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Better never to have been?

Kant über menschliche Reproduktion, Glück und den Wert des Lebens
  • Heiko Puls EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: December 20, 2015
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Abstract:

In this paper I argue that Kant’s claim regarding the asymmetry between the need for happiness and the fulfilment of happiness means that no rational human being could hypothetically wish to repeat its own existence. I show that from this claim it follows that it could be rationally desirable for human beings not to be brought into existence. Thus I show that a Kantian response is available for the contemporary applied ethics question whether human beings are harmed by coming into existence.

Published Online: 2015-12-20
Published in Print: 2015-12-20

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