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Should vegans have children? Examining the links between animal ethics and antinatalism

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Abstract

Ethical vegans and vegetarians believe that it is seriously immoral to bring into existence animals whose lives would be miserable. In this paper, I will discuss whether such a belief also leads to the conclusion that it is seriously immoral to bring human beings into existence. I will argue that vegans should abstain from having children since they believe that unnecessary suffering should be avoided. After all, humans will suffer in life, and having children is not necessary for a good life. Thus vegans, and probably vegetarians as well, should not have children. I will consider several objections against this controversial claim, show why the objections fail and conclude that it would be best for ethical vegans to abstain from procreation.

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Notes

  1. One might ask what unnecessary suffering means here. Unnecesssary suffering refers to suffering that one could easily live without inflicting on anyone. For instance, if the only way to save your life is to cause you to suffer, then the suffering is not unnecessary.

  2. I thank Matti Häyry for pressing me on this.

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  1. CEPDISC - School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Joona Räsänen

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Räsänen, J. Should vegans have children? Examining the links between animal ethics and antinatalism. Theor Med Bioeth 44, 141–151 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-023-09613-7

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