Talk by Jeff Sebo, New York University

The more we learn about the remarkable capabilities of insects, the more we need to confront challenging questions about their moral status. Are insects capable of experiencing pleasure, pain, and other morally significant welfare states? How should we treat insects when we feel unsure about whether our actions are helping or harming them? Do large animals like elephants matter more than small animals like insects? Even if so, can sufficiently large populations of small animals like insects matter more than sufficiently small populations of large animals like elephants?

This talk will survey the emerging field of insect ethics, and will examine how taking insects seriously complicates many of our ordinary beliefs, values, and priorities.