ABSTRACT
The moral standing of insects raises unique challenges. Under the pretext that they supposedly lack sentience, animal rights theorists have tended to exclude insects from moral consideration. However, a growing body of research has shown that these assumptions are incorrect, thus dictating that we take the question of insect welfare more seriously. On the other hand, many insects pose serious challenges to humans, since they can infect us with diseases and consume our crops. In this chapter, I explore the ways a premodern Muslim jurist sought to balance human and insect interests, with an eye toward how we can apply his ideas today.
