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I'm sure many kids said to their parents in the heat of the moment: "I didn't ask to be born!" or "I wish I were never born!" Well, this being a Philosophy Forum, what if it were possible for parents to find out their child's wish before bringing them into this world? Then, either respecting it or disregarding it, depending on what their conscience allows.
This is basically a different take on the thread "Would you choose to have been born if you could?" Pretend that it's possible to find out prior to conceiving the baby who will be born, to keep the abortion debate out of this. In fact, exclude abortion altogether; it's not the focus of this thread. Also assume that the baby won't change their mind during pregnancy.
If it were the case - anything other than consulting the 'unborn child' would be outrageous. As for disregarding the answer according to 'conscience' - it'd be based on nothing more than the would-be parents wants - no conscience at all.
I'm sure many kids said to their parents in the heat of the moment: "I didn't ask to be born!" or "I wish I were never born!" Well, this being a Philosophy Forum, what if it were possible for parents to find out their child's wish before bringing them into this world? Then, either respecting it or disregarding it, depending on what their conscience allows.
This is basically a different take on the thread "Would you choose to have been born if you could?" Pretend that it's possible to find out prior to conceiving the baby who will be born, to keep the abortion debate out of this. In fact, exclude abortion altogether; it's not the focus of this thread. Also assume that the baby won't change their mind during pregnancy.
Discuss!
What data and evidence would the unborn child have to make their decision? Who would give them that data?
Conversely, with what faculties?
How sentient is the being?
Hence asking a thing, "Do you wish to be here," suggests that they (the thing) already is in some world, if not ours. And that raises a whole bunch of other metaphysical questions.
Do we or can we see the thing. Can we talk to it?
Is it just a void that we call into and ask?
Is the act of asking prior to conception? Meaning if a couple asks into the ether the question does that mean that the soul of the being was to be implanted into their firstborn?
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If it's much simpler, and something said don't have sex and don't birth me. I would be very sad, but also very hesitant to have a child. But again, this would suggest another plane of existence.
But seeing as though life is a wonderful experience even after it's trials, I don't have any guilt bringing my child into the world. Existing is pretty amazing.
That would be pretty cool. Could the baby consult with it's would be parents to find out what the world is like at that given time?
I haven't thought about it. I'll leave it to other posters to determine whether such an action would be possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by harhar
If it's much simpler, and something said don't have sex and don't birth me. I would be very sad, but also very hesitant to have a child. But again, this would suggest another plane of existence.
This thread wasn't really meant to be metaphysical. It was simply meant to raise the question in the thread title. As for how a future parent would ask the unborn/unconceived child if he/she wishes to be brought into this world, I planned on keeping it a black box process. That's a computer term; it means a process where you know what it does, but not how it's implemented.
I'm sure many kids said to their parents in the heat of the moment: "I didn't ask to be born!" or "I wish I were never born!" Well, this being a Philosophy Forum,what if it were possible for parents to find out their child's wish before bringing them into this world? Then, either respecting it or disregarding it, depending on what their conscience allows.....
The bolded part of your statement makes no sense as it stands.
"...their child's wish..." At what point in the child's unlived life would that wish be discovered? Wishes often change, surely you know that. One day this, another day no, that.
This is sort of like asking "what if it were possible to ask your legs if they would like to carry you to the library?"
Your legs can't talk to you, and have not the wherewithal to handle being asked - or told, for that matter - anything. It is NOT possible to ask a fetus anything - and anyway you'd have to ask prior to conception, of something that does not even yet exist, to make a decision about a life that hasn't even been sparked yet, let alone lived.
I know it's technically unanswerable. But what if you could ask? Of course, the unborn baby would have to know if how their life would be, in order to answer the question. But I'll let other posters expand on that part.
I know it's technically unanswerable. But what if you could ask? Of course, the unborn baby would have to know if how their life would be, in order to answer the question. But I'll let other posters expand on that part.
You're actually wading into a belief that some Christians have, and that is that they are a spirit who chooses to continue their enlightening by agreeing to be born of humans on earth and to go through life, with its trials and its triumphs, in order to learn lessons that they need to learn.
What you're suggesting is akin to asking if that spirit actually wants to be born. Of course, the humans who were to birth that spirit in to another human would have already known this when they, too, were spirits deciding to be born as humans to continue learning.
So the entire question is pointless. If you're going to believe in this type of "if" scenario, it's already been asked and the "child" already answered.
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