Abstract

“Wrongful life” claims are made by persons born with a disease to the effect that they should not have been born. I ask whether we can say that if someone claims that he would have been better off if he were not born, he would be better off if he died. I examine the relationship between the following propositions:(1) It would have been better for me if I were not born.(2) My life (as a whole) is not worth living.(3) It would be better for me if I died.(4) I desire to die.(5) I should commit suicide/ ask for euthanasia.If a person claims that he would have preferred not to be born, this normally implies that it would be better for him if he died. But this does not necessarily imply that he desires to die, or that he should commit suicide.