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Philosophy · Applied Ethics

Population Ethics

A topic within Applied Ethics, itself one of 11 topics in that field and part of Philosophy.

Reading on Population Ethics

2

2 works

Essay2006

The Repugnant Conclusion

Gustaf Arrhenius, Jesper Ryberg & Torbjorn Tannsjo

Lays out Parfit's argument that total utilitarianism entails a world of enormous population with lives barely worth living is better than a smaller, much happier one, and surveys why every attempt to avoid this conclusion creates a worse problem elsewhere.

link checked 17 Sept 2026
Philosophy · Applied Ethics
FreeEntry
Paper1967

Utilitarianism and New Generations

Jan Narveson

Argues utilitarianism gives us reason to make existing people happier but no reason at all to bring new happy people into existence, since there is no one who benefits from being created who would otherwise have been worse off.

link checked 17 Sept 2026
Philosophy · Applied Ethics
FreeAdvanced

Other topics in Applied Ethics