“I shall not assess arguments and evidence for competing views about when human extinction will occur. We know it will occur, and this fact has a curious effect on my argument. In a strange way it makes my argument an optimistic one. Although things are now not the way they should be—there are people when there should be none—things will someday be the way they should be—there will be no people. In other words, although things are now bad, they will be better, even if they first get worse with the creation of new people. Some may wish to be spared this kind of optimism, but some optimists may take a measure of comfort in this observation.”
Quote by David Benatar
Work
Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence
This book delves into the philosophical debate regarding the intrinsic value of existence, presenting a comprehensive examination of the potential harms associated with being born and living. It challenges conventional views on life's worth and its moral implications. more
Author
David Benatar
David Benatar (born December 8, 1966) is a South African philosopher and professor at the University of Cape Town, known for his controversial anti-natalist views. He argues that bringing a child into existence is morally wrong because life inevitably involves suffering, and non-existence avoids all harm. His seminal work, Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence (2006), sparked global debate on the ethics of procreation. Benatar's research covers applied ethics, bioethics, and metaphysics, and he is a prominent figure in population ethics. Despite criticism for pessimism, he maintains his arguments are based on logical reasoning. He also authored The Second Sexism (2012) and Human Well-Being and Human Life (2018). more
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