The Asymmetry Argument

Parfit's asymmetry argument holds that if it is bad to bring a 'wretched child' (a short life dominated by pain) into existence, it seems hard to deny that it is good to bring a happy life into existence—and since this generates a reason to add each further happy life, it pushes toward the repugnant conclusion, an asymmetry Parfit could never satisfactorily resolve.