What is Animalism?

In Animal Farm, Animalism is the political philosophy that Old Major inspires and that Snowball and Napoleon later turn into a formal system of beliefs for the animals. It teaches that humans are the source of all animals’ suffering because they “consume without producing” and steal the fruits of the animals’ labor. The goal of Animalism is to create a society where animals govern themselves equally, free from hunger, overwork, and human cruelty.

Snowball and Napoleon reduce Animalism into the Seven Commandments, which include rules such as “No animal shall kill any other animal” and “All animals are equal.” The philosophy also divides the world sharply between animals and humans: “All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.” These ideas initially unite the animals after they overthrow Mr. Jones. The animals work enthusiastically because they believe they are finally laboring for themselves rather than for a human master.

Animalism also depends heavily on slogans and propaganda. Snowball simplifies the philosophy into the phrase “Four legs good, two legs bad,” which the sheep repeat constantly. The simplicity of these slogans helps unite the less educated animals, but it also makes them easy to manipulate. Over time, Napoleon twists Animalism to justify his own power. The pigs alter the Seven Commandments whenever convenient, changing rules about beds, alcohol, and killing. Eventually the original ideals disappear entirely, replaced by the statement: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Animalism begins as a hopeful revolutionary movement based on equality and shared labor, but it becomes corrupted into a system that protects the pigs’ privilege. By the end of the novel, the pigs behave exactly like the humans they once condemned, and the animals can no longer tell “which was which.” Animalism’s collapse illustrates how revolutionary ideals can be distorted by leaders who use language, fear, and propaganda to hold onto power.