"All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals"

Peter Singer’s words challenge the deep-seated belief in human superiority over other species by focusing on the capacity to suffer. The argument rejects anthropocentric views that ascribe value or rights to beings according to their intelligence, language, or abstract reasoning. Instead, Singer identifies sentience, the ability to experience pain and pleasure, as the morally relevant characteristic. No matter what arguments humans construct about the uniqueness of their species, they cannot deny that animals feel pain, fear, and distress in ways that are fundamentally similar to our own experiences.

The passage draws attention away from rationalizations that differentiate humans from animals, be it intelligence, morality, or technological prowess, and calls forth the shared experience of suffering as the great equalizer. For Singer, the ability to suffer does not depend on possessing uniquely human attributes; rather, suffering itself is a universal experience, bridging the gap between species. This view dismantles the moral hierarchy that often places human interests ahead of animal interests simply because of species membership.

By emphasizing suffering, Singer critiques the ethical justifications for using animals as mere resources or property. If animals can experience pain and trauma, their interests must be considered with the same seriousness as similar interests in humans. The argument challenges the moral myopia that allows one to disregard or downplay animal suffering, urging an expansion of the moral circle to include nonhuman animals. Contending that suffering is something all sentient beings wish to avoid, Singer highlights a shared vulnerability that should ground our ethical duties towards animals.

The enduring "hard fact" is a confrontation with reality unsoftened by philosophical or cultural excuses. The implication is profound: ethical consideration should not be limited by species barriers but extended to all beings capable of suffering, demanding a re-evaluation of how we treat the creatures with whom we share this planet.