- Antinatalism(as the main ethical theory being discussed)
- A philosophical position arguing that it is morally wrong to create new human life, usually because existence involves suffering that outweighs any benefits.
- Asymmetry argument(as Benatar's key reasoning for antinatalism)
- An argument suggesting that the absence of pain is good even if no one experiences it, but the absence of pleasure is not bad if no one experiences it—meaning creating life to experience pleasure doesn't morally outweigh the pain it will cause.
- Augustine(as the main subject of the statement)
- An influential early Christian philosopher (354-430 CE) whose writings shaped Western Christianity and philosophy; he argued that God's grace and predestination determine who goes to heaven.
- Augustinian theological value theory(as a religious alternative approach to what makes life meaningful)
- A system of ethics and philosophy based on the teachings of Augustine, a Christian philosopher who believed God and spiritual goods are the highest values, rather than just measuring pleasure and pain.
- Benatar(as the philosopher credited with articulating antinatalist reasoning)
- David Benatar, a contemporary philosopher best known for developing and defending antinatalism, particularly through his asymmetry argument about pleasure and pain.
- Conceptually incommensurable(as describing the relationship between hedonic calculus and Augustinian theology)
- Fundamentally incompatible or unable to be compared fairly—like trying to measure temperature in inches; the two frameworks operate on completely different systems.
- Hedonic calculus(as the secular, non-religious framework Benatar uses)
- A method of evaluating what's good or bad by measuring pleasure and pain—basically, a way of thinking about morality based on adding up happiness versus suffering.
- Secular(as describing a non-religious approach to ethics)
- Not based on religious beliefs or faith; grounded in reason and physical reality instead.