The default (whatever it is) must be and is beyond comprehension, beyond human power to control. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the default.Why is this the default? — schopenhauer1
The default (whatever it is) must be and is beyond comprehension, beyond human power to control. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the default. — baker
No one chose that the initial conditions of how life works (like producing something for someone to survive), yet we assume that it is good that people must endure. Why? How is this not immoral/evil and at the least exploitative of people? — schopenhauer1
but not as being born into the human condition as a whole. Why is the assumption that being born at all to produce anything considered "good" for that person? Who is the one that gets to decide that? Why is another person getting to decide that on behalf of someone else? — schopenhauer1
Go cry into a soft pillow, so tired of hearing you do it here. — DingoJones
But if you want to scratch that and question the justice in birthing people who will inevitably have to deal with the annoyance of walking to the bathroom or post-masturbation fatigue then be my guest. — BitconnectCarlos
What have been left off the list below are the following persuasive techniques commonly used to influence others and to cause errors in reasoning: apple polishing, using propaganda techniques, ridiculing, being sarcastic, selecting terms with strong negative or positive associations, using innuendo, and weasling. All of the techniques are worth knowing about if one wants to reason well. — https://iep.utm.edu/fallacy/
You just assume the already-in-place default, and because it is the default, you assume you don't need any justification. — schopenhauer1
So what is suffering bad? Why does all suffering need to be eliminated in all of its forms? — BitconnectCarlos
Because "being" - including human "being" - being good is a fundamental premise of western/Judeo-Christian society that takes it root in the bible.
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” — BitconnectCarlos
However, Nature chose. You don't produce, you die, and in death you will produce for that which consumes you. The fact that we may likewise impose upon each other to produce is, well, natural. I don't see evil in it. And to resist that imposition is also natural.
"Enlightened self-interest" is supposed to check any evil, just as it does in Nature. Apparently, to date anyway, bread and circuses have stayed the hand of lady razor. But she, or Nature, will catch up when self-interest is no longer enlightened enough to protect itself.
We fancy ourselves above Nature. Well then, we must enlighten ourselves, or Nature will do it for us. — James Riley
Exploitation- the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work. — schopenhauer1
I think it's not just Judeo-Christian, but a sort of attitude most people generally hold. — schopenhauer1
It is unjust to cause negative states to others when there is no mitigating factors (to make that person better, to get them to a better place.. obviously they don't exist to need a better place). — schopenhauer1
Yeah, true. The root is Judeo-Christian, but society just largely takes it for granted today and if you ask people why they hold that view a lot of them won't know. Our foundations as a culture are J-C but this is slowly changing and the base is being eroded. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but in some cases it certainly can be. — BitconnectCarlos
Where is this coming from? Why are you so opposed to harm? Or is it just unnecessary harm? Who are you to decide what is necessary and what is not? Maybe I just randomly beat up a man on the street but that man ends up turning around his life and becomes a better father and man. — BitconnectCarlos
Your insistence that all harm ought to be eliminated is nothing more than a personal psychological quirk that you're seeking to universalize. — BitconnectCarlos
Sorry, but this just isn't worth my time - but I would respond to any points you have in regard to my first stanza about the Judeo-Christian roots of US/western culture. — BitconnectCarlos
Marx just wasn't thinking deep enough. He was against some exploitation when it came to classes, but not as being born into the human condition as a whole. Why is the assumption that being born at all to produce anything considered "good" for that person? Who is the one that gets to decide that? Why is another person getting to decide that on behalf of someone else? — schopenhauer1
If you agree with Marx on classes, why not on this? If you just want to do the bad argument that we must have people so that we KNOW the conditions of exploitation.. then why does that matter? No person. No exploitation. Period. Any answer otherwise, is just trying to force the hand of what YOU want to see from society, and consequently, what people must do to maintain that society. Why is this the default? — schopenhauer1
Does this not lend itself, to an anti-natalist stance? — Aryamoy Mitra
Not all individuals zealously opposed to exploitation, will prefer a cessation of all births, over being exploited in a constrained fashion. — Aryamoy Mitra
Life, with all its unrelenting exploitation, is a catastrophe; even a catastrophe, however - when ameliorated, is preferable to inexistence. Kierkegaard instituted several analogous ideas, if I'm not mistaken. — Aryamoy Mitra
Personally, I'm apathetic on the matter - on this front, nonetheless, your perspective is characterized by a hedonic appeal (an absence of suffering) - that can't be discerned in its counterarguments. — Aryamoy Mitra
And this is the whole point of antinatalism, isn't it?It is the parent's preference only. — schopenhauer1
And this is the whole point of antinatalism, isn't it? — baker
It's about a person who doesn't want to be a parent, but who feels a need to convince society that refusing to be a parent is a worthy choice and that such a non-parent still deserves full respect as a human being.
Right? — baker
We enforce negative conditions on others all the time without their consent. Taxes, schools, etc. So your premise that it’s always wrong to do so isn’t justified. Unless you think taxes and schooling are wrong. — khaled
We've been through this and we know where we stand on the argument.. — schopenhauer1
Starting a whole new life to ameliorate those already here is still unnecessarily causing harm to someone that does not need to take place.
Using people that already exist to ameliorate harm is appropriate, however, like the examples you give. — schopenhauer1
Bah. I don't buy this oh-so compassion and oh-so empathy.No it is not. The unjust and unnecessary causing the conditions for harm to take place and overall prevention of starting unnecessary harm for another is mainly the point. — schopenhauer1
What are you, Jesus? Why on earth would you care so much about others and their suffering? It makes no sense to care so much about others! — baker
Actually, it seems like a way to justify refusing to take up the hassle of being a parent.No not at all. This isn't equivalent to "child-free" movements or anything where it's about lifestyle choice or something like that. — schopenhauer1
Special pleading. Why does the harm done to someone suddenly matter way more when they don’t exist yet?
Why is using someone who exists better than using someone by making them exist?
Or is that just a starting premise for you? If so I don’t think many would share it. And it should be pointed out that you have this premise. — khaled
Specifically, the whole antinatalist argument reads like a sublimated effort of a man who knocked up a woman and now he wants her to abort, and is looking for ways to convince her to have an abortion. — baker
What if you were recruited into a game, and the only thing you can do is get better at the game, join another team, or kill yourself? Would that be fair? — schopenhauer1
Depends on the situation of the people who brought me in. — khaled
Restating the same thing isn’t addressing the point. I’m asking why you think that it’s fine to use people that exist and not fine to use people by making them exist. — khaled
However, if you were to say to me.. "You should create harmful situations for another person, so that they can mitigate harmful situations for someone else" I would say this is absolutely wrong. — schopenhauer1
Creating from NOTHING harmful situations is different than people who already exist and are in the game. — schopenhauer1
Nowhere there was there an actual explanation of the differences in treatment. Just restatements that there should be one. — khaled
Jails? Taxes? How about the simple example of waking up a sleeping swimmer when you see someone drowning and you can’t swim? — khaled
Sure it’s different. Why is that difference significant? That is the question. Because to me it sounds akin to saying “Killing mr A is wrong, but killing mr B is ok because mr B has green eyes”
Creating harmful situations is creating harmful situations. Who cares if it’s from nothing or not? — khaled
You are violating the very dignity of someone as you are trying to fix it. — schopenhauer1
a) how you don't see the difference here of someone who is in an inescapable game from a situation where no one is put in an inescapable game. — schopenhauer1
to me it sounds akin to saying “Killing mr A is wrong, but killing mr B is ok because mr B has green eyes” — khaled
b) how putting someone in the inescapable game is itself violating the dignity/justice/unnecessary harm principles — schopenhauer1
once in the game, mitigating circumstances for others playing the game is not violating it. — schopenhauer1
waking up a sleeping swimmer when you see someone drowning and you can’t swim? — khaled
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