- Position1 of 4›
- No, human extinction would not be a tragedy
- Argument1 of 2›
Antinatalism
Extinction would prevent future generations being born into this world that is so full of suffering.
The argument
The antinatalist case begins from an observation about what sentience entails. To be conscious is to be capable of suffering, and the capacity for suffering is not an incidental feature of human life but a condition of it. On this view life is gruelling and painful in a way that no amount of good fortune fully offsets, because the pains are certain while the consolations are contingent. From that starting point the argument turns to reproduction. Bringing a new person into existence is not a neutral act. It creates a being who did not previously exist and who, in existing, is now exposed to every horror the world can deliver: illness, grief, fear, loss, and death, none of which they consented to and none of which they could have been harmed by had they never been born. The person who is never created is not deprived of anything, because there is no one there to be deprived. The person who is created is guaranteed to suffer. Reproducing, in this sense, is an intrinsically cruel deed, because it subjects a new life to the horrors of this world for reasons that cannot be that life's own. The conclusion follows from the premises rather than from any hostility to human beings. If creating life is cruel, then the kindest available course is to stop creating it, to have no children and allow the human race to come to an end of its own accord. An extinction brought about that way involves no killing, no catastrophe, and no victim; it simply closes the door on future suffering. Far from being a tragedy, proponents argue, it would be the kindest and most compassionate end to mankind and to sentient life.
Context
Given the level of human suffering on earth, the extinction of the human race would be a blessing. It would prevent future suffering inflicted on future generations.
Premises
Counter-arguments
Almost everyone, when asked, would say they are happy to be alive. Even those in extreme poverty, the severely disabled, and the mentally ill take great joy in being alive. This is reflected in the behaviour of many people. There are endless avenues for suicide all around us (tall buildings, noxious car fumes, rope) yet, comparatively speaking, very few people commit suicide. This is because almost everyone believes it is better to exist than not to exist.
Rejecting the premises
Rejecting P2: To be born to this life is not bad.