In this seminar, we will focus on vegan activism as an argumentative dimension of ecological transition. Veganism is often understood as part of a broader shift toward more sustainable and environmentally responsible ways of living. Yet the strategies used to promote this transition can raise difficult ethical questions, especially when well-intentioned arguments risk having counterproductive implications. The session takes up this tension by examining how persuasive efforts to promote change can generate unintended political consequences. The session will begin with a talk, “Tailoring to the Audience? Ethics and Strategy in Vegan Advocacy.” Activists are often encouraged to tailor their message to their audience, for instance by focusing on health or environmental benefits rather than animal suffering. The talk examines the ethical implications of this practice. I argue that such forms of audience- tailored framing can generate significant moral costs for non-human animals: when the core concern of animal suffering is set aside for strategic reasons, this can objectify animals, weaken their moral standing, reinforce property-based thinking, and contribute to hierarchies of moral worth among species. Following the talk and a short Q&A, participants will engage in a structured group activity. Students will discuss how the tensions explored in the talk (between well-intentioned efforts to promote change and their potential unintended consequences) might arise in other areas of ecological transition. In particular, they will reflect on how attempts to advance change can, in some cases, conflict with commitments to inclusion, justice, or representation. The session will conclude with a joint discussion of the group reflections.

Bio: Friderike Spang is a Postdoctoral Researcher at CETE-P. Prior to joining CETE-P, she was a Senior Researcher at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Her research spans political philosophy and applied ethics. In political philosophy, she works on theories of compromise, disagreement, and deliberative democracy. In applied ethics, her work focuses on animal and environmental ethics. At CETE-P, her research combines these areas with technology ethics. Specifically, her work explores how democratic innovations and associated technologies can be used to represent the interests of non-human animals and future generations in political decision- making. Her work has been published in journals such as Journal of Applied Philosophy, Political Studies Review, Politics and Animals, Journal of Deliberative Democracy, and Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. For more information, please consult her website.