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What are your opinions on anti-natalism? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 6 days ago by nutbutter@discuss.tchncs.de to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

138 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Anti-natalism is the philosophical value judgment that procreation is unethical or unjustifiable. Antinatalists thus argue that humans should abstain from making children. Some antinatalists consider coming into existence to always be a serious harm. Their views are not necessarily limited only to humans but may encompass all sentient creatures, arguing that coming into existence is a serious harm for sentient beings in general. There are various reasons why antinatalists believe human reproduction is problematic. The most common arguments for antinatalism include that life entails inevitable suffering, death is inevitable, and humans are born without their consent. Additionally, although some people may turn out to be happy, this is not guaranteed, so to procreate is to gamble with another person's suffering. WIKIPEDIA

If you think, maybe for a few years, like 10-20 years, no one should make babies, and when things get better, we can continue, then you are not an anti-natalist. Anti-natalists believe that suffering will always be there and no one should be born EVER.

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[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I do not subscribe to the All Life is Suffering idea. Personally enjoy being physically embodied so much. My kids seem glad to exist too. We are the universe looking back at itself, it's just so wonderful to get any time at all here to experience this.

I would never argue for everyone to have babies, at all. You have your own life, do what you want. But I don't at all agree with extinction of all life because "suffering". Yes that is part of life but it's not all of it, not nearly.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 0 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

You do not recognize that you are viewing things from a position of tremendous privilege. You need to incorporate that into your understanding. You gambled, and seemingly you won. That's wonderful. But you cannot extrapolate from that alone.

[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

I do recognize how lucky I am now, to be able to see and hear and read and dance, to be living on a world with such a beautiful sky, with the biological equipment to be able to perceive it! To have no chronic pain but to have occasional crippling migraines that give me perspective on how I don't have chronic pain.

No idea what gives you the impression I don't know this? Do you believe all life is suffering?