Make a Change!

When the topics of bioethics, animal rights, environmentalism, and reproductive rights arise, there is one individual that comes into mind, Peter Singer. He wrote an opinion article published in the New York Times entitled, “Should This Be the Last Generation?”, which discussed the controversial issues of overpopulation, environmentalism, and child reproduction. Singer brings up several questions about these area of subjects, including “Is life worth living?”, “Is a world with people in it better than one without?”, and “If a child likely to have a life full of pain and suffering is that a reason against bringing a child into existence?”

All of these questions cause individuals to think critically, and in order to answer them appropriately, you must have empathy and put yourself in the shoes of another individual who could be put in this type of predicament.

With the question of, “Is life worth living?”, there are many factors that can influence the answer to this question that seems so simple. Peter Singer states, “In my judgment, for most people, life is worth living. Even if that is not yet the case, I am enough of an optimist to believe that, should humans survive for another century or two, we will learn from our past mistakes and bring about a world in which there is far less suffering than there is now.”

This statement is somewhat controversial; In fact I agree with the statement that life is worth living, however his reason behind it is false. Singer states that humans learn from our past mistakes, and I believe that there have been very few instances in which this is true. For example WWII, this war would not have occurred if Germany would have looked back on the Peloponnesian War and saw the destruction that came out it. There were striking similarities between Germany’s invasion of Poland in World War II, and the Corinthian’s invasion of Corcyra. The truth of the matter is that people can learn a lot from past mistakes, but a majority of the times, people ignore that past because they are to eager to move into the future.

Moving onto a more environmentalist question, “Is a world with people in it better than one without”, there are many aspects that could change an individuals opinion about this topic. I believe that a world without people is better than a world with people. It is true that science has improved dramatically, however the human race as a whole, is not listening to what science has to offer.

Science holds the key to a longer future, and if only people would listen to them and learn from our past mistakes, will future generations get the experience to live on this extraordinary planet, that most individuals take for granted everyday.

When thinking about the factors of reproduction, a question that could be brought up is, “If a child likely to have a life full of pain and suffering is that a reason against bringing a child into existence?” A blog post responding to this question is found on Costa del Sol – My Local Gazette. Layman stated, “No, it isn’t. This is because the definitions of: (a) Suffering is a way to create happiness. (b) Happiness is the temporarily feeling of things being a step-better for keeping one’s own DNA alive.” I agree with the fact that abortion should not be an option here, I believe this child should be given a chance to live despite the emotional impact that it could have on the family, however the reasons behind it are not true. Pain and suffering is not a way to create happiness. Happiness is created when there is no pain and suffering in the world.

In conclusion, there are many factors and issues that could evolve out of these questions that Singer projects to his audience. All these questions build tension and debates leading to the blinding question that is “Should This Be the Last Generation?” The truth is that it is up to our generation to decide this. It is our duty to be the change in the world, to learn how to look back on the mistakes, and make a change!