Is coming into existence a fundamental harm? A philosopher argues we should not procreate.
In short: South African philosopher David Benatar posits that life is inherently flawed. Through his asymmetry argument, he suggests that while avoiding pain is a positive good, missing out on pleasure is only negative if someone exists to feel that loss. Consequently, he concludes that bringing new sentient beings into existence is wrong.
David Benatar, an emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town, is best known for his 2006 work, Better Never to Have Been. His central thesis rests on a logical asymmetry between pleasure and pain. He argues that the absence of pain is inherently good, even if no one is present to experience that benefit. Conversely, the absence of pleasure is only a negative state if there is a person who is being deprived of it. Because non-existence avoids pain without creating a subject to miss out on pleasure, Benatar contends that non-procreation is the ethically superior choice.
Benatar suggests that humans are evolutionarily predisposed to misjudge the quality of their lives. He identifies three psychological mechanisms—optimism bias, adaptation to circumstances, and social comparison—that distort our perception of well-being. These traits, he argues, were naturally selected to discourage suicide and encourage reproduction, effectively blinding us to the true, often negative, quality of human life. In his 2017 book, The Human Predicament, he further explores the nature of death, describing it as a harm because it terminates potential future experiences and destroys the individual's psychological continuity.
Beyond his work on antinatalism, Benatar has addressed diverse ethical topics, including gender discrimination and medical ethics. In The Second Sexism (2012), he examines systemic discrimination against men and boys. While acknowledging the importance of feminism, he argues that recognizing these parallel issues is essential for achieving universal social justice. His research has also spanned controversial medical practices, such as circumcision and fetal pain, and he has been a vocal critic of the treatment of animals, linking human mistreatment of other species to the emergence of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: David Benatar
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/ideas-david-benatar.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Philosophers · More in Ideas & Philosophy · Latest · A–Z · All topics
