David Benatar: Cosmic Meaninglessness and the Immorality of Procreation
Subject Areas : کلام اسلامیalireza alebouyeh 1 , Muhammad Mahabinejadeghavidel 2
1 -
2 - Department of Ethics and Islamic Studies, Faculty of Philosophy and Ethics, Bagheral Uloom University, Qom, Iran
Keywords: Meaning of Life, David Benatar, Cosmic Meaning, Antinatalism, Anti-Procreation.,
Abstract :
David Benatar, as a prominent proponent of antinatalism, examines human life from both cosmic and earthly perspectives in his book The Human Predicament. He asserts that human existence and activities, from a cosmic viewpoint, are entirely devoid of meaning, rendering human life insignificant on a universal scale. According to Benatar, this lack of meaning represents a bitter truth that must be accepted honestly. One implication of Benatar's pessimistic view on cosmic meaninglessness is his defense of antinatalism. Antinatalism argues that procreation and bringing new generations into existence are unethical and harmful. Benatar supports this stance with several arguments, among which the most crucial is the cosmic meaninglessness of human life. This article critically evaluates Benatar's reasoning and aims to show that the connection between cosmic meaninglessness and antinatalism, as he claims, is neither logical nor consistent. Moreover, Benatar's dualistic approach to issues such as moral values and suicide is also examined and critiqued.
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