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    If deprivation before birth does not harm the non-existen... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→A person may be benefitted or harmed by things that happen while she is dead (i.e., posthumous harm exists).

    If deprivation before birth does not harm the non-existent person, there is no principled asymmetry that makes deprivation after death harmful to the deceased.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Harm requires a subject who experiences deprivation. Non-existent people cannot experience anything, so pre-birth deprivation cannot harm them.
      ?

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    • 2.If we accept that non-existence before birth causes no harm, denying a consistent principle to post-death deprivation appears ad hoc and arbitrary.
      ?

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    • 3.Both pre-birth and post-death deprivation involve absence from existence. The timing difference alone doesn't establish metaphysically distinct harm mechanisms.
      ?

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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.The deceased once existed and had interests; pre-birth non-entities never had interests to be thwarted. This grounds an asymmetry in what counts as deprivation.
      ?

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    • 2.Post-death harm can violate a person's wishes and projects formed during life; pre-birth deprivation cannot frustrate any actual preferences or plans.
      ?

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    • 3.Our duties to honor the dead rest on respecting persons-as-they-were; we have no such duties to potential people who never actualize into persons with stakes.
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    Afterlife & Death1 linked

    Related

    A person may be benefitted or harmed by things that happen while she is dead (i....Both pre-birth and post-death deprivation involve absence from existence. The ti...Harm requires a subject who experiences deprivation. Non-existent people cannot ...If we accept that non-existence before birth causes no harm, denying a consisten...
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    Our duties to honor the dead rest on respecting persons-as-they-were; we have no...Post-death harm can violate a person's wishes and projects formed during life; p...The deceased once existed and had interests; pre-birth non-entities never had in...

    Details

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    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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    1 edit