Responsibility for Child Suffering

Synonyms

Ethics of conception; Morality of creating new life

Definition

The moral debate surrounding the ethics of reproducing and responsibility for any subsequent suffering that the individual experiences.

Introduction

Responsibility for child suffering is the foundation to the anti-natalist claim that it is morally wrong to create new life. In line with anti-natalism, the ultimate responsibility for any suffering a person endures in their life is attributable to their parents, as a nonexisting person cannot consent to be born and as all individuals can be expected to experience some degree of suffering. On the other hand, pronatalists argue that holding parents responsible for all of their child’s suffering typically ignores an extensive chain of more direct and immediate possible causes of suffering rendering the ultimate responsibility with the parents as a reduction to absurdity.

Responsibility for Harm

Although it could be argued that causing a person harm withtheir consent is...