In philosophy, animalism is a theory about personal identity according to which personal identity is a biological property of human beings, just as it is for other animals. Animalism is not a theory about personhood, that is, a theory about what it means to be a person. An animalist could hold that robots or angels were persons without that contradicting his animalism.

According to the German philosopher W. Sombart, "Animalism", in opposition to "Hominism", contains every ideology that give up the notion of humans possessing a life-form of their own, and understands them as a part of nature, as an animal specie.

The concept of animalism is among interests of philosophers Eric T. Olson

Eric T. Olson (philosopher)

Eric T. Olson is an American philosopher who specializes in metaphysics and philosophy of mind. Olson is most famous for his research in the field of personal identity, namely animalism. Olson received a BA from Reed College and a PhD from Syracuse University...

 and David Wiggins

David Wiggins

David Wiggins is a British moral philosopher, metaphysician, and philosophical logician working especially on identity and issues in meta-ethics. His 2006 book, Ethics. Twelve Lectures on the Philosophy of Morality defends a position he calls "moral objectivism".- Life :Wiggins read philosophy...

. and David Wiggins

David Wiggins

David Wiggins is a British moral philosopher, metaphysician, and philosophical logician working especially on identity and issues in meta-ethics. His 2006 book, Ethics. Twelve Lectures on the Philosophy of Morality defends a position he calls "moral objectivism".- Life :Wiggins read philosophy...

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Brian Garrett criticizes the concept.