David Olivier | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Olivier in 2012 | |
| Born | 11 March 1956 London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, writer, philosopher |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Known for | Antispeciesist activism |
| Spouse |
Agnese Pignataro (m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | david.olivier.name |
David Olivier Whittier (born David Olivier; 11 March 1956) is an Anglo-French antispeciesist activist, writer and philosopher. He is the founder of the French journal Cahiers antispécistes ("Antispeciesist Notebooks"), the annual event Veggie Pride, and the annual meeting Les Estivales de la question animale ("The Summers of the Animal Question"). Olivier coined the term "veggiephobia" and has authored numerous articles and delivered many conferences. An advocate of utilitarian and antinaturalist ethics, he identifies politically as a progressive.
Born in London to a French-teaching father and an American painter mother, Olivier spent his early years in London before moving to France in 1967. His activism began in his adolescence, focusing initially on ecology, anarchism, anti-sexism, and anti-racism. He later turned his attention to animal rights in the mid-1980s. Olivier studied physics at the École Normale Supérieure de Saint-Cloud and the University of Lyon 1. Professionally, he worked as a computer programmer at the University of Lyon until his retirement in 2018.
Olivier is considered a founding figure of the French antispeciesist movement. He introduced Peter Singer's works to French activists and significantly influenced the formation of the animal rights organisation L214. His activism led to the creation of Veggie Pride and the annual Les Estivales de la question animale meetings, contributing to the animal rights discourse in France and beyond. A staunch opponent of speciesism, Olivier asserts that ethical considerations should extend to all sentient beings, advocating for a world with reduced wild animal suffering and rejecting traditional environmentalism.