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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Intuition And The Invertebrate Dogma, Jonathan Balcombe
Intuition And The Invertebrate Dogma, Jonathan Balcombe
Animal Sentience
Just as intuition, fueled by hubris, led us to exclude insects from moral consideration, so intuition can lead to the opposite conclusion. Observed insect behavior, combined with scientific support for insect consciousness summarized in Mikhalevich & Powell’s target article, and bolstered by the Precautionary Principle, all militate against completely denying moral status to insects.
On The Possibility Of Invertebrate Sentience, David Degrazia
On The Possibility Of Invertebrate Sentience, David Degrazia
Animal Sentience
Mikhalevich & Powell (M&P) set up the basic criteria for according moral status equitably, including the capacity for affect. They argue persuasively against assuming that all invertebrates are insentient and hence ineligible for moral consideration. In addition to the relatively clear case of cephalopods, various arthropods may prove to be sentient. We should be aware of various sources of prejudice that M&P discuss and not assume that it would be absurd to attribute sentience and moral status to certain invertebrates.