Antinatalism, extinction, and the end of procreative self-corruption Matti Häyry and Amanda Sukenick This Element explores antinatalism, the view that assigns a negative value to reproduction. Section 1 traces the history of Western philosophy as a two-and-a-half millennia reaction to antinatalist sentiments. Human life has no obvious meaning and philosophers have been forced to build elaborate theories to invent imaginary purposes. Section 2 analyzes the concept of antinatalism in the light of human extinction. If people stop having children, the species will cease to exist, and this prospect has prompted attempts to find alternatives and excuses. Section 3 outlines a normative view, defending antinatalism both theoretically and practically. If it is wrong to bring about suffering in the absence of redeeming meaning and if it is possible to create meaning only by imposing a pronatalist mentality upon children before they can make up their own minds, parents morally corrupt themselves by procreating. Antinatalism is a way of thinking and acting that has no universally accepted definition. It is a philosophical position that assigns a negative value judgment to birth and views procreation as immoral. Antinatalism can be conceptually, morally, ideologically, and politically connected to other "isms" and practices, including abortion, altruism, animal rights, atheism, ecology, egoism, environmentalism, euthanasia, extinctionism, machine consciousness, natalism, neocolonialism, nihilism, pessimism, promortalism, pronatalism, suicide, and veganism. The moral wrongness of reproduction seems to be at the core of at least most academic attempts to analyze and assess antinatalism. Antinatalism has been known to thinking individuals for millennia, but every time it has threatened to disturb hegemonic establishments, it has been crushed by philosophical systems such as those of Plato, Augustine of Hippo, and others. This is a bold hypothesis, but we believe that we can lend it some surprisingly credible support. Antinatalism can be conceptually, morally, ideologically, and politically connected to other "isms" and practices. These include (alphabetically and among others) abortion, altruism, animal rights, atheism, ecology, egoism, environmentalism, euthanasia, extinctionism, machine consciousness, natalism, neocolonialism, nihilism, pessimism, promortalism, pronatalism, suicide, and veganism. The justifications presented for antinaturalism offer a wide range, too. Population growth degrades the natural environment. The world is a bad place and should not be more populated. Reproduction requires sex and sex is a sin. Our children's lives would be bad. We do not have their permission to bring them into existence. Life is suffering and we should not contribute to its continuation. Children are a burden. Children areAntinatalism, extinction, and the end of procreative self-corruption Matti Häyry and Amanda Sukenick This Element explores antinatalism, the view that assigns a negative value to reproduction. Section 1 traces the history of Western philosophy as a two-and-a-half millennia reaction to antinatalist sentiments. Human life has no obvious meaning and philosophers have been forced to build elaborate theories to invent imaginary purposes. Section 2 analyzes the concept of antinatalism in the light of human extinction. If people stop having children, the species will cease to exist, and this prospect has prompted attempts to find alternatives and excuses. Section 3 outlines a normative view, defending antinatalism both theoretically and practically. If it is wrong to bring about suffering in the absence of redeeming meaning and if it is possible to create meaning only by imposing a pronatalist mentality upon children before they can make up their own minds, parents morally corrupt themselves by procreating. Antinatalism is a way of thinking and acting that has no universally accepted definition. It is a philosophical position that assigns a negative value judgment to birth and views procreation as immoral. Antinatalism can be conceptually, morally, ideologically, and politically connected to other "isms" and practices, including abortion, altruism, animal rights, atheism, ecology, egoism, environmentalism, euthanasia, extinctionism, machine consciousness, natalism, neocolonialism, nihilism, pessimism, promortalism, pronatalism, suicide, and veganism. The moral wrongness of reproduction seems to be at the core of at least most academic attempts to analyze and assess antinatalism. Antinatalism has been known to thinking individuals for millennia, but every time it has threatened to disturb hegemonic establishments, it has been crushed by philosophical systems such as those of Plato, Augustine of Hippo, and others. This is a bold hypothesis, but we believe that we can lend it some surprisingly credible support. Antinatalism can be conceptually, morally, ideologically, and politically connected to other "isms" and practices. These include (alphabetically and among others) abortion, altruism, animal rights, atheism, ecology, egoism, environmentalism, euthanasia, extinctionism, machine consciousness, natalism, neocolonialism, nihilism, pessimism, promortalism, pronatalism, suicide, and veganism. The justifications presented for antinaturalism offer a wide range, too. Population growth degrades the natural environment. The world is a bad place and should not be more populated. Reproduction requires sex and sex is a sin. Our children's lives would be bad. We do not have their permission to bring them into existence. Life is suffering and we should not contribute to its continuation. Children are a burden. Children are