BETTER NEVER TO HAVE BEEN by David Benatar ( 9780199549269 ) - Books & Audio Books at Pickabook.co.uk

Item Details

Title:

BETTER NEVER TO HAVE BEEN
THE HARM OF COMING INTO EXISTENCE

By:

David Benatar

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£29.99

Our price:

£26.24

Discount:

12.5% off

You save:

£3.75

ISBN 10:

0199549265

ISBN 13:

9780199549269

Availability:

Usually dispatched within 3-5 days.

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Stock:

Currently 3 available

Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

10 July, 2008

Pages:

256

Description:

Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. David Benatar presents a startling challenge to these assumptions. He argues that people systematically overestimate the quality of their life, and suffer quite serious harms by coming into existence.

Synopsis:

Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. Thus, if they ever do reflect on whether they should bring others into existence--rather than having children without even thinking about whether they should--they presume that they do them no harm. Better Never to Have Been challenges these assumptions. David Benatar argues that coming into existence is always a serious harm. Although the good things in one's life make one's life go better than it otherwise would have gone, one could not have been deprived by their absence if one had not existed. Those who never exist cannot be deprived. However, by coming into existence one does suffer quite serious harms that could not have befallen one had one not come into existence. Drawing on the relevant psychological literature, the author shows that there are a number of well-documented features of human psychology that explain why people systematically overestimate the quality of their lives and why they are thus resistant to the suggestion that they were seriously harmed by being brought into existence.The author then argues for the 'anti-natal' view--that it is always wrong to have children--and he shows that combining the anti-natal view with common pro-choice views about foetal moral status yield a 'pro-death' view about abortion (at the earlier stages of gestation). Anti-natalism also implies that it would be better if humanity became extinct. Although counter-intuitive for many, that implication is defended, not least by showing that it solves many conundrums of moral theory about population.

Illustrations:

13 tables

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Returns:

Returnable

Some other items by this author:

CUTTING TO THE CORE

CUTTING TO THE CORE (HB)

CUTTING TO THE CORE (PB)

DEBATING PROCREATION (HB)