rss
J Med Ethics 2008;34:875-876 doi:10.1136/jme.2007.023986
  • Ethics

Better to exist: a reply to Benatar

  1. S D Baum
  1. Seth D Baum, Department of Geography, 302 Walker Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; sbaum{at}psu.edu
  • Received 5 December 2007
  • Revised 5 May 2008
  • Accepted 9 May 2008

Abstract

A recent exchange on Benatar’s book Better never to have been between Doyal and Benatar discusses Benatar’s bold claim that people should not be brought into existence. Here, I expand the discussion of original position that the exchange focused on. I also discuss the asymmetries, between benefit and harm and between existence and non-existence, upon which Benatar’s bold claim rests. In both discussions, I show how Benatar’s bold claim can be rejected.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

  • ↵i Expected utility maximisation reduces to classical utilitarianism for circumstances in which no uncertainty exists.

  • ↵ii A similar discussion of maximin is found on page 173 of Leslie’s The end of the world.6

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Social bookmarking

Register for free content


Free sample
 This recent issue is free to all users to allow everyone the opportunity to see the full scope and typical content of JME.
View free sample issue >>

Free archive
The full back archive is now available for JME. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006, back to volume 1 issue 1.
Register to access the free archive >>

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.