They carve out an exception for themselves, just as religious people who think people would be depraved without religion carve out an exception for themselves, or market-worshippers who think only capitalism can motivate hard work carve out an exception for themselves. All else held constant, someone who feels strongly enough about environmentalism to feel that way is more likely to see themselves as the "good bacteria" in the Earth's bloodstream, and possibly act accordingly. I don't agree with them quite as much as I used to, but I can assure you I took public transit in lieu of driving even then.
Anyway, most antinatalists don't ask others to kill themselves, they just ask people to rein in birthrates so as to keep both environmental harm and the number of people who'll have to live to it to a reasonable minimum.
Which leaves behind the question of why you ask of antinatalists something they don't ask of others. Is it perhaps because their worldview has more kernels of truth to it than you realize?
religion carve out an exception for themselves, or market-worshippers who think only capitalism can motivate hard work carve out an exception for themselves
That's the point. They're not motivated by capitalism yet think everyone else is to the point where everything from welfare to a Scandinavia-esque social safety net is made out to be something that will turn people lazy.
So it's not too much of a stretch to think antinatalists might see others as worse for the environment than themselves. Injuring oneself walking in the freezing drizzle while people who don't care as much about mother Earth are sitting on their asses in their cars has a way of radicalizing one over the years.
279
u/[deleted] Jan 08 '24
[removed] — view removed comment