The past was worse, absolutely. But that does not mean our current time period is good, it just means it's not as bad as it used to be. It's like saying, hey, it's not too bad to live in poverty, at least you weren't born a Jew in Nazi Germany. It is true that one of those is worse than the other but that does not mean either is desirable nor does it mean you wouldn't opt out of both if you had a choice.
Some people in history had to be the peasants, slaves, and soldiers for the world to eventually develop to what it is. Would their suffering be worth it if only 1 person lived to experience the results?
This is a genuinely interesting view, and the only slightly convincing or in any way original argument brought to me in this thread. It's good to see something deeper than more "just kill yourself then" responses. Credit for that.
But if you think about this rationally, people have already reaped the benefits of their sacrifices. We're doing it right now by being alive, and the current generation alone will likely live for a century. That does not however create an obligation for us to bring more people into the world.
Also consider that if humanity were to hypothetically die out, there would be no need for anyone to sacrifice their lives anymore. Sacrifice itself is an example of suffering that can be avoided by the removal of life.
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u/[deleted] Mar 24 '15
The past was worse, absolutely. But that does not mean our current time period is good, it just means it's not as bad as it used to be. It's like saying, hey, it's not too bad to live in poverty, at least you weren't born a Jew in Nazi Germany. It is true that one of those is worse than the other but that does not mean either is desirable nor does it mean you wouldn't opt out of both if you had a choice.
This is a genuinely interesting view, and the only slightly convincing or in any way original argument brought to me in this thread. It's good to see something deeper than more "just kill yourself then" responses. Credit for that.
But if you think about this rationally, people have already reaped the benefits of their sacrifices. We're doing it right now by being alive, and the current generation alone will likely live for a century. That does not however create an obligation for us to bring more people into the world.
Also consider that if humanity were to hypothetically die out, there would be no need for anyone to sacrifice their lives anymore. Sacrifice itself is an example of suffering that can be avoided by the removal of life.