Occasionally, I came across an article that makes me think. Today was no exception. I came across this article about a Philosopher named David Benatar, that thinks having children is immoral.
After reading this article, I had to seriously think about what he thought.
His first assertion is because children will suffer during the course of their lives from birth to death, that it's immoral to bring them into the world.
His second assertion is because humans are destructive to each other and to the planet, that it's immoral to bring more destruction to the planet.
In a way, he's both right and wrong. It is wrong to inflict suffering on another being, but he is also wrong. If it weren't for suffering, we would never want to make things better. If it weren't for some humans destroying the planet, there wouldn't be other humans such as Elon Musk and others trying to save the planet. If we weren't messing it up, we wouldn't also be looking for ways to fix it.
I saw one oversight in his philosophy. While he condemns us for causing suffering and destroying the planet, I don't see him offering to end his own suffering.
I was wondering what his stance was on the death penalty, but it wasn't in the article. I couldn't help but wonder if he was for it or against it.
What do you think?
Morality might not be the best word for this. Morals have to do with what is conventional and accepted in a society, more than a black and white right vs. wrong judgement. Perhaps appropriate or wise might be a better word. People will continue to have children regardless of morality or appropriateness. It's what we do, it's what most of us are here for. Children happen.
I chose to have two and then I corked the stork. I was born late in my parent's life and it was a huge mistake. I haven't had parents for 38 years but my mother appears in my dreams almost every night. I love my kids but I didn't raise them for the world we now live in. I thought the correction would occur long before this.
Now I have 4 grandchildren and am concerned for their well being, not because of my kids, but because of the world they are growing up in. My life was easy because I made it so. My children don't have it so easy because there is so much control.
My grandchildren are prepped for the best but not the worst: that things keep going the way they are until the world flies apart at high velocity. That's probably a world I'll never see, but the thought of them having to fight tooth and nail for their survival fills me with dread. Perhaps having children was not the right decision after all. Time will tell.
As a parent myself, I don't consider it suffering to having adopted them. I want to think that I made their life a better place, because of the adoption.
I think this guy used immoral for a specific reason. But I also think that he wouldn't remove himself from this mortal coil just because of his branch of morality, nor would he put a murderer to death.
I also think that he doesn't have kids, so he doesn't know the joy of having one smile at him and call him daddy.
But then, I live for my kids hugs. I'm just a sucker that way.
Adopting children is far different from bringing them into the world. What you're doing is a far nobler enterprise. They were here already. You give them what they need to survive and to thrive. That's a wonderful thing.
the short answer is no
the slightly longer answer is yes....it would be immoral for HIM to have children_
(no child should be subjected to such a moron for a parent)
the slightly longer yet answer is ZAP.
(do what you wanna do but leave other people alone)
I loved your answer. To say what you did, I would have needed to fill the page...
KISS