How can existentialist philosophy help with the anxiety and dread of fatherhood?
Schopenhauer is also famous for having an anti-natalist stance.<p>“If children were brought into the world by an act of pure reason alone, would the human race continue to exist? Would not a man rather have so much sympathy with the coming generation as to spare it the burden of existence, or at any rate not take it upon himself to impose that burden upon it in cold blood?”<p>It&#x27;s brushed off in first few paragraphs, but for those who are not yet a parent: you don&#x27;t have to be. You can have a fulfilling, arguably happier [1], life without children. In fact, a lot of people argue against having children these days [2,3,4]. 
I&#x27;m fairly lucky to have a supporting and progressive family who, mostly, supported my decision for not having children. But a quick gloss over &#x2F;r&#x2F;childfree indicates that there is a lot of stigmatism still going on. I think it&#x27;s time to do away with that.<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;content&#x2F;111&#x2F;4&#x2F;1328.full.pdf" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;content&#x2F;111&#x2F;4&#x2F;1328.full.pdf</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;tv-and-radio&#x2F;2013&#x2F;sep&#x2F;10&#x2F;david-attenborough-human-evolution-stopped" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;tv-and-radio&#x2F;2013&#x2F;sep&#x2F;10&#x2F;david-a...</a><p>[3] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.independent.co.uk&#x2F;voices&#x2F;people-who-dont-have-children-benefit-our-environment-more-than-any-campaign-its-time-to-celebrate-a7178951.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.independent.co.uk&#x2F;voices&#x2F;people-who-dont-have-chi...</a><p>[4] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.wired.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;04&#x2F;biggest-threat-earth-many-kids&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.wired.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;04&#x2F;biggest-threat-earth-many-kids...</a>