Should we bring new humans into the world? Or would it be better off without us? These days it’s harder than ever to watch TV, scroll social media, or even just sit at home looking out the window without contemplating these questions, says philosopher Todd May.
Drawing on his new book Should We Go Extinct?, May, who served as an adviser to the TV series “The Good Place,” discusses reasons for and against the continuation of our species: whether the positive and negative tallies of the human ledger are comparable and what conclusions we might draw about ourselves and our future. He examines the value that only humans can bring to the world and to one another as well as the goods, like art and music, that would be lost were we no longer here.
On the other side of the ledger, he considers the suffering we inflict on nature and the non-human world, seeking to understand whether it’s possible to justify such actions against our merits, and if not, what changes we could make to reduce the harm we cause. As May discusses humanity’s future—or lack thereof—he offers hope that we might find universal agreement that the answer to his title’s question should be “No.”
Copies of Should We Go Extinct? A Philosophical Dilemma for Our Unbearable Times (Crown) are available for purchase.
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