Just learned about this today, and it was a complete shocker:
Voluntary Human Extinction Movement
For those who do not wish to read the article, here's their take:
Personally, I think that it is disgusting, akin almost to "Heaven's Gate" and "The People's Temple" and even Nazism. As the only species with symbolic language, I believe that the highest goal of Humanity should be our survival as a species and the full retention of all of our history, knowledge and culture, for as long as possible. Even though I sympathize with the environmental movement, life on our World is destined to perish, along with our Sun. Any memory of that life (and, perhaps, that life itself) will be with Us, perhaps carrying it off this World and to other worlds and new solar systems.
And, so, from a philosophical POV, are the VHEMT adherents just a bunch of nuts? Or, should we embrace their ideology, as Humanity, likely, someday, must perish either on this World or among the stars?
Voluntary Human Extinction Movement
For those who do not wish to read the article, here's their take:
Quote:The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT[A]) is an environmental movement that calls for all people to abstain from reproduction in order to cause the gradual voluntary extinction of humankind. VHEMT supports human extinction primarily because, in the group's view, it would prevent environmental degradation. The group states that a decrease in the human population would prevent a significant amount of human-caused suffering. The extinctions of non-human species and the scarcity of resources caused by humans are frequently cited by the group as evidence of the harm caused by human overpopulation.
Personally, I think that it is disgusting, akin almost to "Heaven's Gate" and "The People's Temple" and even Nazism. As the only species with symbolic language, I believe that the highest goal of Humanity should be our survival as a species and the full retention of all of our history, knowledge and culture, for as long as possible. Even though I sympathize with the environmental movement, life on our World is destined to perish, along with our Sun. Any memory of that life (and, perhaps, that life itself) will be with Us, perhaps carrying it off this World and to other worlds and new solar systems.
And, so, from a philosophical POV, are the VHEMT adherents just a bunch of nuts? Or, should we embrace their ideology, as Humanity, likely, someday, must perish either on this World or among the stars?
