Aspirational Jain veganism

Abstract

Drawing from analytical frameworks in the field of Critical Animal Studies, this article identifies a form of Jain discourse categorized as ‘aspirational Jain veganism.’ This category of discourse was determined following the collection of online data representative of five categories of aspirational Jain vegan discourse related to 1) health and science, 2) Jain scriptural teachings (e.g., ahiṃsā, compassion, karma), 3) charismatic spiritual leadership, 4) progressive self-development, and 5) generational differences. After presenting these forms of online discourse, the article then presents in-person, diasporic encounters with aspirational Jain veganism in the United States and the United Kingdom to illustrate how these encounters illuminate the generational differences frequently encountered in online discourse. The article ultimately alters earlier definitions of ‘Aspirational Veganism’ (Gruen and Jones 2015) in three important ways by including some Jain vegetarians within the category of aspirational vegans; by helping us to see how aspirational Jain veganism clearly overlaps with and problematizes what Gruen and Jones call ‘Identity Veganism;’ and by identifying alternative Jain religious understandings of liberation (mokṣa) outside of Critical Animal Studies’ ‘total liberation’ framework that are motivating aspirational Jain veganism.