In the article, Benatar argues that bringing people to life is not beneficial but harmful from various perspectives. Thus, the presence of pain and hardships overweigh pleasures, and this fact is supported by the considerations of bad and good, which are relative (Benatar, n.d.). Since one would not necessarily enjoy life when lacking pain and suffers when they have no pleasures, the opposite stance should be viewed as erroneous.
The argument is well-justified because the author refers to the absence of benefits for children, the lack of guarantees of their happiness, and the regrets of parents. In its favor, one might say that the asymmetry of pain and pleasure is sufficient proof (Benatar, n.d.). The opponents might claim that supporting this stance means devaluing a child’s responsibility for their happiness. In the fourth passage on page 179, the author expands his thought by stating that people tend to forget their disadvantages (Benatar, n.d.). Thus, he confirms the impossibility of analyzing one’s situation without comparison. The most interesting idea is the difference in the attitudes towards death depending on the age because it is critical for understanding societal perceptions (Benatar, n.d.). The questions to the author would be: How can one avoid depression when comparing themselves with their counterparts? How can individuals find a compromise in their views on the benefits and drawbacks of living? These tasks can be addressed by considering varying efforts and upbringing. This piece is connected to Lenman’s article since both authors try to explain the feasibility of life.
In conclusion, the subject is critical for finding a balance between positive and negative experiences. The author’s stance is the relativity of these two notions for people, and it helps the reader grasp the meaning of differences between individuals’ positions. Its support is ensured by the applicability to real-life situations in which citizens struggle to find their place in life while referring to numerous obstacles.
Lenman’s article presents his concerns regarding the quality of life of humanity. In this piece, his argument is related to the lack of feasibility of people’s late extinction since it is impossible to ensure their happiness in the future. This unpredictability leads to the conclusion that one cannot claim the need for their survival when it is not underpinned by the probability of their wellbeing.
This stance is rational since the value of human life is limited to its productiveness. It is sufficiently supported by comparisons with other species and their disappearance (Lenman, n.d.). This argument is underpinned by the consideration of natural cycles. Meanwhile, the opponents might claim that human dominance implies varying mechanisms for them. Thus, the third paragraph on page 155 adds to the former opinion (Lenman, n.d.). The possibility to fade away due to infertility can be interpreted as a logical outcome, which cannot be predicted.
Moreover, one of the controversial ideas is whether we should care about such events or not, and it is critical for understanding people’s priorities (Lenman, n.d.). The possible questions can be as follows: How to deal with anxiety stemming from the above argument? Are there methods to accept the inevitability of this outcome? The possible answer would be acceptance through examining the ways of nature. This thought is connected to the government’s failure to ensure political decisions’ efficiency since there are too many variables.
To summarize, the topic is essential for examination because it seems to bring too much stress in people’s lives. The author’s position, in this regard, implies the impossibility of justifying the survival of humanity. There are many reasons to support his opinions, and the most important of them are to ensure the mental health of the population and increase their awareness of priorities in existence.
References
Benatar, D. (n.d.). Why it is better never to come into existence, pp. 173-186 [PDF Document].
Lenman, J. (n.d.). On becoming extinct, pp. 153-171 [PDF Document].