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A Kantian critique of Benatar's argument from the cosmic perspective.

Authors :
Lee, Byeong D.
Source :
Philosophical Forum. Sep2023, Vol. 54 Issue 3, p185-198. 14p.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

Benatar argues that the absence of cosmic meaning is part of the reason why our lives are so bad that we had better not procreate. The goal of this paper is to argue against this claim from a Kantian point of view. For this goal, I argue first that the fact that human life is a product of blind evolution is not a reason for justifying that our lives are overall bad, mainly on the grounds that the concepts of good and bad make sense only within the logical space of reasons. I also argue that the fact that we can hardly make a significant difference to the universe is not a reason for justifying that our lives are overall bad, either, mainly on the grounds that whether one's life is good or bad can be evaluated primarily in terms of whether one's permissible ends are achieved to a satisfactory extent, and so one's good life does not depend on making a significant difference to the universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0031806X
Volume :
54
Issue :
3
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Philosophical Forum
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
164935831
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1111/phil.12341