This special issue is devoted to the question of sentience and its ethical implications. Sparked by debates in contemporary science and bioethics, the theme addresses one of the most fundamental and contested concepts in moral philosophy: what it means to be sentient, why it matters, and how our understanding of it should guide practices, policies, and ethical reasoning. While the idea of sentience has long been central to questions of moral standing, recent developments—from neuroscientific models to artificial intelligence—have made it increasingly urgent to clarify its nature, scope, and significance. The contributions in this volume approach these issues from a range of philosophical, scientific, and applied perspectives, showing how the concept of sentience both challenges and enriches contemporary ethics.
