Serena Olsaretti: The Ethics of Pronatalism

Pronatalism—the view that it is desirable or obligatory for society to encourage adults to have children, for example by providing monetary incentives to procreators—is on the rise in public discourse in countries with declining fertility and defended by some demographers who are concerned about population ageing. Pronatalism is often thought to be presupposed by the public goods argument for family-friendly policies, that is, the argument that society at large owes parents support because by having and raising children they create important benefits for society at large. Pronatalism, however, is subject to criticism, both from the perspective of the interests of parents and children, and from the perspective of third parties. From the perspective of the interests of parents and children, it seems problematic to hold that parents have weighty reasons, or even a duty, to have children so as to benefit others. From the perspective of third parties—including contemporary non-parents and future generations—it seems problematic to oppose population decline in the face of the climate crisis and the high environmental footprint of each additional child. This talk examines these issues with a view to defending a version of the public goods argument for sharing the costs of children that is not committed to pronatalism.

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Room 349, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU, Malet Street, London, United Kingdom

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