7 October, One Year Later with David Benatar

Quillette Cetera

Until recently, David Benatar was a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where he also directed the university’s Bioethics Centre. He is widely known for his controversial and challenging views on topics like antinatalism—captured in his groundbreaking book Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence—which argues that bringing new life into the world inevitably leads to suffering.

In addition to his work on antinatalism, Benatar has written extensively on practical ethics, morality, and human suffering, and his most recent contributions to Quillette have focused on the conflict in Israel and rising antisemitism in the Anglosphere.

In this conversation, we reflect on the anniversary of 7 October and the ethical questions it raises. The conversation concludes with a discussion of his new book, Very Practical Ethics: Engaging Everyday Moral Questions (2024).

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