3min chapter

Within Reason cover image

#12 — David Benatar | Is It Immoral To Have Children?

Within Reason

CHAPTER

Is There an Obligation Not to Bring a Child Into Existence?

If you know that a potential child will suffer horribly, it would be wrong to bring him or her into existence. If i did accept that there was an obligation not to bring that child into existence, i would then simultaneously be committed to bringing beings into existence that did experience more pleasure. What's the problem with me saying that for this potential child, let's say for my child, since i don't have any children, the fact that my child is currently not suffering is neutral. And yet, the moment that that child becomes born any suffering, it experiences bad. It seems to me that a that's going to lead you to have to make a judgment about the case i've just described

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