Inherent value, in the context of applied ethics, refers to the intrinsic worth that an entity possesses independently of its usefulness to anyone or anything else. It is a concept rooted in moral philosophy, asserting that certain beings or objects have value simply by existing, regardless of their instrumental utility or benefits to humans. Unlike instrumental value, which is assigned based on the usefulness of something in achieving a goal, inherent value is self-contained and intrinsic, demanding moral consideration and respect simply because the entity exists. Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant emphasized inherent value in humans, arguing that rational beings should never be treated merely as means to an end, while environmental ethicists like Aldo Leopold and Paul Taylor extended this reasoning to nonhuman entities, including animals and ecosystems. The question of whether animals possess inherent value has been a central debate in applied ethics, particularly in animal ethics, environmental ethics, and bioethics. Historically, Western philosophical traditions often prioritized human beings as the sole bearers of inherent value. For example, Aristotelian and Cartesian perspectives considered animals as lacking rationality or self-consciousness, reducing them to instruments for human purposes. From this viewpoint, animals had only instrumental value: their worth was determined by their utility to humans, whether for food, labor, companionship, or experimentation. However, over the past century, ethical thought has increasingly challenged this anthropocentric outlook, emphasizing that the capacity to experience pain, pleasure, or complex emotions grants animals a moral significance beyond their utility. Philosopher Tom Regan, in his influential work on animal rights, argues that many animals are “subjects-of-a-life” and thus possess inherent value. By “subject-of-a-life,” Regan means that animals have beliefs, desires, memories, a sense of the future, and emotional experiences that make their lives valuable to themselves. Because animals have these inherent interests, they are entitled to moral rights that protect their well-being, independent of the benefits they might provide to humans. In this view, killing