Ethics of Invertebrate Animal Research from a Buddhist Philosophical Perspective

This analysis explores the ethical gaps in current approaches to animal research, particularly as they relate to invertebrate organisms, and evaluates a Buddhist approach as an alternative to typical Western utilitarian ethical framings. While utilitarian frameworks and the ‘Three Rs’ of animal research have shaped much of modern scientific practice, they often overlook forms of suffering that are not easily recognized or measured. Drawing on Buddhist principles of non-harm, interdependence, and compassion, this analysis offers an alternative way of thinking about the moral implications of invertebrate experimentation. Using an experimental case study, the ethical analysis reflects on how these principles complicate the perception of harm and moral responsibility in the pursuit of knowledge. Ultimately, this analysis suggests that integrating diverse ethical perspectives can support more thoughtful and self-aware scientific practice, and highlights how Buddhist perspectives might reveal ethical considerations in invertebrate animal testing that are often overlooked in utilitarian and other Western ethical models.