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Concept
Antinatalism
Summary
Antinatalism or anti-natalism is the philosophical position that assigns a negative value judgement to birth and views procreation as immoral. Antinatalists thus argue that humans should abstain from procreating.
There are various reasons why antinatalists believe reproduction is immoral. The most common arguments for antinatalism include:
Life entails inevitable suffering.
Death is inevitable.
Humans (and all forms of life) are born without their consent—no one chooses whether or not they come into existence.
Although some people may turn out to be happy, this is not guaranteed, so to procreate is to gamble with another person's suffering.
There is an axiological asymmetry between good and bad things in life such that coming into existence is never a benefit.
The term antinatalism (in opposition to the term natalism, pronatalism or pro-natalism) was used probably for the first time by Théophile de Giraud in his book L'art de guillotiner les procréateurs: Manifeste anti-nataliste. In scholarly and literary writings, various ethical arguments have been put forth in defense of antinatalism, probably the most prominent of which is the asymmetry argument, put forward by South African philosopher David Benatar. Robbert Zandbergen makes a distinction between so-called reactionary (or activist) antinatalism and its more philosophical, originary counterpart. While the former seeks to limit human reproduction locally and/or temporarily, the latter seeks to end it conclusively.
Antinatalist sentiments have existed for thousands of years. Some of the earliest surviving formulations of the idea that it would be better not to have been born can be found in ancient Greece. One example is from Sophocles's Oedipus at Colonus, written shortly before Sophocles's death in 406 BC:
Not to be born is, beyond all estimation, best; but when a man has seen the light of day, this is next best by far, that with utmost speed he should go back from where he came.
Official source
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