Acharya Prashant explains that veganism is fundamentally related to the definition of being human. He argues that while animals are dictated by biological programming, humans are defined by their consciousness. Therefore, a human being is one who respects consciousness over the body and its material desires. He asserts that if one respects consciousness, they cannot harm or exploit it wherever it exists, whether in a bird, fish, or animal. He goes as far as to say that if an individual values the body more than consciousness by consuming meat or exploiting animals, they do not qualify to be called a human being in the truest sense.