Better Never to Have Been: Difference between revisions
←Redirected page to David Benatar |
Add info Tags: Removed redirect Visual edit |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Infobox book |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| italic title = <!--(see above)--> |
|||
| name = Better Never to Have Been |
|||
| image = |
|||
| image_size = |
|||
| border = |
|||
| alt = |
|||
| caption = |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| audio_read_by = |
|||
| title_orig = |
|||
| orig_lang_code = |
|||
| title_working = |
|||
| translator = |
|||
| illustrator = |
|||
| cover_artist = |
|||
| country = |
|||
| language = English |
|||
| series = |
|||
| release_number = |
|||
| subject = |
|||
| genre = |
|||
| set_in = |
|||
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] |
|||
| publisher2 = |
|||
| pub_date = 2006 |
|||
| english_pub_date = |
|||
| published = |
|||
| media_type = |
|||
| pages = |
|||
| awards = |
|||
| isbn = 978-0-199-29642-2 |
|||
| isbn_note = |
|||
| oclc = 427507306 |
|||
| dewey = |
|||
| congress = |
|||
| preceded_by = |
|||
| followed_by = |
|||
| native_wikisource = |
|||
| wikisource = |
|||
| notes = |
|||
| exclude_cover = |
|||
| website = |
|||
}} |
|||
'''''Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence''''' is a 2006 book by South African philosopher [[David Benatar]]. In the book, Benatar makes a philosophical case for [[antinatalism]], claiming that humans are wronged by their parents when they bring them into existence. The two main arguments used to support this claim are: the concept that there exists an asymmetry between pain and pleasure and the idea that humans have an unreliable assessment of life's quality. The book was preceded by Benatar's 1997 paper "Why It Is Better Never to Come into Existence".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Benatar|first=David|date=1997|title=Why It Is Better Never to Come into Existence|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/20009904|journal=American Philosophical Quarterly|volume=34|issue=3|pages=345–355|issn=0003-0481}}</ref> |
|||
== Critical reception == |
|||
Bioethicist [[David DeGrazia]] published a rebuttal to Benatar's arguments in 2010; despite the disagreement with Benatar's position, DeGrazia commended the book: "I conclude with praise for his work and the intellectual virtues it embodies."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=DeGrazia|first=David|date=2010-08-01|title=Is it wrong to impose the harms of human life? A reply to Benatar|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-010-9152-y|journal=Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics|language=en|volume=31|issue=4|pages=317–331|doi=10.1007/s11017-010-9152-y|issn=1573-1200}}</ref> |
|||
== Response to criticism == |
|||
In 2013, Benatar responded to critics of the book in the paper "Still Better Never to Have Been: A Reply to (More of) My Critics".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Benatar|first=David|date=2013-06-01|title=Still Better Never to Have Been: A Reply to (More of) My Critics|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10892-012-9133-7|journal=The Journal of Ethics|language=en|volume=17|issue=1|pages=121–151|doi=10.1007/s10892-012-9133-7|issn=1572-8609}}</ref> |
|||
== In popular culture == |
|||
The creator of ''[[True Detective]]'', [[Nic Pizzolatto]], cited ''Better Never to Have Been'' as an influence on the character [[Rust Cohle]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Writer Nic Pizzolatto on Thomas Ligotti and the Weird Secrets of ‘True Detective’|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/02/02/writer-nic-pizzolatto-on-thomas-ligotti-and-the-weird-secrets-of-true-detective/|last=Calia|first=Michael|date=2014-02-02|website=WSJ|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> |
|||
== References == |
|||
<references /> |
|||
[[Category:English-language books]] |
|||
[[Category:Ethics books]] |
|||
[[Category:Philosophy books]] |
|||
[[Category:Works about antinatalism]] |
|||
[[Category:Works about philosophical pessimism]] |
|||
{{philo-book-stub}} |
|||
Revision as of 15:20, 31 May 2020
| Author | David Benatar |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 2006 |
| ISBN | 978-0-199-29642-2 |
| OCLC | 427507306 |
Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence is a 2006 book by South African philosopher David Benatar. In the book, Benatar makes a philosophical case for antinatalism, claiming that humans are wronged by their parents when they bring them into existence. The two main arguments used to support this claim are: the concept that there exists an asymmetry between pain and pleasure and the idea that humans have an unreliable assessment of life's quality. The book was preceded by Benatar's 1997 paper "Why It Is Better Never to Come into Existence".[1]
Critical reception
Bioethicist David DeGrazia published a rebuttal to Benatar's arguments in 2010; despite the disagreement with Benatar's position, DeGrazia commended the book: "I conclude with praise for his work and the intellectual virtues it embodies."[2]
Response to criticism
In 2013, Benatar responded to critics of the book in the paper "Still Better Never to Have Been: A Reply to (More of) My Critics".[3]
In popular culture
The creator of True Detective, Nic Pizzolatto, cited Better Never to Have Been as an influence on the character Rust Cohle.[4]
References
- ^ Benatar, David (1997). "Why It Is Better Never to Come into Existence". American Philosophical Quarterly. 34 (3): 345–355. ISSN 0003-0481.
- ^ DeGrazia, David (2010-08-01). "Is it wrong to impose the harms of human life? A reply to Benatar". Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics. 31 (4): 317–331. doi:10.1007/s11017-010-9152-y. ISSN 1573-1200.
- ^ Benatar, David (2013-06-01). "Still Better Never to Have Been: A Reply to (More of) My Critics". The Journal of Ethics. 17 (1): 121–151. doi:10.1007/s10892-012-9133-7. ISSN 1572-8609.
- ^ Calia, Michael (2014-02-02). "Writer Nic Pizzolatto on Thomas Ligotti and the Weird Secrets of 'True Detective'". WSJ. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
 | This article about a philosophy-related book is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |