Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Efilism… have you heard of the ideology that wants to end all life? I dive into this controversial view and give my opinion.
*Clarification: I have caused some confusion at timestamp 19:15. I say that Efilists do not have to support real-world uses of violence. What I meant by this is that an Efilist does not necessarily have to support uses of violence in the world we live in now. Of course, Efilists must support some use of violence, at least in the future, when it is necessary to achieve sentient extinction. The support of violence can, in my understanding, remain hypothetical until it becomes necessary for sentient extinction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THANK YOU~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to Amanda, John, Tejas, Conundrum and Ola for their help in providing feedback and participating in discussion for my research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DEFINITION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Efilism is the view that existence is a net negative and that it would be better if there were no sentient life in the universe, and that humans have a moral duty to bring about sentient extinction by any means necessary (but preferably via those that are expected to minimise harm).
The term was first coined by the YouTuber Inmendham. The above definition is one I created myself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~INFO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📧 | Contact Me: lawrenceant@protonmail.com
🔥 | Support my work with a one-off donation or monthly support for added perks: ko-fi.com/lawrenceanton
My projects:
🗯️ | Rebutting common natalist arguments: antinatalisthandbook.org
✅ | Increasing your impact as an antinatalist: antinatalistadvocacy.org
Get your favourite antinatalist clothing:
👕 | Anti Natalist Social Club T-shirt: a12497-55.myshopify.com/products/anti-natalist-social-club-tee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TIMESTAMPS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
00:00 - Intro
00:21 - What is Efilism?
03:31 - Definitions
11:35 - History
14:15 - Antinatalism vs Efilism
21:04 - Novelty?
25:57 - Critique
31:50 - Conclusion + Outro
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LINKS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Philosophical Pessimism Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_pessimism
The Relationship Between Antinatalism & Extinction: youtu.be/EjPWAu37yk4
History links:
• The Pain of Living (English Translation): archive.org/details/marie-huot-the-pain-of-living-1909
• La Science française, Oct 27 (Jacques Maheu interview) : https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k116370d/f134.image.r=huot
• Solve suffering by blowing up the universe? The dubious philosophy of human extinction: theconversation.com/solve-suffering-by-blowing-up-the-universe-the-dubious-philosophy-of-human-extinction-149331#:~:text=So%2C%20rather%20than%20only%20destroying,the%20whole%20kosmos%20to%20disappear”
• Ulrich Horstmann’s “Das Untier” (1983): An introduction for non-German readers: lennysarchive.wordpress.com/2024/04/11/ulrich-horstmanns-das-untier-1983-an-introduction-for-non-german-readers
• Negative Utilitarianism (R. N. Smart): academic.oup.com/mind/article-abstract/LXVII/268/542/990202?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Sentiocentric antinatalism links:
• Should Antinatalists Be Vegan?: youtu.be/fYfma2JGEFc
• Why Dogs Shouldn't Have Kids: youtube.com/watch?v=N3ljbqg-Luw&t=52s
• Are Animals Included in Antinatalism?: youtube.com/watch?v=YW8fCWd7i5U&t=2s
Very Practical Ethics (David Benatar): global.oup.com/academic/product/very-practical-ethics-9780197780800?cc=us&lang=en&
Better Never to Have Been (David Benatar): amazon.co.uk/Better-Never-Have-Been-Existence/dp/0199549265
On the Sufferings of the World (Arthur Schopenhauer): gutenberg.org/files/10732/10732-h/10732-h.htm#link2H_4_0002
On the Vanity of Existence (Arthur Schopenhauer): gutenberg.org/files/10732/10732-h/10732-h.htm#link2H_4_0003
Charles Darwin’s autobiography: darwin-online.org.uk/converted/pdf/1958_autobiography_F1497.pdf
River Out of Eden (Richard Dawkins): amazon.co.uk/River-Out-Eden-Darwinian-SCIENCE/dp/1857994051
A Pareto Principle for Possible People (Christophe Fehige): fehige.info/pdf/A_Pareto_Principle_for_Possible_People.pdf
Why Antinatalists Should STOP Talking About The Red Button: youtu.be/u9GCSQhAwTo
Should Antinatalists Discuss the RED BUTTON? | Cosmic Antinatalist: youtu.be/0w4pp1s5Tao
Why Your Life is Worse Than You Think: youtu.be/UXnBhLmVsdQ
Nature (John Stuart Mill): earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mill1873b.pdf
Debunking the Idyllic View of Natural Processes (Oscar Horta): stafforini.com/docs/Horta%20-%20Debunking%20the%20idyllic%20view%20of%20natural%20processes.pdf
Outro Music // The Last Time - Kayou. // Provided by @LofiGirl
Efilism… have you heard of the ideology that wants to end all life? I dive into this controversial view and give my opinion.
*Clarification: I have caused some confusion at timestamp 19:15. I say that Efilists do not have to support real-world uses of violence. What I meant by this is that an Efilist does not necessarily have to support uses of violence in the world we live in now. Of course, Efilists must support some use of violence, at least in the future, when it is necessary to achieve sentient extinction. The support of violence can, in my understanding, remain hypothetical until it becomes necessary for sentient extinction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THANK YOU~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to Amanda, John, Tejas, Conundrum and Ola for their help in providing feedback and participating in discussion for my research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DEFINITION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Efilism is the view that existence is a net negative and that it would be better if there were no sentient life in the universe, and that humans have a moral duty to bring about sentient extinction by any means necessary (but preferably via those that are expected to minimise harm).
The term was first coined by the YouTuber Inmendham. The above definition is one I created myself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~INFO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📧 | Contact Me: lawrenceant@protonmail.com
🔥 | Support my work with a one-off donation or monthly support for added perks: ko-fi.com/lawrenceanton
My projects:
🗯️ | Rebutting common natalist arguments: antinatalisthandbook.org
✅ | Increasing your impact as an antinatalist: antinatalistadvocacy.org
Get your favourite antinatalist clothing:
👕 | Anti Natalist Social Club T-shirt: a12497-55.myshopify.com/products/anti-natalist-social-club-tee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TIMESTAMPS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
00:00 - Intro
00:21 - What is Efilism?
03:31 - Definitions
11:35 - History
14:15 - Antinatalism vs Efilism
21:04 - Novelty?
25:57 - Critique
31:50 - Conclusion + Outro
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LINKS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Philosophical Pessimism Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_pessimism
The Relationship Between Antinatalism & Extinction: youtu.be/EjPWAu37yk4
History links:
• The Pain of Living (English Translation): archive.org/details/marie-huot-the-pain-of-living-1909
• La Science française, Oct 27 (Jacques Maheu interview) : https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k116370d/f134.image.r=huot
• Solve suffering by blowing up the universe? The dubious philosophy of human extinction: theconversation.com/solve-suffering-by-blowing-up-the-universe-the-dubious-philosophy-of-human-extinction-149331#:~:text=So%2C%20rather%20than%20only%20destroying,the%20whole%20kosmos%20to%20disappear”
• Ulrich Horstmann’s “Das Untier” (1983): An introduction for non-German readers: lennysarchive.wordpress.com/2024/04/11/ulrich-horstmanns-das-untier-1983-an-introduction-for-non-german-readers
• Negative Utilitarianism (R. N. Smart): academic.oup.com/mind/article-abstract/LXVII/268/542/990202?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Sentiocentric antinatalism links:
• Should Antinatalists Be Vegan?: youtu.be/fYfma2JGEFc
• Why Dogs Shouldn't Have Kids: youtube.com/watch?v=N3ljbqg-Luw&t=52s
• Are Animals Included in Antinatalism?: youtube.com/watch?v=YW8fCWd7i5U&t=2s
Very Practical Ethics (David Benatar): global.oup.com/academic/product/very-practical-ethics-9780197780800?cc=us&lang=en&
Better Never to Have Been (David Benatar): amazon.co.uk/Better-Never-Have-Been-Existence/dp/0199549265
On the Sufferings of the World (Arthur Schopenhauer): gutenberg.org/files/10732/10732-h/10732-h.htm#link2H_4_0002
On the Vanity of Existence (Arthur Schopenhauer): gutenberg.org/files/10732/10732-h/10732-h.htm#link2H_4_0003
Charles Darwin’s autobiography: darwin-online.org.uk/converted/pdf/1958_autobiography_F1497.pdf
River Out of Eden (Richard Dawkins): amazon.co.uk/River-Out-Eden-Darwinian-SCIENCE/dp/1857994051
A Pareto Principle for Possible People (Christophe Fehige): fehige.info/pdf/A_Pareto_Principle_for_Possible_People.pdf
Why Antinatalists Should STOP Talking About The Red Button: youtu.be/u9GCSQhAwTo
Should Antinatalists Discuss the RED BUTTON? | Cosmic Antinatalist: youtu.be/0w4pp1s5Tao
Why Your Life is Worse Than You Think: youtu.be/UXnBhLmVsdQ
Nature (John Stuart Mill): earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mill1873b.pdf
Debunking the Idyllic View of Natural Processes (Oscar Horta): stafforini.com/docs/Horta%20-%20Debunking%20the%20idyllic%20view%20of%20natural%20processes.pdf
Outro Music // The Last Time - Kayou. // Provided by @LofiGirl
