The Repugnant Conclusion Essays on Population Ethics
Most people (including moral philosophers), when faced with the fact that some of their cherished moral views lead up to the Repugnant Conclusion, feel that they have to revise their moral outlook. However, it is a moot question as to how this should be d
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LIBRARY OF ETHICS AND APPLIED PHILOSOPHY VOLUME 15
Managing Editor: Govert A. den Hartogh, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
THE REPUGNANT CONCLUSION Essays on Population Ethics Edited by
JESPER RYBERG University of Roskilde, Denmark and
TORBJÖRN TÄNNSJÖ Stockholm University, Sweden
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS DORDRECHT / BOSTON / LONDON
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 1-4020-2472-X (HB) ISBN 1-4020-2473-8 (e-book)
Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Sold and distributed in North, Central and South America by Kluwer Academic Publishers, 101 Philip Drive, Norwell, MA 02061, U.S.A. In all other countries, sold and distributed by Kluwer Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved © 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed in the Netherlands.
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö
1
OVERPOPULATION AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE Derek Parfit
7
TWO PARFIT PUZZLES Tim Mulgan
23
CRITICAL-LEVEL POPULATION PRINCIPLES AND THE REPUGNANT CONCLUSION Charles Blackorby, Walter Bossert and David Donaldson
45
O REPUGNANCE, WHERE IS THY STING? Clark Wolf
61
RESOLVING THE REPUGNANT CONCLUSION Tyler Cowen
81
PERSON-BASED CONSEQUENTIALISM AND THE PROCREATION OBLIGATION Melinda A. Roberts
99
PERSON-AFFECTING MORALITIES Nils Holtug
129
REPUGNANCE OR INTRANSITIVITY: A REPUGNANT BUT FORCED CHOICE Stuart Rachels
163
THE ROOT OF THE REPUGNANT CONCLUSION AND ITS REBUTTAL Ingmar Persson
187
THE PARADOXES OF FUTURE GENERATIONS AND NORMATIVE THEORY Gustaf Arrhenius
201
WHY WE OUGHT TO ACCEPT THE REPUGNANT CONCLUSION Torbjörn Tännsjö
219
THE REPUGNANT CONCLUSION AND WORTHWHILE LIVING Jesper Ryberg
239
POSTSCRIPT Derek Parfit
257
INDEX OF NAMES
259
JESPER RYBERG & TORBJÖRN TÄNNSJÖ
INTRODUCTION
Analytic philosophers are often accused of not taking existential questions seriously. This may be true of some (many?) of them, but it is certainly not true of the contemporary Oxford philosopher Derek Parfit. He has revived an interest in existential questions within analytic philosophy. He has discussed the nature of personal identity, why there is something rather than nothing and, in particular, questions to do with our own existence, and the existence of creatures like us. From the point of view of morality, is it a good thing that I exist? Is it a good thing that other creatures like me exist? Is it better if there are more creatures
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