Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification. Indeed, most people do not even think about whether they should or should not make a baby. They just make one. In other words, procreation is usually the consequence of sex rather than the result of a decision to bring people into existence. Those who do indeed decide to have a child might do so for any number of reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the interests of the potential child. One can never have a child for that child’s sake.
Coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence. In other words, although we may not be able to say of the never-existent that … - David Benatar
Coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence. In other words, although we may not be able to say of the never-existent that …
- David Benatar
On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs. - David Benatar
On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs.
We infrequently contemplate the harms that await any new-born child—pain, disappointment, anxiety, grief, and death. For any given child we cannot pr… - David Benatar
We infrequently contemplate the harms that await any new-born child—pain, disappointment, anxiety, grief, and death. For any given child we cannot pr…
Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification. Indeed, most people… - David Benatar
Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification. Indeed, most people…
It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less likely that many peopl… - David Benatar
It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less likely that many peopl…
Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives is very bad—and co… - David Benatar
Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives is very bad—and co…
As we have seen, nobody is lucky enough not to be born, everybody is unlucky enough to have been born – and particularly bad luck it is. - David Benatar
As we have seen, nobody is lucky enough not to be born, everybody is unlucky enough to have been born – and particularly bad luck it is.
It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) g… - David Benatar
It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) g…
I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood. - David Benatar
I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood.
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