What might be going on is that people are tempted to use a person’s preference for existing as a proxy for the value of their life, in the same way that a person’s preferences for birthday presents can inform us about what kinds of birthday presents will make them happier.
I would certainly think twice about having a child if I knew the child would grow up to express a wish to never have been born. And I’m not even a preference utilitarian. But this approach seems problematic, and it’s probably better to just ask ourselves what kind of people we want to bring into existence.
What might be going on is that people are tempted to use a person’s preference for existing as a proxy for the value of their life, in the same way that a person’s preferences for birthday presents can inform us about what kinds of birthday presents will make them happier.
I would certainly think twice about having a child if I knew the child would grow up to express a wish to never have been born. And I’m not even a preference utilitarian. But this approach seems problematic, and it’s probably better to just ask ourselves what kind of people we want to bring into existence.