Sentience

Sentience is the ability to experience feelings and sensations. It may not necessarily imply higher cognitive functions such as awareness, reasoning, or complex thought processes. Some theorists define sentience exclusively as the capacity for valenced (positive or negative) mental experiences, such as pain and pleasure. Sentience is an important concept in ethics, as the ability to experience happiness or suffering often forms a basis for determining which entities deserve moral consideration, particularly in utilitarianism. The word "sentience" has been used to translate a variety of concepts in Asian religions. In science fiction, "sentience" is sometimes used interchangeably with "sapience", "self-awareness", or "consciousness".