We infrequently contemplate the harms that await any new-born child—pain, disappointment, anxiety, grief, and death. For any given child we cannot predict… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... For an existing person, the presence of bad… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification.… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“There is one kind of exception: those who believe that the world is too horrible a place into which to bring children. Such people… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“For instance, since none of us lives until age 240, people tend not to think that failing to reach that age makes one’s life… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs. — David Benatar Copy Share Image
Coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence. In other words, although we may not be able to say of… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“There is a further (non-distributional) consideration that can affect an assessment of a life’s quality. Arguably, once a life reaches a certain threshold of… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood. — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“Life's big questions are big in the sense that they are momentuous. However, contrary to appearances, they are not big in the sense of… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“Bringing people into existence as well as failing to bring people into existence can be regretted. However, only bringing people into existence can be… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“Now it might be suggested that cloning is sometimes worse because, where it is done for the sake of the person cloned, it is… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
“Those who do indeed decide to have a child might do so for any number of reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the… — David Benatar Copy Share Image
