Better Never to Have Been Audiobook By David Benatar cover art

Better Never to Have Been

The Harm of Coming into Existence

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Better Never to Have Been

By: David Benatar
Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
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About this listen

Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. Thus, if they ever do reflect on whether they should bring others into existence—rather than having children without even thinking about whether they should—they presume that they do them no harm. Better Never to Have Been challenges these assumptions. David Benatar argues that coming into existence is always a serious harm. Those who never exist cannot be deprived. However, by coming into existence one does suffer quite serious harms that could not have befallen one had one not come into existence. Drawing on the relevant psychological literature, the author shows that there are a number of well-documented features of human psychology that explain why people systematically overestimate the quality of their lives and why they are thus resistant to the suggestion that they were seriously harmed by being brought into existence. The author then argues for the "anti-natal" view—that it is always wrong to have children—and he shows that combining the anti-natal view with common pro-choice views about fetal moral status yield a "pro-death" view about abortion. Although counter-intuitive for many, that implication is defended, not least by showing that it solves many conundrums of moral theory about population.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2006 David Benatar (P)2023 Tantor
Consciousness & Thought Ethics & Morality Medical Ethics Philosophy
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Validation’s for my beliefs

I have never been so validated in my life. I always knew life sucked and the people in it also. I recommend this book to anyone who has common sense and see how evil people are. Let’s prevent future victims of unnecessary trauma/ harm of living/ existence.

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pro tip

learn other words. using the same words over and over gets really old really fast.

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one of my favorite books

someone had to say it! one of my favorite books and so happy it’s on audible too! :)

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Thorough

physical book is easier to follow. Audiobook is much easier to digest after chapter two

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very interesting read

Such an interesting worldview very well defended. Not totally convinced as of yet but I'm sure I will think about this for the future and will listen a couple more times to really understand the arguments. Fantastic read

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Intellectually underwhelming

An underwhelming exercise in rhetorical legalese: ahistorical and complacent. The viewpoint on human misery is not differentiated by class or region of the world.Meh.

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