Topic: Why do we have children?
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Michael
It's been a while since I wanted to answer your question. I am a baby-boomer, born in 1953. At the time world population was a little less than 3 billions. Since it has more than doubled. I contributed to that, being the father of three, stepfather of two more, and now a grandfather. When I was about your age - I guess that was in the early 70's - I felt a bit like you. It was the time the Club de Rome issued its famous "Limits to Growth" report. So why did I change my mind after all and contribute to planet (over)-population? I think the main reason is that passing life forward is the most fundamental purpose of all life forms. There is a bit of a contradiction in being on one hand a lover and supporter of life on this planet and on the other hand not abiding by its most basic law. To make it short, life is meaningless if it does not strive to forward itself into the future, as it has done for billions of years now. Granted, reasoning on figures leads you to the paradoxal conclusion that not having children could be a way to preserve life. I don't think it's a sustainable viewpoint. When I look at countries with a very low natality rate now, like Eastern Europe, Russia or Japan, I see people who globally have lost this hope in life that they have inherited from so many generations. And if you have lost the hope in life, how could you fight for the future? Actually those people have come to a very selfish view of life. That's the paradox I live with now. My children are the proof of my believing in a better future. Bernard |
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There's a growing crowd of people who are aware of the overpopulation issue, and who are saying that they will not have children of their own.
However most of the people who are aware of the issue, still will have children. Why is this? Many believe they need to "pass on their genes". But how important are genes compared to socialization and culture? Many also believe that they need to children to have a safety net when they grow old. Understandably, the majority of elderly in the world need or want their children to support them. What can we do to address these beliefs about having children? By the way, I am not sure whether I want children. |
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Michael, I would support Bernard's argument.
However, there's an exit scenario for someone like you. Here's my response to David's question in Is "One Family One Child" a global viable soluiton? If not, what is?
My answer would be no. "One family one child" is not a global viable solution.
Mathematically, "one family two child" + "adopt orphans and abandoned children" would help stabilize population
Idealistically, voluntary "one family one child" + "adopt orphans and abandoned children" would help decrease world population to sustanable levels within Earth's carrying capacity.
Super idealistically, voluntary "one family no child" + "adopt orphans and abandoned children" would help even more.
"Adopt orphans and abandoned children" also serve to defuse the "population time bomb" in less developed countries. Because, children who grow up uncared for and uneducated, potentially will have more than two child of their own.