The End of Sentience

Area of Science:

• Philosophy
• Ethics
• Environmental Ethics

Background:

• David Benatar's 2006 book, "Better Never to Have Been," is a key text in academic antinatalism.
• Contemporary antinatalism encompasses diverse academic and nonacademic perspectives.
• A central debate concerns the ethical obligations of antinatalists toward nonhuman animals and broader life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the divergence within antinatalist thought regarding duties to nonhuman life.
• To explore how different antinatalist traditions arrive at forceful or promortalist stances.
• To build upon Patricia MacCormack's critique of antinatalism and efilism.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of various antinatalist traditions.
• Examination of anthropocentric and sentiocentric antinatalist viewpoints.
• Inclusion of critiques from "The Ahuman Manifesto."

Main Results:

• Antinatalism is divided into anthropocentric and sentiocentric forms.
• Sentiocentric antinatalism may necessitate active, potentially violent, intervention to end reproduction in other species.
• Some antinatalist formulations endorse promortalist positions for species extinction.

Conclusions:

• The scope of antinatalist ethics significantly impacts its practical implications.
• The debate over nonhuman duties reveals a potential for coercive or violent approaches within some antinatalist frameworks.
• Understanding these divisions is crucial for evaluating the ethical landscape of antinatalism.