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Sapient
A sapient creature is a creature that can learn and improve skills, and is closely related to the soul.
Overview[edit]
Depending on a civilization's ethics, there are certain actions they may not allow if it involves a creature that is considered sapient. For instance, only goblins will countenance the butchery and eating of sapient creatures.
Defining sapience[edit]
As a practical definition, as far as Dwarf Fortress is concerned, sapient creatures are any creatures that have the [CAN_LEARN] token.[Verify] However, on a more philosophical level, regardless of the raw token and underlying mechanics, the game may represent sapience in a wide variety of other ways; modelling abilities and interactions that might more conventionally be associated with personhood or the concept of a soul.
Though closely related, sapience should not be confused with sentience. Although, functionally (and in the real world), the lines between two can be a bit blurred, most creatures, as represented by the game, can be considered sentient; they can feel and experience emotions and react to stimuli, exclusive of their capacity for abstract thought and reasoning, and the ability to educate themselves.