Last updated: Aug. 2016

This is a subpage of our Open Research Questions.

Summary

Create and keep up-to-date an online bibliography of material that proposes, defends, or argues against suffering-focused views.

Priority: 8/10

Why create a bibliography?

A bibliography on a topic makes it easier for others to do research and write papers in the field. For example, it reduces the hurdle of doing research in the field because the researchers do not need to spend as much time finding literature. It also reduces that risk that a researcher does redundant work because of being unaware of a previous publication on the topic.

Example bibliographies

An interesting bibliography that is updated by a community was established by The Research Group on Neuroethics and Neurophilosophy at University of Mainz :

During the last years the Research Group at the University of Mainz has established the first open, centrally governed and supervised Online-bibliography, which is kept complete and up-to-date by the neuroethics community itself – a ‚literature wikiography‘.

Another example is this simpler but useful bibliography on wild animal suffering.

Desirable features of a bibliography on suffering-focused views

The bibliography can include other material than texts, such as presentations.

It should distinguish among materials that propose or defend suffering-focused views and materials that argue against such views.

Views that argue against suffering-focused views would need to do so directly to be included in the bibliography. It is not sufficient that they propose or argue for a view that is incompatible with suffering-focused views.

As a first step, a bibliography on suffering-focused views need not be annotated; it would still be useful with just a list of material, similar to the bibliography on wild animal suffering mentioned above. Similarly, at a first stage, the bibliography need not have advanced search functions.

It would be good if it could be updated (at least partially) automatically or by a community, rather than only manually by one or a few responsible individuals.

Sources in different languages should likely be put in different sections.

To do

Learn about best practices for creating and maintaining a bibliography in a field. A complication is that ‘suffering-focused’ is not an established term, but rather our term for different views in diverse fields such as population ethics, axiology, and normative ethics.

Output format

Web page (or website).

Examples of sources to include in a bibliography on suffering-focused views

For suffering-focused views

English

Acton, H. B., and J. W. N. Watkins. “Symposium: Negative Utilitarianism.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes 37 (1963): 83–114.

37 (1963): 83–114. Alexander, Christopher. “Axioms of Morality and Ethics in Negative Utilitarianism.” Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research BCUR 2014 Special Issue. Ungated.

BCUR 2014 Special Issue. Ungated. Anderson, Ronald E. Human Suffering and Quality of Life: Conceptualizing Stories and Statistics . Dordrecht: Springer, 2014. Ungated.

. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014. Ungated. Arrhenius, Gustaf, and Krister Bykvist. “Future Generations and Interpersonal Compensations : Moral Aspects of Energy Use.” Uppsala Prints and Preprints in Philosophy, 1995:21. Ungated.

Benatar, David. Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence . New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Benatar's staff page at UCT includes a list of publications related to Better Never to Have Been and antinatalism (archived).

. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Benatar's staff page at UCT includes a list of publications related to and antinatalism (archived). Brülde, Bengt. “Happiness, Morality, and Politics.” Journal of Happiness Studies 11 (2010): 567–83.

11 (2010): 567–83. Chao, Roger. “Negative Average Preference Utilitarianism.” Journal of Philosophy of Life 2 (2012): 55–66. Ungated.

2 (2012): 55–66. Ungated. Contestabile, Bruno. [Various works]

Fehige, Christoph. “A Pareto Principle for Possible People.” In Preferences , edited by Christoph Fehige and Ulla Wessels, 508–43. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1998. Ungated.

, edited by Christoph Fehige and Ulla Wessels, 508–43. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1998. Ungated. Frick, Johann David. “‘Making People Happy, Not Making Happy People’: A Defense of the Asymmetry Intuition in Population Ethics.” PhD diss., Harvard University, 2014. Ungated.

Geinster, Dan. “The Amoral Logic of Anti-Hurt (Modified Negative Utilitarianism).” http://www.antihurt.com/ (accessed Aug. 4, 2015).

Goodman, Charles. Consequences of Compassion: An Interpretation and Defense of Buddhist Ethics . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Hiz, Henry. “Praxiology, Society and Ethics.” In Praxiologies and the Philosophy of Economics 1 , edited by J. Lee Auspitz, Wojciech W. Gasparski, Marek K. Mlicki, and Klemens Szaniawski, 421–30. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1992. Partly ungated via Google Books.

, edited by J. Lee Auspitz, Wojciech W. Gasparski, Marek K. Mlicki, and Klemens Szaniawski, 421–30. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1992. Partly ungated via Google Books. Häyry, Matti. “A Rational Cure for Prereproductive Stress Syndrome.” Journal of Medical Ethics 30 (2004): 377–78.

30 (2004): 377–78. ———. “The Rational Cure for Prereproductive Stress Syndrome Revisited.” Journal of Medical Ethics 31 (2005): 606–7.

31 (2005): 606–7. ———. “An Analysis of Some Arguments for and Against Human Reproduction.” In Arguments and Analysis in Bioethics , edited by Häyry et al., 167–76. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, 2010.

, edited by Häyry et al., 167–76. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, 2010. Kadlec, Erich. “Popper’s ‘Negative Utilitarianism’: From Utopia to Reality.” In Karl Popper’s Response to 1938 , edited by Peter Markl and Erich Kadlec, 107–21. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2008.

, edited by Peter Markl and Erich Kadlec, 107–21. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2008. Karlsen, Dagfinn Sjaastad. “Is God Our Benefactor? An Argument from Suffering.” Journal of Philosophy of Life 3 (2013): 145–67. Ungated.

3 (2013): 145–67. Ungated. Kotarbiński, Tadeusz.

Larock, Marc. “Possible Preferences and the Harm of Existence.” MPhil thesis, University of St. Andrews, 2009. Ungated. See pages 18–23.

Leighton, Jonathan. The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe . Algora Publishing, 2011. Chapter 9 is Ungated.

. Algora Publishing, 2011. Chapter 9 is Ungated. Mayerfeld, Jamie. “The Moral Asymmetry of Happiness and Suffering.” Southern Journal of Philosophy 34 (1996): 317–38.

34 (1996): 317–38. ———. Suffering and Moral Responsibility . New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Meacham, Christopher J.G. “Person-Affecting Views and Saturating Counterpart Relations.” Philosophical Studies 158 (2012): 257–87. Ungated.

158 (2012): 257–87. Ungated. Mendola, Joseph. “An Ordinal Modification of Classical Utilitarianism.” Erkenntnis 33 (1990): 73–88.

33 (1990): 73–88. ———. Goodness and Justice: A Consequentialist Moral Theory . Cambridge University Press, 2006.

. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Metzinger, Thomas. Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity . MIT Press, 2003.

. MIT Press, 2003. Narveson, Jan. “Utilitarianism and New Generations.” Mind 76 (1967): 62–72. Ungated.

76 (1967): 62–72. Ungated. Ohlsson, Ragnar. “The Moral Import of Evil: On Counterbalancing Death, Suffering, and Degradation.” PhD diss., Stockholm University, 1979.

Pearce, David. Various works including The Hedonistic Imperative and The Abolitionist Project.

Roberts, Melinda A. “Person-based Consequentialism and the Procreation Obligation.” In The Repugnant Conclusion , edited by Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö, 99–128. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004.

, edited by Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö, 99–128. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004. ———. “The Asymmetry: A Solution.” Theoria 77 (2011): 333–67.

77 (2011): 333–67. Ryder, Richard D. “Painism.” In Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare , 2nd ed., edited by Marc Bekoff, 402–3. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2009.

, 2nd ed., edited by Marc Bekoff, 402–3. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2009. ———. “Painism Defended.” Think 14, no. 41 (2015): 47–55.

14, no. 41 (2015): 47–55. ———. “Painism versus Utilitarianism.” Think 8, no. 21 (2009): 85–89.

8, no. 21 (2009): 85–89. Schopenhauer, Arthur. [Various works]

Tomasik, Brian. [Various works]

Tranöy, Knut Erik. “Asymmetries in Ethics.” Inquiry 10 (1967): 351–72.

10 (1967): 351–72. Vetter, Hermann. “Utilitarianism and New Generations.” Mind 80, no. 318 (1971): 301-302. Ungated.

80, no. 318 (1971): 301-302. Ungated. Walker, A. D. M. “Negative Utilitarianism.” Mind 83 (1974): 424–28.

83 (1974): 424–28. Wolf, Clark. “O Repugnance, Where is Thy Sting?” In The Repugnant Conclusion , edited by Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö, 61–80. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004. Ungated.

, edited by Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö, 61–80. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004. Ungated. ———. “Person-Affecting Utilitarianism and Population Policy; Or, Sissy Jupe's Theory of Social Choice.” In Contingent Future Persons , edited by Nick Fotion and Jan C. Heller, 99–122. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1997. Archived. Archived Sep. 24, 2015.

, edited by Nick Fotion and Jan C. Heller, 99–122. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1997. Archived. Archived Sep. 24, 2015. ———. “Social Choice and Normative Population Theory: A Person Affecting Solution to Parfit's Mere Addition Paradox.” Philosophical Studies 81 (1996): 263–82. Archived.

German

Fricke, Fabian. “Verschiedene Versionen des negativen Utilitarismus.” Kriterion 15 (2002): 13–27. Ungated.

Swedish

Bergström, Lars. “Pessimismens Konsekvenser.” In En Filosofibok Tillägnad Anders Wedberg , 24–34. Stockholm: Bonniers, 1978.

, 24–34. Stockholm: Bonniers, 1978. Bergström, Lars(?). “Mänsklighetens Undergång.” Notice in Filosofisk Tidskrift Nov. 9, 2015. Ungated

Nov. 9, 2015. Ungated Hedenius, Ingemar. Fyra Dygder . Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag, 1955.

. Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag, 1955. ———. Livets Mening . Stockholm: Aldus, 1964.

. Stockholm: Aldus, 1964. ———. “Pessimismen Omigen.” In Frågor Om Livets Mening , edited by Lars Bergström, 150–169. Uppsala: Filosofiska studier, 1984.

, edited by Lars Bergström, 150–169. Uppsala: Filosofiska studier, 1984. Petersson, Bo. “Ingemar Hedenius Moralfilosofi: Normativ Etik.” Filosofisk Tidskrift 30, no. 2 (2009): 57–76.

Spanish

Longueira Monelos, Angel. “El sufrimiento animal y la extinción.” Ágora: Papeles de Filosofía 30 (2011): 43–56. Ungated.

Not categorized

Beiser, Frederick C. Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860–1900 . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. Coates, Ken. Anti-Natalism: Rejectionist Philosophy from Buddhism to Benatar . First Edition Design Pub., 2014.

. First Edition Design Pub., 2014. Hurka, Thomas. “Asymmetries in Value.” Noûs 44, no. 2 (2010): 199–223.

Against suffering-focused views

English

Arrhenius, Gustaf. “Future Generations: A Challenge for Moral Theory.” PhD diss., Uppsala University, 2000. Ungated.

Danielsson, Sven. “Between the Repugnant and the Gloomy? Some Preferentialisms.” In Odds and Ends , edited by Sten Lindström, Rysiek Sliwinski, and Jan Österberg. Uppsala, 1996.

, edited by Sten Lindström, Rysiek Sliwinski, and Jan Österberg. Uppsala, 1996. Griffin, James. “Is Unhappiness Morally More Important Than Happiness?” Philosophical Quarterly 29 (1979): 47–55.

29 (1979): 47–55. Holtug, Nils. “Person-Affecting Moralities.” In The Repugnant Conclusion , edited by Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö, 129–61. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004.

, edited by Jesper Ryberg and Torbjörn Tännsjö, 129–61. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004. Kappel, Klemens. “On Frustrationism and Satisfactionism.” In Preference and Value , edited by Wlodek Rabinowicz. Lund, 1996.

, edited by Wlodek Rabinowicz. Lund, 1996. Leslie, John. “Why Not Let Life Become Extinct?” Philosophy 58, no. 225 (1983): 329–38.

58, no. 225 (1983): 329–38. ———. The End of the World: The Science and Ethics of Human Extinction. New York: Routledge, 1998.

Ord, Toby. “Why I'm Not a Negative Utilitarian.” 2013. Ungated. Archived Sep. 24, 2015.

Parfit, Derek. On What Matters , vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.

, vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Ryberg, Jesper. “Is the Repugnant Conclusion Repugnant?” Philosophical Papers 25 (1996): 161–77. See pages 165–66.

25 (1996): 161–77. See pages 165–66. Sikora, R. I. “Is it Wrong to Prevent the Existence of Future Generations?” In Obligations to Future Generations , edited by R. I. Sikora and Brian Barry, 112–66. Philadelphia: The White Horse Press, 1978.

, edited by R. I. Sikora and Brian Barry, 112–66. Philadelphia: The White Horse Press, 1978. ———. “Negative Utilitarianism: Not Dead Yet.” Mind 85 (1976): 587–88.

85 (1976): 587–88. Smart, J. J. C. “An Outline of a System of Utilitarian Ethics.” In Utilitarianism: For and Against , edited by J. J. C. Smart and Bernard Williams, 3–74. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973. See ch. 5 “Negative Utilitarianism.”

, edited by J. J. C. Smart and Bernard Williams, 3–74. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973. See ch. 5 “Negative Utilitarianism.” ———. “Negative Utilitarianism.” In Freedom and Rationality: Essays in Honor of John Watkins , edited by Fred D'Agostino and I. C. Jarvie, 35–46. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1989.

, edited by Fred D'Agostino and I. C. Jarvie, 35–46. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1989. Smart, R. N. “Negative Utilitarianism.” Mind 67 (1958): 542–43. Ungated. Archived Sep. 24, 2015.

Swedish

Tännsjö, Torbjörn. Filosofisk Tröst: En Bok om Döden. Stockholm: Thales, 2015.

More sources

For more sources and context, see