--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I personally would go further and say…" description: "\"I personally would go further and say that, if your morality is based, as mine is, on a desire to increase the sum of happiness and reduce suffering, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/richard-dawkins-115_baby_i-personally-would-go-further-and-say-th_690479.jpg" --- # I personally would go further and say that, if your… ![“I personally would go further and say that, if your morality is based, as mine is, on a desire to increase the sum of happiness and reduce suffering, the decision to deliberately give birth to a Down baby, when you have the choice to abort it early in the pregnancy, might actually be immoral from…” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/richard-dawkins-115_baby_i-personally-would-go-further-and-say-th_690479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/richard-dawkins-115_baby_i-personally-would-go-further-and-say-th_690479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/richard-dawkins-115_baby_i-personally-would-go-further-and-say-th_690479.jpg) > “I personally would go further and say that, if your morality is based, as mine is, on a desire to increase the sum of happiness and reduce suffering, the decision to deliberately give birth to a Down baby, when you have the choice to abort it early in the pregnancy, might actually be immoral from the point of view of the child’s own welfare.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If morality aims to maximize happiness and minimize suffering, choosing to bring a child with severe disability into the world may be considered harmful to that child's welfare. **In simple terms:** Choosing to have a child with severe disability may harm them. Key Takeaway Consider the child's welfare before deciding. Themes ethics bioethics disability parenthood Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - pregnancy decisions - genetic counseling - parental responsibility - disability advocacy Key Concepts utilitarianism consequentialism welfare rights Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal moral beliefs with societal norms? - What responsibilities do parents have toward potential children's welfare? A Different Perspective The argument assumes a single moral framework and may overlook personal, cultural, or religious values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Pregnancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnancy/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) ## Related quotes > [It is immoral from almost any point of view to refuse to defend yourself and others from very grave and terrible threats, even as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-kahn/it-is-immoral-from-almost-any-point-of-view-to-refuse-to-defend/) [Herman Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-kahn/) > [“I can't bear that they,and everybody, should think people wicked because they may have chosen to live their own way!It is really these opinions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-can-t-bear-that-they-and-everybody-should-think-people-wicked-2/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Wherever morality is based on theology, wherever the right is made dependent on divine authority, the most immoral, unjust, infamous things can be justified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-feuerbach/wherever-morality-is-based-on-theology-wherever-the-right-is-made/) [Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-feuerbach/) > [I am not advocating a morality based on evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-am-not-advocating-a-morality-based-on-evolution/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [All systems of morality are based on the idea that an action has consequences that legitimize or cancel it. 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