Ethical Conduct with Invertebrate Animals: Routes for Inclusive, Humanitarian, and Sustainable Education

Abstract

Perceptions of nature depend on experiences relating to biodiversity, thus this study investigated the representation of invertebrates in different sections of Brazilian society by means of a questionnaire available from March to December 2015 as a resource in terms of the conservation of nature and human health in order to design an ethical values guide for this relationship. This study tested the hypotheses that there are differences in the conception and representation: a) associated with gender, educational level, use of animals in vocational training, tutoring, and housing area; b) according to the role assigned to invertebrates as a resource, including in conservation and health; and c) that the different representations result in different value assignments used to intermediate decisions on how, when, and why to use invertebrates. Thus, through quantitative and cross-sectional research, our objective was to identify the popular representation of invertebrates. The analysis of the results of an online questionnaire with 281 respondents showed definitions and concepts that were predominantly similar to the tested variables, which suggests that the present study provides evidence for the understanding of the ecological importance of the invertebrates, the belief in their sentience, and disagreement with the substitutive use of vertebrates in experimentation. However, the naturalistic and ecological positions regarding nature prevailed, indicating the persistence of utilitarian values. The results cast interpretive clues that the only by cooperation between education and environmental bioethics will possible the confluence of values and interests of animals and human in favor of a critical, ethical, and sustainable society.