ABSTRACT
David Benatar has made a number of distinct claims leading to the conclusion that giving birth to people harms them, that it is overall impermissible to do so from a moral point of view, and that hence, giving birth needs to be strongly discouraged. Benatar himself sees the “goodness of life” issue as a central component of his position. The fact that the happiness results significantly track happiness-making features strengthens the qualitative credentials of the “pro-goodness” claim. Suicide is a great embarrassment for Benatar’s claims. Benatar reasonably seeks to distinguish wanting not to have been born from wanting to kill oneself. Mature people often view hardships and difficulties in their past as challenges that helped them to grow and to make more of their lives.
