Philosophical pessimism is not despair but a discipline of clear sight. These essays follow the tradition from Schopenhauer through Zapffe and Ligotti, asking what honest pessimism requires of us.
Derek Parfit's Repugnant Conclusion suggests a massive population with barely-livable lives is better than a small, utopian one. This essay explores the argument and its dark implications for the ethics of creating new life.
This essay explores the tension between existentialist meaning-making and the ethics of procreation, questioning if a self-created purpose can justify imposing an absurd existence on another.
Antinatalism isn't misanthropy; it's a complex ethical philosophy arguing that bringing new sentient beings into existence is a net harm. This article explores why.
What is antinatalism? A clear guide to the ethical philosophy that argues it may be better never to have been born — core claims, key thinkers, and critiques.
From Schopenhauer's Will to modern antinatalism, we explore the deep philosophical argument that non-existence may be preferable to a life of inevitable suffering.
We rarely question the morality of creating a new life, but a growing philosophical movement argues it's an ethical gamble we shouldn't take.
Birth is the one event that happens to everyone, yet no one consents to it. This article explores the challenging philosophical view of antinatalism, which questions the very ethics of procreation.
The decision to have a child is often seen as deeply personal. But what if it's the most profound ethical act one can perform?
Benatar's asymmetry argument explained in plain English: why David Benatar claims coming into existence is always a harm, plus the main objections to his view.
We are all brought into existence without our permission. This article delves into the profound philosophical and ethical implications of this 'impossible contract.'