PHILOSOPHER

David Benatar

1966 - Today

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David Benatar (; born 1966) is a South African philosopher, academic, and author. He is best known for his work in moral philosophy and for advancing the position of antinatalism, the view that coming into existence is a serious harm. He is the author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence (2006), in which he argues that procreation is always morally wrong because it imposes harm by bringing sentient beings into existence. Central to this view is his asymmetry argument, which holds that the absence of pain is good even if no one benefits from it, while the absence of pleasure is not bad unless someone is deprived of it. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in 23 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 22 in 2024). David Benatar is the 1,203rd most popular philosopher (up from 1,240th in 2024), the 168th most popular biography from South Africa (up from 201st in 2019) and the 2nd most popular South African Philosopher.

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Among PHILOSOPHERS

Among philosophers, David Benatar ranks 1,203 out of 1,267. Before him are Marshall Berman, Robert Brandom, Bernard Lonergan, John Peckham, James Burnham, and Hermann Lietz. After him are Sara Danius, Judith Jarvis Thomson, Michael Novak, Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Alister McGrath, and George Henry Lewes.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1966, David Benatar ranks 310. Before him are Franco Foda, Rob Witschge, Bruno Labbadia, Bebel Gilberto, Tatyana Golikova, and Nuno Gomes Nabiam. After him are Heiko Maas, Hansi Kürsch, Jill Ellis, Ricardo López, Greg Grunberg, and Jeroen Dijsselbloem.

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In South Africa

Among people born in South Africa, David Benatar ranks 168 out of 454. Before him are Justin Gabriel (1981), Lara Logan (1971), Tony Maggs (1937), Kimbal Musk (1972), Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (1982), and Doug Serrurier (1920). After him are Karel Schoeman (1939), Thomas Shardelow (1931), Ingrid Jonker (1933), Ahmed Kathrada (1929), Fatima Meer (1928), and Griselda Pollock (1949).

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Among PHILOSOPHERS In South Africa

Among philosophers born in South Africa, David Benatar ranks 2. Before him are John McDowell (1942).

South African born Philosophers

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