What is Veganism?

“So you’re vegan for your health? No meat but you can still eat fish right? Okay but eggs and milk are fine though? If you really care about the environment shouldn’t you stop flying and driving a car? You literally have a pet cat?”

Before going vegan, I had a pretty good idea about what veganism was supposed to be. I had a few vegan friends and family members, so I understood the “rules” of what they could and could not eat. I even saw differences in how they approached different situations. Some were militantly against all animal products, and some tried their best but occasionally “slipped up” according to my definition of veganism at the time.

But despite all that, I never really asked what it actually meant.

The Actual Definition

The most widely accepted definition of veganism was coined by The Vegan Society in 1944:

“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”

In other words, it is the baseline belief that sentient beings shouldn’t be treated as property, products, or entertainment.

The Rules

A vegan will try their best to avoid consuming or using any animal products such as:

• Meat (beef, chicken, lamb, etc.)
• Fish and seafood
• Dairy (milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt, etc.)
• Eggs
• Honey

This includes all products that contain these animal-derived ingredients.

We’re talkin about practicability

The most important part of the official definition is the phrase: “as far as is possible and practicable.”

Veganism isn’t a quest for absolute, monastic purity. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism! Our lives are so chaotic, uncontrollable, and messy that it’s impossible to be perfectly ethical at all times. We can’t trace every little thing that we buy, do, or interact with and know all the consequences (reminds me of The Good Place which you should watch if you haven’t seen it). Byproducts are hidden in electronics, asphalt, and plastics.

“Practicable” means we do what is within our control. I cannot control the formulation of the tyres on the buses I use, and I am not going to refuse a life-saving vaccine. If I tried to track down everything, I would be paralysed by the overwhelming information, the impossibility of knowing all the consequences, and the sheer stress of trying to be perfect at all times.

“Give me a vegan world that isn’t set against me in every way, and then I will be perfect. - some guy on reddit”

What I can do is pick tofu over chicken in the supermarket, get the plant-based option from restaurants (which is so easy in London), and ask my friends and family to just give me some beans and rice if I’m at their place for a party or allow me to bring my own.

Veganism is just doing the absolute bare minimum we can do to reduce suffering when we have a choice.