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Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
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| _version_ | 1867614094131986432 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Raal, Ludwig |
| author2 | Hall, Susan |
| author_browse | Hall, Susan Raal, Ludwig |
| author_facet | Hall, Susan Raal, Ludwig |
| author_sort | Raal, Ludwig |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124595 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:33.531Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124595 Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism Raal, Ludwig Hall, Susan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. Animals Antinatalism Anti-speciesism Hunting UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Most people have an idyllic view of nature and believe that wild animals have good lives. But nature is a hostile place. In addition to the suffering inflicted upon prey by their predators, many wild animals are victims of infectious disease, extreme weather, starvation, and parasitism. Yet it is often claimed that an abundance of wildlife is desirable. The aim of this thesis is to challenge this premise. My argument will proceed in four parts. Firstly, I will show that the lives of most wild animals are characterised by a surplus of negative experiences, and that there are a myriad of ways in which wild animals suffer. Secondly, I will challenge the notion that wildlife has intrinsic value by considering, and arguing against, two related claims: that the lives of individual wild animals have intrinsic value, and that wild species as wholes are of intrinsic value. Thirdly, I will consider whether wildlife has instrumental value, and if so, whether it is sufficient to justify traditional conservation methods. I conclude that this is not the case. Finally, I will argue that it may be best for most wild animals not to be born at all, a view I refer to as weak wildlife antinatalism. While such a conjecture may strike many as deeply counterintuitive, I will make the case that it is both technically feasible and morally desirable. AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Meeste mense beskou die natuur as idillies en glo dat wilde diere goeie lewens lei. Maar die natuur kan wreed wees. Roofdiere veroorsaak dat hulle prooi lei en baie wilde diere is slagoffers van aansteeklike siektes, uiterste weersomstandighede, hongersnood, en parasitisme. Tog heers daar die algemene siening dat ’n oorvloed aan wilde diere wenslik is. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om hierdie standpunt uit te daag. Ek lê my argument in vier dele uit. Eerstens wys ek dat die lewens van die meeste wilde diere deur ’n oormatige aantal negatiewe ervarings gekenmerk word en dat daar ’n magdom wyses is waarop wilde diere kan lei. Tweedens daag ek die idee dat die dierewêreld intrinsieke waarde het uit, deur twee verwante bewerings te oorweeg en dan van die hand te wys: Eerstens, dat die lewens van individuele wilde diere intrinsieke waarde het, en, tweedens, dat wilde spesies as gehele intrinsieke waarde het. Derdens oorweeg ek die vraag of wilde diere instrumentele waarde het en, indien wel, of hierdie waarde dan voldoende is om tradisionele bewaringsmetodes te regverdig. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat dit nie die geval is nie. Laastens maak ek die punt dat die meeste wilde diere beter daaraantoe sou wees indien hulle nooit gebore sou word nie, en ek noem hierdie siening “sagte dierewêreld-antinatalisme”. Alhoewel baie mense waarskynlik hierdie siening hoogs bedenklik sal vind, argumenteer ekt dat dit beide tegnies moontlik sowel as moreel wenslik sou wees om so ’n stand van sake teweeg te bring. Masters 2022-02-16T10:45:36Z 2022-04-29T09:21:26Z 2022-02-16T10:45:36Z 2022-04-29T09:21:26Z 2022-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124595 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 69 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Animals Antinatalism Anti-speciesism Hunting UCTD Raal, Ludwig Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| title | Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| title_full | Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| title_fullStr | Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| title_short | Better never to have been in the wild: a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| title_sort | better never to have been in the wild a case for weak wildlife antinatalism |
| topic | Animals Antinatalism Anti-speciesism Hunting UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124595 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT raalludwig betternevertohavebeeninthewildacaseforweakwildlifeantinatalism |