Princeton Philosopher: ‘Why Not Sterilize the Human Race and Party into Extinction?’

LifeSiteNews ^ | 6/8/10 | Peter J. Smith

[wagglebee]

NEW YORK, June 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Princeton philosopher Peter Singer one of the world’s foremost contemporary utilitarian philosophers infamous for his advocacy of infanticide, would like individuals to consider this question: would sterilizing the human race to spare future generations the pain of existence be a good idea?

In a blog post for the New York Times entitled “Should this be the last generation?” Singer discusses in glowing terms the thought of South African philosopher David Benatar. Singer calls Benator the “author of a fine book with an arresting title: ‘Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence.’”

“To bring into existence someone who will suffer is, Benatar argues, to harm that person, but to bring into existence someone who will have a good life is not to benefit him or her,” explains Singer.

Both Singer and Benatar both believe that human beings do not have inherent dignity. Singer, the Princeton Chair of Bioethics, has gained notoriety for asserting that infanticide is justifiable, especially for disabled infants, because they lack self-awareness, which he asserts is a requirement for personhood.

A key difference, however, between Singer and Benatar, an existential nihilist who chairs the Department of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, is that Singer believes life could be worth living in certain conditions. But Benatar flat out rejects existence as good, and the still-living author discusses that view in his controversial book.

Singer explains Benatar’s antinatalist philosophy, which bases its moral framework by weighing the consequences of existence, in this way: “everyone will suffer to some extent, and if our species continues to reproduce, we can be sure that some future children will suffer severely. Hence continued reproduction will harm some children severely, and benefit none.”

Singer then invites readers to engage in a thought experiment: “So why don’t we make ourselves the last generation on earth? If we would all agree to have ourselves sterilized then no sacrifices would be required — we could party our way into extinction!”

“Even if we take a less pessimistic view of human existence than Benatar, we could still defend [this scenario], because it makes us better off — for one thing, we can get rid of all that guilt about what we are doing to future generations — and it doesn’t make anyone worse off, because there won’t be anyone else to be worse off,” he continued.

Singer distances himself from Benatar’s conclusions, however, and says, “I do think it would be wrong to choose the non-sentient universe.” Nevertheless, he said that for the human race to continue justifying reproducing itself over the next two centuries, individuals should ask themselves the hard questions of, “Is life worth living? Are the interests of a future child a reason for bringing that child into existence? And is the continuance of our species justifiable in the face of our knowledge that it will certainly bring suffering to innocent future human beings?”

Bioethicist Wesley J. Smith, a longtime critic of Singer’s work, responded to Singer’s recent article, saying, “This is nihilism on stilts and it is polluting the West’s self confidence and belief in universal human equality like the BP oil well is polluting the Caribbean.

“Only the resulting mess isn’t measured in polluted beaches and dead birds, but existential despair that destroys human lives.”

“Under the influence of anti-human advocates like Peter Singer, we have gone in the West from seeking to ‘secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity,’ to seriously questioning whether there should be any posterity at all,” Smith wrote on his blog. “This is not healthy. But it is the natural consequence of rejecting human exceptionalism.”

[Ouderkirk]

This nitwit doesn’t think about what the life would be like for those last surviving few. No food, no fuel, no nothing because those who created those things would be long dead.

What a dope. He assumes that everyone would die all at once.

[The Working Man]

Agreed, He can lead by example.

And the rest of us who DO think life is worth living will just carry on and create a better world without his ilk in it.

[Berlin_Freeper]

i would settle if we could all agree to spare the pain of his existence and see how that works out.

[Right Wing Assault]

Well that’s stupid! Why wait? If the human race is that bad, it should be eliminated right now! Just have everyone go to a hospital and take the special painless death pills. Those who don’t cooperate will be hunted down by SEIU.

Then, we trust, SEIU will snuff itself. When they are all gone, the first family will be the last to go.

Oh, Singer goes first.

[Oceander]

Let's just euthanize Peter Singer and be done with it. /sarc

Quite honestly, I'm surprised that more Princeton graduates aren't furious at the disrepute Mr. Singer has brought and continues to bring to their beloved university. With people like Mr. Singer being representative of their faculty, I for one would never send my child there.

[muir_redwoods]

This is the logical eventuality of the leftist creed; people are just tools so is we call off work, we don't need tools.

You first Pete.

[BenKenobi]

Why haven’t you killed yourself yet, Singer? I promise I’ll follow you.

[SuziQ]

Go right ahead and do what you suggest, Mr. Singer! Show folks you’re serious about your ‘concerns’.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Vapid, boorish morons. Both of them.

[JennysCool]

Somebody got turned down for the Prom, and never got over it.

[Billthedrill]

It is nihilism on stilts. It is also ground already covered by the more depressing of the Existentialists. Fortunately we don’t need Professor Singer’s sanction to be happy.

[VTenigma]

L’m sorta gettin’ sick of these academic elitist moron thinkers and there irrelevent philosphies.

[Pollster1]

It would be interesting if the socialists and communists among us took that advice. I wonder what fraction of the next generation would accept their parents’ values and what fraction would follow the modern day Shakers into liberalism as their guides disappeared.

[Thumper1960]

I wonder why neither of these two “philosophers” have yet given weight to their own beliefs and just killed themselves.

The world would certainly be much, much better off without either of them wasting the precious Oxygen my children require to live.

Singer, Benatar...do the right thing. Die as quickly as possible.

[Skepolitic]

This is just more evidence that American-style liberalism is a mental disorder.

I always thought that Deuteronomy 30:19 was kind of rhetorical.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

I never thought that any sane person would willingly choose death and curses, and seek to kill their children's future.

[shibumi]

“Be careful with that axe, Eugene.”

(OK - not ~too~ careful...)

[GatorGirl]

Great idea, all the environmentalist whackos who think we are killing the planet must immediately sterilize themselves, or better yet, off themselves.

Then all the progressives who also blame man for all the worlds’ ills.

Peter I suggest you lead the way....thanks!

[hinckley buzzard]

IDK whether it would save the country but I can't see where it would hurt it any.

[marron]

Satan is the opposite of God and is the prince of nothingness. These people are totally devoted to Satan, and that is why nothingness, non-existence and emptiness appeal to them so.

Yes. Precisely so.

Singer says: “I do think it would be wrong to choose the non-sentient universe.” But he can't tell you why, because the moment he takes his own argument to the next step not only does he have nothing in common with the Benatars of the world, he no longer even has anything in common with his old self anymore. He can't answer that question and remain who he has been until now.

[marron]

I can't see where it would hurt it any.

According to Singer, we'd never miss it.