Antinatalism and the Risk of Creating Life Daily Negativity 2021-03-20 | An argument for antinatalism based on considerations about risk.
Antinatalism and Induced Dreams #antinatalism #ethics #philosophy Daily Negativity 2024-10-19 | The argument here draws heavily on the work of Seana Shiffrin.Note that ‘bad' and 'evil' are here used in an intrinsic sense and not in a comparative sense. In a comparative sense, we might call the dreamless nights an evil given that the child could instead be experiencing pleasant dreams (and the one dreamless night a comparative good relative to having a nightmare).Though it seems rather unlikely to occur, it is perhaps possible for someone to come into existence and immediately die without suffering. Still, we might consider death an intrinsic evil, in which case even if we include such cases, it may still be true to say that we 'invariably' cause evils to befall the created being.
A Simple Argument for Veganism #philosophy #vegan #veganism #ethics Daily Negativity 2024-10-17 | ...
Suicide and Mental Illness Daily Negativity 2024-08-27 | It’s important to note that the medicalization of various behaviors is also used as supposed justification for certain coercive practices (e.g., involuntary hospitalization).Thomas Szasz, The Sane Slave: An Historical Note on the Use of Medical Diagnosis as Justificatory Rhetoric (for discussion of ‘drapetomania’)Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin
The Badness of Pain Daily Negativity 2023-05-05 | Subjective claims (e.g., the claim that coffee is the best drink) correspond to what John Searle calls epistemic subjectivity. Subjective entities (e.g., pains and emotions) correspond to what Searle calls ontological subjectivity. Much of the present approach to pain draws on the work of Thomas Nagel, Derek Parfit, and other philosophers (in particular, explaining the badness of pain explicitly in terms of reasons).Many hold the view that one has reason to do x only if x would promote the satisfaction of one's wants or desires. Some may believe that by taking this position they can avoid commitment to certain objective normative truths (roughly, truths about what reasons there are for doing things). In 'Being Realistic about Reasons', T. M. Scanlon, however, writes, 'the claim that [an individual] has reason to do what will promote the satisfaction of [their] desires is itself a normative claim. Indeed, it is an "objective" normative claim, since it does not itself depend on what [individuals] desire, or on what aims they have.'
Do Objective Moral Truths Exist? Daily Negativity 2022-04-12 | For an account of subjectivism, see, for example, James Rachels and Stuart Rachels’ ‘The Elements of Moral Philosophy’. For Paul Boghossian's views on moral relativism, see, for example, Boghossian's 'Relativism about Morality'. The inspiration for the future indifference case is Derek Parfit's 'Future Tuesday Indifference' example, discussed in, among other places, Parfit's 'Reasons and Persons'.Peter Singer explains the difference between metaethics and normative ethics in, among other places, the introductory section of 'Ethics' (Oxford Readers).
Why Be Vegan? Daily Negativity 2022-02-15 | A short defense of veganism. Some reasons not to be vegan are considered (but rejected). The reference to Tom Regan can be found in Regan’s ‘Are Zoos Morally Defensible?’. All references to Stuart Rachels are from Rachels’ ‘Vegetarianism’. The issue of whether one’s individual choices make any difference to other-animal industries is discussed in Rachels’ piece.(It is not just that no amount of the minor pains can be worse than the intense pain (above a certain duration). What I think is that no amount of the minor pains can even be as bad as the intense pain.)
An Hour w/ Question Mark? Philosophy (Antinatalism, Moral Views, Random Paradoxes, and Other Topics) Daily Negativity 2022-01-09 | Question Mark? Philosophy: youtube.com/channel/UCjvhFJ3vZSYJ8_jjhjGxE7w
Why Pessimism is (Probably) True Daily Negativity 2021-09-28 | Some reasons to accept pessimism (that the bad in life outweighs the good).
Two Asymmetries in Favor of Antinatalism Daily Negativity 2021-05-13 | The second asymmetry largely stems from Seana Shiffrin's discussion of harming and benefiting in ‘Wrongful Life, Procreative Responsibility, and the Significance of Harm’.
Does Antinatalism Take a Position on Killing? Daily Negativity 2020-10-29 | Antinatalism is often thought to have implications for killing. Is this a defensible view?
Philosophers on Death Daily Negativity 2020-07-04 | Thomas Nagel, DeathPlato, Apology, trans. G. M. A. GrubeDiogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, trans. R. D. HicksSchopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation Volume II, trans. E. F. J. Payne(Some of the references to these texts have been slightly reworded or abridged.)
Should We Destroy the World? Daily Negativity 2020-05-10 | The example of the individuals on the cliff is inspired by an example by James Rachels, from their influential paper, 'Active and Passive Euthanasia'.
Can We Do More for Antinatalism? Daily Negativity 2020-02-13 | Antinatalists desist from procreation. Is there more that can be done to prevent birth?Campaign for Female Education: camfed.org
Is Benatar’s Asymmetry Defensible? (Antinatalism) Daily Negativity 2020-01-23 | For the relevant paragraphs in ‘Better Never to Have Been’: Chapter 2 (pp. 30-36).Apostrophe Philosophy’s illuminating video on the asymmetry: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w4LWznbnAC4
Does Pleasure Matter? (Antinatalism) Daily Negativity 2020-01-09 | The source of the Popper quote is Popper’s ‘The Open Society and Its Enemies’. The initial example comparing the prevention of x amount of suffering and the creation of x amount of happiness is a variation on an example given by Jennifer Hawkins.
Antinatalism: The Consent Argument Daily Negativity 2019-11-28 | On the consent argument for antinatalism and the importance of charitable interpretation.
Antinatalism: Pain and Pleasure Daily Negativity 2019-10-17 | In what ways do pain and pleasure differ? Much of what is said here draws on the work of David Benatar.
Toward Suicide Acceptance Daily Negativity 2019-09-19 | A brief defense of suicide. For the references to Hume and Szasz, see the essays, 'Of Suicide' and 'The Ethics of Suicide', respectively.
Pessimism from St. Augustine to Schopenhauer Daily Negativity 2019-08-28 | Philosophers on the wretchedness of existence. St. Augustine, City of God, trans. DodsPascal, Pensées, trans. W. F. TrotterSchopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation Volume I, trans. E. F. J. PayneThe reference to Bayle can be found in Bayle's Historical and Critical Dictionary, in the article on Xenophanes.
What is Pleasure? Daily Negativity 2019-07-11 | On the subjective character of pain and pleasure. The reference to Schopenhauer can be found in the second volume of The World as Will and Representation (chapter forty-six).
Antinatalism: Shiffrins Hypothetical Daily Negativity 2019-06-27 | Seana Shiffrin's hypothetical (from 'Wrongful Life, Procreative Responsibility, and the Significance of Harm') forms part of a promising case for antinatalism. As far as I know, the first to take Shiffrin’s arguments in an explicitly anti-natal direction was Asheel Singh, in a paper entitled, ‘Furthering the case for anti-natalism: Seana Shiffrin and the limits of permissible harm’.
What is the Goal of Antinatalism? Daily Negativity 2019-06-13 | On antinatalism and the charge of futility.
Is Death Bad? (Promortalism) Daily Negativity 2019-06-06 | An examination of death from the point of view of pessimism.
Why Do Antinatalists Continue Living? Daily Negativity 2019-05-17 | Responding to the claim that suicide is a practical implication of antinatalism.
Do We Objectify Children? (Antinatalism) Daily Negativity 2019-04-25 | On the way in which we, as a society, view children, and its relevance to antinatalism.
Should We Use Gender Neutral Pronouns? Daily Negativity 2019-04-14 | On the debate over gender and pronouns.
Promortalism: Is Life Worth Continuing? Daily Negativity 2019-03-28 | Discussing the position known as pro-mortalism, according to which death is preferable to continued existence.
Talking to Others About Antinatalism Daily Negativity 2019-02-07 | How do we persuade others on the issue of procreation? (The reference to Schopenhauer is taken from the second volume of The World as Will and Representation, from a chapter entitled, On Rhetoric.)
Suffering is Good? (Antinatalism) Daily Negativity 2019-01-30 | Responding to the claim that suffering is good, and consequently, that antinatalists are fundamentally wrong about suffering.
Has Life Gotten Any Better? (Antinatalism) Daily Negativity 2019-01-05 | A brief examination of the argument that life has improved over the centuries. Is it true that modern humans have it better than early humans? And if so, can one construct an argument against antinatalism on the basis of this?
Antinatalism and the Charge of Cowardice Daily Negativity 2018-12-28 | Is it cowardly not to create children who will suffer? When is it rational to quit something?
Is Antinatalism One-Sided? Daily Negativity 2018-12-18 | Responding to the claim that antinatalists focus narrowly on the bad in life without acknowledging its goods. (The reference to Schopenhauer can be found in the second volume of Schopenhauer's Parerga and Paralipomena.)
Veganism is Only for the Privileged? (An Introduction to Veganism) Daily Negativity 2018-11-06 | A response to the claim that veganism is reserved for the elite and privileged.
Are Antinatalists Misanthropes? (Antinatalism) Daily Negativity 2018-10-18 | A few thoughts on misanthropy as it relates to antinatalism. For the reference to Bayle, see the article on the Manicheans in Bayle's Historical and Critical Dictionary.
How and Why I Arrived at Antinatalism Daily Negativity 2018-10-09 | On why I accept antinatalism. An answer to ForeverWolfFilms' question: Why are you an antinatalist? (The quotation from Pascal is taken from the Dover edition, translated by W. F. Trotter.)
Antinatalism and Hedonism Daily Negativity 2018-09-29 | A response to the claim that there are good things in life that cannot be understood in hedonistic terms. (The thought experiment concerning the creation of a world in which a child will be tortured is, in part, inspired by an almost identical challenge found in Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov'.)
Is Antinatalism a Philosophy of Despair? Daily Negativity 2018-08-24 | Responding to the charge, frequently made against antinatalists, of moral despair.
Antinatalism: The Yin and Yang Objection Daily Negativity 2018-08-19 | A few words on the 'yin and yang objection' (for want of a better designation) to antinatalism.
