--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pro-death view should be of interest…" description: "\"“The pro-death view should be of interest even to those who do not accept it. One of its valuable features is that it offers a unique challenge to thos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ec/david-benatar-19400_abortion_the-pro-death-view-should-be-of-interest_2521618.jpg" --- # The pro-death view should be of interest even to those who… ![“The pro-death view should be of interest even to those who do not accept it. One of its valuable features is that it offers a unique challenge to those pro-lifers who reject a legal right to abortion. Whereas a legal pro-choice position does not require a pro-lifer to have an abortion—it allows a…” quote by David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ec/david-benatar-19400_abortion_the-pro-death-view-should-be-of-interest_2521618.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ec/david-benatar-19400_abortion_the-pro-death-view-should-be-of-interest_2521618.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ec/david-benatar-19400_abortion_the-pro-death-view-should-be-of-interest_2521618.jpg) > ““The pro-death view should be of interest even to those who do not accept it. One of its valuable features is that it offers a unique challenge to those pro-lifers who reject a legal right to abortion. Whereas a legal pro-choice position does not require a pro-lifer to have an abortion—it allows a choice—a legal pro-life position does prevent a pro-choicer from having an abortion. Those who think that the law should embody the pro-life position might want to ask themselves what they would say about a lobby group that, contrary to my arguments in Chapter 4 but in accordance with pro-lifers’ commitment to the restriction of procreative freedom, recommended that the law become pro-death. A legal pro-death policy would require even pro-lifers to have abortions. Faced with this idea, legal pro-lifers might have a newfound interest in the value of choice.”” [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The argument challenges pro-life advocates by showing that a law mandating death (abortions) would force even those who oppose abortion to experience it, highlighting the importance of choice. **In simple terms:** Legal pro-death policy forces abortions on everyone, emphasizing choice. Key Takeaway Consider how laws affect personal autonomy. Themes ethics law abortion choice politics Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical political ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - court cases - legislative drafting - bioethics discussions Key Concepts pro-life vs pro-death legal rights personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What does true choice mean in law? - Can forced choices ever be justified? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) [Pro Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pro-choice/) [Pro life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pro-life/) ## Related quotes > [“The Truth is, everyone is pro life and everyone is pro choice. There is no real conflict between these two values.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-lewis/the-truth-is-everyone-is-pro-life-and-everyone-is-pro-choice-there-is/) [Leland Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-lewis/) > [We also need to make sure women can be in charge of their reproductive health. We can't defund places like Planned Parenthood, where women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-teigen/we-also-need-to-make-sure-women-can-be-in-charge-of-their/) [Chrissy Teigen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-teigen/) > [“I'm pro-choice. But I hope that choice will be life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-pro-choice-but-i-hope-that-choice-will-be-life/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I have seen a lot of people, by the way, who were pro-life become pro-choice. No one seems to have any difficulty with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-have-seen-a-lot-of-people-by-the-way-who-were-pro-life-become-pro/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [I'm PRO-LIFE. You know, that radical belief that a baby is actually a human life. If you want to be pro-choice, choose to close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-pro-life-you-know-that-radical-belief-that-a-baby-is-actually-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was and am, like many women, both pro-life and pro-choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/i-was-and-am-like-many-women-both-pro-life-and-pro-choice/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [My favorite story about O'Connor - one of them - is I was in Toronto at a pro-life conference.I had a session before he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-favorite-story-about-o-connor-one-of-them-is-i-was-in-toronto-at-a/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [“The pro-life cause originated at a far earlier date than historians have previously thought, and its origins were not tied to a backlash against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-williams/the-pro-life-cause-originated-at-a-far-earlier-date-than-historians/) Daniel K. Williams > [The public takes little notice of those who want to abolish abortion. They are dismissed as extremists. If I were to argue that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-dorries/the-public-takes-little-notice-of-those-who-want-to-abolish-abortion/) [Nadine Dorries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-dorries/) > [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [I am far from a perfect pro-lifer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/i-am-far-from-a-perfect-pro-lifer/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [The only thing that will keep an abortion worker in the industry longer is a pro-lifer who condemns them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/the-only-thing-that-will-keep-an-abortion-worker-in-the-industry/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [You've got a movie where the pro-choice family gives their daughter no choice. The pro-life family murders. What seems to be the good mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/you-ve-got-a-movie-where-the-pro-choice-family-gives-their-daughter/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [The liberal feminist movement never imagined that women would take seriously the encouragement to become our own heroes and claim life for ourselves, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-bruce/the-liberal-feminist-movement-never-imagined-that-women-would-take/) [Tammy Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-bruce/) > [The feminist establishment has made choice a woman's issue. The Christian right has made life a religious issue. Both have made loyalty crucial. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-feminist-establishment-has-made-choice-a-woman-s-issue-the/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) ## More by David Benatar > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is-so-much-a-part-of-human-life/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“There is one kind of exception: those who believe that the world is too horrible a place into which to bring children. Such people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-is-one-kind-of-exception-those-who-believe-that-the-world-is/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/for-instance-since-none-of-us-lives-until-age-240-people-tend-not-to/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/on-my-view-there-is-no-net-benefit-to-coming-into-existence-and-thus/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/coming-into-existence-is-always-bad-for-those-who-come-into-existence/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-is-a-further-non-distributional-consideration-that-can-affect/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/i-am-under-no-illusions-my-position-no-matter-how-clearly-stated-is/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/life-s-big-questions-are-big-in-the-sense-that-they-are-momentuous/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Bringing people into existence as well as failing to bring people into existence can be regretted. However, only bringing people into existence can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/bringing-people-into-existence-as-well-as-failing-to-bring-people/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Now it might be suggested that cloning is sometimes worse because, where it is done for the sake of the person cloned, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/now-it-might-be-suggested-that-cloning-is-sometimes-worse-because/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Those who do indeed decide to have a child might do so for any number of reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/those-who-do-indeed-decide-to-have-a-child-might-do-so-for-any-number/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Parents with dependents are somehow thought to count for more. If, for example, there is some scarce resource—a donor kidney perhaps—and of the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/parents-with-dependents-are-somehow-thought-to-count-for-more-if-for/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of pessimism often has a smug macho tone to it (although males have no monopoly of it).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/finally-the-optimist-s-impatience-with-or-condemnation-of-pessimism/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“I shall not assess arguments and evidence for competing views about when human extinction will occur. We know it will occur, and this fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/i-shall-not-assess-arguments-and-evidence-for-competing-views-about/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) [Explore all 32 David Benatar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## More Abortion quotes > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [Hey everyone, in case y'all didn't hear, I'm pregnat, and after discussing it w/ my family, I've decided to get an abortion, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-badesheim/hey-everyone-in-case-y-all-didn-t-hear-i-m-pregnat-and-after/) Madison Badesheim > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [“David Bereit, Founder of Forty Days for Life, points out that any abortion clinic in America should have a sign in its window that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/david-bereit-founder-of-forty-days-for-life-points-out-that-any/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [I'm a pro-life candidate because I believe that science is proving us right every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-m-a-pro-life-candidate-because-i-believe-that-science-is-proving-us/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion…has been born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-noticed-that-everyone-who-is-for-abortion-has-been-born/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We talk a lot about how abortion is a medical procedure, but actually if you look at what the other side is doing, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-northup/we-talk-a-lot-about-how-abortion-is-a-medical-procedure-but-actually/) [Nancy Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-northup/) > [“The Vatican won't prosecute pedophile priests but I decide I'm not ready for motherhood and it's condemnation for me? These are the same people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-renee-taylor/the-vatican-won-t-prosecute-pedophile-priests-but-i-decide-i-m-not/) Sonya Renee Taylor > [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [I am 100 percent pro-life and have been my whole life. That means I am opposed to abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hawley/i-am-100-percent-pro-life-and-have-been-my-whole-life-that-means-i-am/) [Josh Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hawley/) > [Any woman should have the right to a safe and legal abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/any-woman-should-have-the-right-to-a-safe-and-legal-abortion/) [Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/) > [“For Republicans, life begins at conception but ends at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/for-republicans-life-begins-at-conception-but-ends-at-birth/) [J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/) > [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/) [Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/) [Browse all 1,629 Abortion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The pro-death view should be of interest even to those who do not accept it. One of its valuable features is that it offers a unique challenge to those pro-lifers who reject a legal right to abortion. Whereas a legal pro-choice position does not require a pro-lifer to have an abortion—it allows a choice—a legal pro-life position does prevent a pro-choicer from having an abortion. Those who think that the law should embody the pro-life position might want to ask themselves what they would say about a lobby group that, contrary to my arguments in Chapter 4 but in accordance with pro-lifers’ commitment to the restriction of procreative freedom, recommended that the law become pro-death. A legal pro-death policy would require even pro-lifers to have abortions. 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