Abstract

VILLAMOR IGLESIAS, Alejandro. The overwhelming prevalence of suffering in Nature. Rev. Bioética y Derecho [online]. 2018, n.42, pp.181-195. ISSN 1886-5887.

There are several reasons to believe that there is a predominance of suffering over wellbeing in nature. The difference grows exponentially when the suffering of invertebrates is taken into consideration. Given the relevance of the experience of pain when it comes to attributing moral considerability to an individual, the seriousness and implications of the above statements are significant due to the need to reconcile the interests of an enormous number of individuals who experience pain to some degree. Depending on the species and the ecosystem, there are variations that must be kept in mind with the aim of reducing the existing amount of suffering.

Keywords : invertebrates; invertebrate suffering; prevalence of suffering in nature; population dynamics; r/K selection theory.

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