vegans typically believe that animals are not on this planet for human exploitation of any kind – food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, etc. Veganism holds that simply because animals can’t speak English (or Spanish or Chinese or Russian) is not a valid reason to exploit them.”
And last but certainly not least, the definition provided by the Vegan Society, the organization that coined the term “vegan”:
“A vegan is someone who tries to avoid – as far as is possible and practical – all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. This is for the benefit of people, animals and the environment. Vegan eat a plant-based diet free from all animal products, such as meat, animal milks, eggs, honey and gelatine. They also avoid animal products like leather, wool and silk for clothing or other purposes.”
But a standard dictionary defines vegan this way:
“a vegetarian who omits all animal products from the diet.”
Many people in the media (omnivores mostly) use that dictionary definition. And thus, many people who go vegan for health reasons use that definition. (For the record, the majority of vegans go vegan for animal rights or welfare reasons or environmental reasons.)
What do you think? Should veganism be defined by vegans or by a dictionary?
We can’t have vegan’s defining vegans without already having a definition of what a vegan is, because who gets to decide? Do I, being a person who is eating vegan because someone challenged me to try it and I found that I felt better, get to help decide what a vegan is if I end up not defined as a vegan?
Personally, I would just say that I follow a vegan diet.
I see what you’re saying CareyElla, in that it seems circular. And there’s the issue of ‘who decides?’ But honestly, that’s always a problem with any definition. There are issues of authority, history, and fairness with all words. Language is not always precise. Certainly, it’s important to remember the historical roots and I strongly believe we ought to respect the intent of the people who coined the term ‘vegan’ but I also know that language evolves and changes and we just can’t stop that from happening. It’s a natural process.
It’s much more fair for people who identify as vegan to define the term, not people who don’t identify as vegan. For example, I am often irritated at dictionary definitions written by outsiders because they don’t capture the essence of particular meanings. See the example I’ve given above. The dictionary definition describes veganism purely as a dietary choice. But if you ask a random sampling of vegans, a significant percentage, perhaps even the majority, will define veganism as more than just a way of eating.
I don’t know if I would say “essence,” which implies that Veganism is a concrete thing with an original that can be discovered. A principle isn’t concrete in that way but rationally constructed. However, if those doing the constructing share a common humanity, etc. the end often appears to be objective in the way that “essence” implies. Vegans of old were in fact “vegans,” given the definition of the concept at the time. That definition has changed today; indeed, who is a vegan has changed from that time and is not at all unified.
If we don’t allow some inconsistency, we threaten the stability of the movement built around the concept. I myself am at fault here, as I argue that those who are vegan because it’s their preferred diet are in fact not “vegan” at all but herbivores. Veganism is about justice, not about diet. That said, allowing inconsistency also threatens stability – we have two different definitions of Veganism on this very thread.
I think in the end, a new concept must be defined by those who create the concept and have an interest in its definition. If that definition is unclear, as “Veganism” is, we must interpret the original as best we can (or simply create a new concept).
Quote:
“Do I, being a person who is eating vegan because someone challenged me to try it and I found that I felt better, get to help decide what a vegan is if I end up not defined as a vegan?”
Yes, CareyElla. If you are defined-out does that matter? As you said, you simply do not consume anything from a nonhuman for health?
~ Recent blog post: The recent dog shooting. at http://www.not-quiteright.net/tvg ~
No, it doesn’t matter at all if I’m not included in the definition. In fact, I’d rather not be. As it is, when I tell people that I can’t eat something because it has meat (or whatever) in it, I feel a need to explain to them that I don’t eat it simply because I prefer not to, and not because I’m into animal rights. I wish there was a seperate term for me.
I do feel it’s an added bonus that I am not contributing to the death/poor living conditions of animals.
I see what you’re worried about, CareyElla. You can use the terms “Strict vegetarian” or “plant-based diet.” When someone asks what you eat, you can say “Plants.” If they ask why? You can say “Because I prefer to eat plants.” Simple.
Read The China Study. He never mentions “vegan” because he and his family chose a plant-based diet for health reasons only, not for animal rights or any other reason. When asked what they eat, they say “Plants.”
You do not identify as vegan. You are not in the group of people I’m suggesting should define the term. Problem solved.
Alex, I mean essence as in the crucial, the essential, the most basic. For example, the ‘essence’ of the definition of ‘chair’ is probably something like ‘a piece of furniture designed for one person to sit.’ The current essence of ‘vegan’ is, in my opinion, ‘person who seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.’
I agree with what you said:
I think the reason the definition of vegan is sometimes unclear is because the people who choose veganism are in such a small minority and are often isolated from one another that the non-vegan majority tends to define us just as or more often as we define ourselves. That, and the fact that we’re a diverse group ourselves wherein some believe in true animal rights and some believe in animal welfare, etc.
When I pose the question “What is vegan?” at a cooking forum I receive a very different response than when I ask it at an animal rights forum. Dietary vegans tend to want to be included in the definition whereas AR vegans sometimes want to exclude purely dietary vegans. Personally, I prefer that dietary vegans don’t identify as vegan. I’m fine with them identifying as vegetarian but I think veganism is much more than just diet.