Ethnos· 2026Q1
Good Ideology, Wrong Species?: The ‘Human Parasite’ Motif from the Population Bomb to the Anthropocene
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Anti-natalists frame humanity as a 'human parasite' that must go extinct, tracing this motif from the Population Bomb to the Anthropocene.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- The 'human parasite' motif, advocating for human extinction, has resurfaced with Anthropocene discourse.
- Anti-natalists view humanity as inherently parasitic, taking without giving back.
- Activists recognize the biological drive to reproduce, leading to an ethics focused on the duty of non-procreation.
- This ethical orientation offers a model for living ethically amidst uncertainty in the Anthropocene.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The ‘human parasite’ has been a recurring motif in ecological discourse that questions our species’ continued reproduction. The motif has returned in recent decades as the Anthropocene discourse intensified. Through participant observation and interviews with anti-natalists, this paper charts the genealogy of the human parasite motif, from the early Voluntary Human Extinction Movement to contemporary activists. Anti-natalists view humanity as fundamentally parasitic – creatures that take without giving back – and therefore believe humanity must go extinct. Despite advocating for voluntary extinction, anti-natalists recognise the improbability of species-wide transformation, given their belief that humans are biologically predisposed to reproduce. This recognition generates a distinctly Kantian ethical orientation, focusing not on outcomes but on the categorical duty of non-procreation. Such an ethics exemplify a broader current within the Anthropocene of how to live ethically in uncertain times, which the paper takes up briefly in the conclusion.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Ethnos, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Cultural Studies
Cultural StudiesSocial Sciences